Assignment #11: Mentorship Write-Up

My Profile:

My name is Kaitlyn and I am a senior at West Forsyth High School. I plan to attend the University of Georgia (I applied early and will hear back around Thanksgiving!) to major in biology and take pre-medicine. I intend to go to medical school although I have not thought too much about where yet. For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by the science of medicine. It sort of runs in the family – my mother is a registered nurse and I have always been inspired by her. However, my interest has always been in ophthalmology. When I think of the five senses we are born with and which most of us take for granted, vision has always been the one I knew I could never live without. I want nothing more in life than to help those who have partially or fully lost that crucial sense that plays a huge role in the quality of all our lives.

My Mentorship:

I am mentoring at Milan Eye Center. I am there for about two hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons. I spend time in both clinic and the operating room. Normally, I shadow an ophthalmic technician when I am in clinic, learning about the various machines and scans that are used during work-ups. Occasionally, I will sit in with the optometrist’s appointments where I am exposed to numerous eye conditions such as conjunctivitis, cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and myopia, among others, and learn about their corresponding treatments. In the operating room, I have watched a number of cataract surgeries, LASIK, a pterygium excision, blepharoplasty, ptosis repair, a corneal transplant, and a few minor procedures such as stye or abscess removal. Since the technicians, optometrists, and surgeons transfer between offices I have been fortunate enough to shadow a majority of the Milan Eye Center staff which has allowed me to really expand my knowledge of the field.

My Future:

Next year, I hope to be at the University of Georgia beginning the road to medical school. This mentorship has allowed me to really discover ophthalmology and the medical field in general and now I am without a doubt that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Learning in a professional setting means that I will be that much more prepared for college and graduate school and it will set me apart from other students.