Skip to main content
Science › Biomedical Physiology + Kinesiology
SFU Co-op Student

Large concrete building in the middle of two rows of trees
I did not know what to do once I was in the surgery room so I stood by the corner while the doctors prepared for the first patient of the day

I always had an interest in medical-related topics and always believed that I had the stomach to take in bloody sights, even though I had never watched a surgery in real life before. So when I was told that I would be allowed to stand in on surgeries, I was extremely excited.  I had to buy the complete outfit first: scrubs, a funny looking cylindrical hat, and white slip-on shoes. Wearing all of that, I felt a bit silly but professional at the same time, especially when I put on the mask that they provided me.  Upon entering the surgery room, I had to put on cloth bag-like coverings over my feet, which definitely added to the silliness factor that I felt.

I did not know what to do once I was in the surgery room so I stood by the corner while the doctors prepared for the first patient of the day: a baby with a cleft-lip that was to be corrected.  Having always had the image that the surgery room was a place where any trace of light-hardheartedness was strictly forbidden and non-existent, I was surprised to see how relaxed the medics were.  When the patient entered, one of the nurses asked me to help hold the gas mask on the baby’s face as she adjusted the anesthetic gas settings.  I was surprised that they let me touch anything, especially since we were unable to understand each others languages and that could have caused a problem.  When the surgery began, the surgeon told me to stand closer.

I visited the burns unit the next day and I am still surprised that I was able to stomach the sights that I saw.  Children, some of them with full body burns, were screaming in pain as the doctors changed their bandages.  Quite often, the gauze was stuck onto the burn wounds and had to be carefully peeled off.  I visited the room that housed the four most serious cases at the time: four boys with their entire bodies burned as a result from playing with matches, electrocution, and from a gasoline explosion of a motorized bike engine.  Their naked bodies showed no signs of healthy skin and they could barely move.  Four medics and two nurses were required to change each of their bandages.  The experience was absolutely heart-wrenching.

During my stay in the burns unit, I also observed more surgeries: one removing colloid scar tissue from a baby’s upper arm and one dealing with the colloid scar tissue on a teenage girl’s foot.  Despite the gruesome sights of that week, I did learn a lot and the medical aspects of all the cases were very interesting.  I am definitely glad I was given such an opportunity.

Beyond the Blog

SFU Co-op Student
visibility  91
Feb 23, 2011

You Might Like These... Co-op Reflections, Professional Development, Career Exploration, Seeking, Work Term Extension

author, courtney, smiling
A Second Term in Government: More of the Same?

Having completed my first work term for Health Canada as a Communications Officer Intern, I was eager to try something new, and the government was not where I believed that was going to happen. That is until I was offered a position at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada...

picture of glichelle pondering a though
Surviving Workplace Politics

Ever been peeved with workplace politics? Have you ever been a victim of office politics? One student shares her experiences from the workplace with tips on how to survive.

 

person with their head in a book
Responsibility and Success

One of the most memorable parts of my time in co-op was the collection of accidents, errors, mistakes, and mix-ups that happened in the course of working in the laboratory.

 

You Might Like These... Co-op Reflections

Article Banner that depicts a senior
10 Tips for Working with Seniors

For some, seniors can be intimidating and difficult to work with. However, after working as a Student Kinesiologist with 6-8 different clients on a daily basis, Matthew has compiled a list of 10 tips and tricks to help anyone working with seniors in any context, not just kinesiology.  

Image of the author
Alumni Spotlight: Almira Bardai, the Globetrotting Communicator

A globetrotting communicator, Almira Bardai is a PR and communications professional with over 17 years of experience in the field working all over the globe from Vancouver to Australia. Read on to learn more about her journey!

Three people in Deloitte tshirts
Finding Delight at Deloitte

Endless mountains of food? Check. Colleagues to play Pokemon Go with? Check. A pile of daunting audit work to get through? Check. Was it worth it? Read Wee Nie Tham's article to find out about their experience at Deloitte, in Malaysia!