Noah Kim's Senior Project: Medical Research

My father inputting surgical notes after completing a BAHA implant surgery.  Although the focus of my senior project shifted from data input and clinical studies to a broader "week in the life of a surgeon," my goals stayed consistent. I got to spends lots of time with my parents while getting an experience firsthand of the finer details and intricacies of the medical world. I was in a very unique position that allowed me to work with my parents, and although there are lots of groups out there, hanging out while completing their senior project, I would highly recommend working with a parent for these last few weeks of school. The time you'll spend is extremely important and it comes at a very critical time where, in a few months, most of you will be talking to your family a handful of times a week if you're lucky, let alone spending time physically with them. I would take advantage of this situation to not only spend time with family but also get to know what paid for...

 This week, most of the focus has been preparing for two surgeries that I am going to observe later today (Friday). This entailed lots of research and some tests that I had to take to confirm I don't have any diseases that would prohibit me from spectating. One such test, the TB test, was particularly interesting. When I arrived for the test, I was expecting a shot, a blood sample, anything that you would usually see in movies, shows, or hear about. However, the nurse immediately pulled out the smallest needle I have ever seen. The diameter was probably smaller than that of a piece of paper, and when she stuck the needle into my arm, I hardly felt anything. That was because she barely pierced my skin, just getting under the first layer.  That all was odd to me, but I was most surprised when she injected the fluid that was in the syringe. Instead of going into my bloodstream, a chemical was inserted into that layer of skin, creating a bubble of sorts on my arm. The bump looked ...