Welcome back! It’s been a really great first week of my internship at Niños, were we’ve (Apple, Rei, and I) spent the last week doing clinical observations with Dr. Bogantes, a neurologist. It has been a captivating experience thus far as I’ve sat in on his outpatient consulting appointments for a variety of neurological conditions. It’s ranged from some that you might recognize, like cerebral palsy, to one’s that I didn’t know existed, like West Syndrome (a type of infant epilepsy). We’ve been very fortunate that the majority of the patients and their families are okay with us observing, and I’m grateful for that.
Being able to be a fly on the wall has been useful as it means I get to learn what both Dr. Bogantes and the patient’s family deem the most important, from the questions asked and the answers given. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t space for questions though, as Dr. Bogantes debriefs us after the cases, ensuring that we understood what was happening, and educating us on the medical background and terminology that comes easily to him. And, I can tell that my Spanish is improving, at least with regard to medical terminology!
However, we’re not always in the consulting office as we’ve gotten to also observe some of the tests that they do in the neurology department, namely electroencephalograms (EEGs). EEGs are a way to measure electrical activity in the brain and are commonly used to diagnose and monitor progression of various neurological conditions. We got the chance to observe how they are done of different patients (from babies to teens) and understand some of what makes them challenging to conduct. An example would be how bulky the machine is and how cumbersome that becomes on the portable machine, which is wheeled to patient rooms as needed.
Beyond that, I’ve been able to use some of the skills picked up in the Needs Finding Bootcamp and keep my head on a swivel in any location – from the waiting room, various offices, and tech labs. It’s been educational to see how people operate in a space on a daily basis, making it work for them, and understanding why things are done the way they are. One example that happens daily is how there is only one wheelchair accessible scale in the department, making it challenging for the nurses to get the correct height and weight for patients with mobility challenges. The scale is used, but due to it’s inconvenient location, workarounds are a daily process. That’s all I’ll say for now, as I don’t want to spoil any ideas I may be interested in for the design project that I’ll start on in a few short weeks!
As exciting as work is, it only lasts Monday – Friday, leaving the weekends to explore Costa Rica. We spent this weekend in San Carlos, which was well worth the 2 hour drive. We spent time at the Arenal Volcano, Agua Termales (a local hot springs), and Rio Agrio Waterfall. While it did rain some, we still got to experience the beauty San Carlos and all it had to offer. We couldn’t have done it without William, who we met at the Needs Finding Bootcamp, and spent the weekend as our tour guide, making sure we could see, experience, and learn the history behind everything. I can’t wait to see where we’ll be on our next adventure! Until then, be sure to keep up with the rest of the Costa Rica crew by checking out Apple, Rei, and Connor’s blogs!
