DelNero_Wk1

We took the proverbial plunge this week and landed elbow deep in a woman’s abdomen in the OR during a hernia operation and hysterectomy. The first few days with Dr. Spector redefined the phrase “summer immersion”; between operations, outpatient visits, clinical rounds, and laboratory research, this program should aptly be called “summer deluge.”

As an outsider to the hospital environment, the first noteworthy characteristic is the pace. In the first hour at the clinic we visited half a dozen post-op patients with conditions ranging from brain tumor resection to jaw reconstruction. Later, exhilarated and mildly exhausted from an action-packed day, we learned that it was a slow Monday for Dr. Spector and the team. This observation emphasized the most limited and valuable resource in the hospital: time. The profound ramifications of the importunate clock reveal an essential and enduring need for technologies that can accelerate, well, anything. Faster operations, faster imaging, faster healing, faster pre-op, faster post-op, faster treatment. For a surgeon, each minute of the day is an investment, and as engineers, we must develop technologies that afford high returns. Based on my first week, I expect there is very little demand for assays that will take several weeks to generate results, at least in this department.

The second most striking aspect of the week was the case diversity. Apart from their Latin etymology, every condition was remarkably unique in the pathology, severity, progression, and a hundred other metrics. Indeed, it would be wholly impossible to fully characterize any given patient. This reality highlights the importance of versatile therapies that treat fundamental diseases among a broad patient cohort. It also showed the inimitable role of the doctor in diagnosing and treating each particular case, again reinforcing the demand for each doctor’s time.

As I gain an understanding of clinical dynamics and patient care, I already notice an increasing awareness of my own aptitudes as an engineer to facilitate healthcare, as well as enhanced appreciation for collaboration between medical doctors and academic research. I anticipate a summer of exploring the significance of this synergy for a clarified perspective of the role of engineering in healthcare.