Surgery

Written by Kathryn Schlosser ’15
I really wished I had brought my suit. I was exhausted, grungy, and a little bit shaky from overnight call. The voice in the back of my head was questioning whether the black sheath dress I had hung in my locker yesterday morning was too little, too much, or just not quite right for this presentation. But I had no other option – my newly tailored interview suit was 1,300 miles away, and there was no way I had the time or money to buy one for just a presentation. Thank goodness I had brought flats instead of heels. The adrenaline from the night before could only do so much.

Written by Kathryn Schlosser ’15
“Katie, If you go into surgery, you’re going to miss patients.” It was three in the morning in the ED; the resident was feeling the strain of a 24 hour trauma call, and I was loving it… This was my last call night at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. I had driven across the United States for a series of electives on the West Coast, starting with an orthopedic trauma elective with University of Washington.

Written by Marissa Mendez ’15
About two weeks into my transplant surgery rotation in Seattle, I boarded a small jet plane and took off to Alaska to retrieve kidneys for an organ donation. I was elated. Having the opportunity to do this was one of the reasons I wanted to do this rotation at the University of Washington. We were told late the day before that a young man had passed away in Alaska and his family had agreed upon organ donation.