Research: Electrocardiogram Training
An opportunity popped up over the summer on the Pre-Health Advising Blog to volunteer in some research at the University of Washington Medical Center. Dr. Shannon McConaughey, a second-year cardiology resident, is investigating how effective a simulation of an echocardiogram is as a teaching tool for physicians in training. The subjects would come in at the beginning of their cardiology rotation and would be asked to take several images of the heart from various viewpoints using the echocardiogram on a human subject. Then they would spend the next few months of their rotation practicing those same viewpoints on a dummy hooked up to a computer to provide a virtual echo. Finally, at the end of the study, the physicians in training would once again be asked to capture images of the heart on a human subject. The point is to see not just whether the residents in training would learn how to use the echocardiogram and where to use it, but whether practicing on a dummy would aid them in any way on a human subject since each individual is slightly different, so probe placement varies from person to person.
As a volunteer, I was essentially just the guinea pig for these physician test subjects to practice taking an echocardiogram on. It was a pretty sweet gig, I just showed up, took my shirt off, and lounged back in a dark lab while the physicians ran the ultrasound probe over my chest. There were a couple of times when I almost fell asleep because it was such a chill atmosphere. However, it was a great learning opportunity that paired well with what I was learning on the Telemetry Unit at Swedish. I reviewed the basic anatomy of the heart, except now it was tangible. I got to see my own heart imaged on the echo, which is cool because you actually get to see it in motion. I learned about the common diseases which would require an echo, and how they're anatomically manifested. I also learned how to perform echos myself, where to place the probe and how to orient myself to capture the images correctly. It takes a little while to wrap your head around, you have to have a really great sense of spatial awareness, but in time it does make sense. It was pretty fun just getting to mess around on the simulator, trying to find the correct angles of placement to get the correct images.
What was also fun was seeing how inept most of the residents were at taking echocardiograms. It's something they probably hadn't done since Med School, and probably only briefly at that. The first doctor in training to image me was poking into my stomach trying to get an image of the heart. Dr. McConaughey and myself did our best not to laugh. Some of the physicians caught on to the fact that I knew when they were doing something wrong, so they smeared unnecessary amounts of ultrasound gel all over me to make me suffer. It was nice to see that even at that level of education, past medical school and with the MD after their names, these people were still making mistakes in the process of learning and it was okay. It kind of eases the pressure of thinking that Med School and Residency are going to be horrifically intense. I mean, I know they will be significantly more difficult than anything I've done yet, but it's nice to know that it still exists in an atmosphere where humanity is still recognized. I won't be banished from practicing medicine if I make an error, but it will be an opportunity to grow.
As a volunteer, I was essentially just the guinea pig for these physician test subjects to practice taking an echocardiogram on. It was a pretty sweet gig, I just showed up, took my shirt off, and lounged back in a dark lab while the physicians ran the ultrasound probe over my chest. There were a couple of times when I almost fell asleep because it was such a chill atmosphere. However, it was a great learning opportunity that paired well with what I was learning on the Telemetry Unit at Swedish. I reviewed the basic anatomy of the heart, except now it was tangible. I got to see my own heart imaged on the echo, which is cool because you actually get to see it in motion. I learned about the common diseases which would require an echo, and how they're anatomically manifested. I also learned how to perform echos myself, where to place the probe and how to orient myself to capture the images correctly. It takes a little while to wrap your head around, you have to have a really great sense of spatial awareness, but in time it does make sense. It was pretty fun just getting to mess around on the simulator, trying to find the correct angles of placement to get the correct images.
What was also fun was seeing how inept most of the residents were at taking echocardiograms. It's something they probably hadn't done since Med School, and probably only briefly at that. The first doctor in training to image me was poking into my stomach trying to get an image of the heart. Dr. McConaughey and myself did our best not to laugh. Some of the physicians caught on to the fact that I knew when they were doing something wrong, so they smeared unnecessary amounts of ultrasound gel all over me to make me suffer. It was nice to see that even at that level of education, past medical school and with the MD after their names, these people were still making mistakes in the process of learning and it was okay. It kind of eases the pressure of thinking that Med School and Residency are going to be horrifically intense. I mean, I know they will be significantly more difficult than anything I've done yet, but it's nice to know that it still exists in an atmosphere where humanity is still recognized. I won't be banished from practicing medicine if I make an error, but it will be an opportunity to grow.