I am grateful for the experience of being a Gilstrap Summer Intern this summer. Prior to the internship, I had heard about the program through interactions with fellow students who had been part of it, and I was excited to learn about the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology at one of the largest medical centers in the country.
Through this internship, I rotated through different subspecialties within OB/GYN. This included Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, the Fetal Center, Labor and Delivery (day and night shifts), the High-Risk Clinic, and even shadowing at a privately owned OB/GYN
clinic.
During this experience, I realized how little I had previously known about OB/GYN and women’s and fetal health. I was amazed by the multitude of complications that affect women’s health and, on many occasions, saw the vulnerability of these women. Despite that, it was gratifying to experience the process of childbearing and the joy that followed— whether from the mother, father, doctors, or nurses. It was very fulfilling to share in those moments. All the while, I could not help but place myself in the doctors’ shoes—whether in
their interactions with patients, during childbirth, or performing surgeries.
One of the most remarkable surgeries I witnessed was a spina bifida repair. This procedure required identifying the improper development of a baby’s spinal cord, which could affect the child’s mobility after delivery. The surgery involved correcting this defect while the baby was still in the womb. Because of its complexity, it required a neurosurgeon, a maternal- fetal medicine physician, urologists, and many other essential care providers, such as nurses and sonographers. With this, I was not only amazed by the complexity of the cases I observed but also by the collaborative nature of medicine.
I could say a lot more about this internship, but above all, it reinforced my desire to become a physician—and possibly an OB/GYN physician. For this opportunity, I would like to thank the Wabash College Global Health Initiative, Wabash alumnus and director of the Gilstrap Program, Dr. Sean Blackwell, and Dr. Sunbola Ashimi for her supervision. Finally, I would like to thank my fellow Gilstrap Summer Interns and Wabash brothers for making this experience worthwhile.
