Final Blog

 I created this senior project because I wanted to be able to explore different career paths working in healthcare. Through working with the fire department, I was able to observe emergency medicine and learn how to respond to a fast-paced environment. Observing at University Hospitals, I was able to familiarize myself with a more scheduled environment that worked with patients more closely. From shadowing firefighters, EMS, nurses, and surgeons, I was able to understand what careers interest me so that I can start to understand what I might want to do during or after college. I really liked having such a wide variety of careers to observe because I was able to do something different almost every day of my project. This allowed me to be engaged with my project, and I always felt I was learning something new. During my project, I learned a lot about the kinds of drills firefighters do and procedures that urogynecologists do. Specifically, when in the operating room, I learned the importance of counting equipment before and after operating. In all of my experiences, I learned how to effectively treat patients with compassion and kindness so that they feel heard and comfortable. This aspect of the project was my biggest takeaway because working in healthcare, it is essential to build a trusting relationship with patients while they are going through problems with their health. Both the Shaker Heights Fire Department and University Hospitals taught me a lot over the course of three weeks, and I think Hawken students can learn important lessons by partnering with them. This summer I plan to volunteer at the Shaker Heights Fire Department to paint fire hydrants, and they can always use more students to help with similar projects. Overall, if I were to plan another senior project I would stick with having multiple mentors, so my advice to rising juniors or seniors is to take advantage of different resources and organizations. This helped broaden my knowledge of different careers in a field I knew I wanted to pursue. In conclusion, I would like to thank the Shaker Heights Fire Department, University Hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic, Mrs. Shea, Dr. Sheyn, and Dr. Mahajan for being willing to mentor me. I am deeply grateful for the experiences I got to be a part of, and I loved every minute of them. Everyone I shadowed showed so much knowledge and passion for their professions, and I hope to follow in their footsteps. Thank you for everything!

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