UMC Shadowing Day 3 (7/16) || Erika Agena

The sun came out for us for the first time since arriving to Vietnam on Shadowing Day 3! As we drove to the hospital, I felt both nervous and excited for the department I was assigned to: OBGYN! After we met with a staff member at our unit, our group of 7 was split into 3 different teams to check out the operating floor, the clinic floor, and the ultrasound floor. For the morning, the plan was to tour our floors, and then switch after lunch.

Ian, Nina, and I were led up the stairs to the operating floor for the morning, where we changed into slippers and scrubs (they were one size fits all but they fit great!). I thought having the scrubs and slippers there for people to change into was convenient, since back in the US, everyone is responsible for their own set. The changing room was a small broom closet like space, but miraculously fit a bunk bed inside in the back right corner. They must have enough overnight procedures to need healthcare staff stay through the night. After changing, a nurse led us through the unit where we saw the pre and post operating rooms. They were communal rooms with bright turquoise walls, each with 6 beds. There were 3 beds on both the right and left walls, with the patients' feet pointing towards the middle of the room. The door we entered through was attached to a glass wall, where nurses were on their computers facing the patients. One of the nurses informed us that we would be able to observe a few procedures for the morning, since two mothers were scheduled to give birth in the next few hours. One was a vaginal birth, and the other was a C-section. Nina graciously offered for me and Ian to observe the C-section, as only 2 people were allowed in the OR, and went to observe the vaginal birth. We put on our hair nets, changed into our OR room slippers, and headed in.

Ian and I stood in the corner, making ourselves as small as possible in order to be out of the way. The nurses were busy at work, setting up the sterile equipment, getting the patient situated, and wheeling in the bassinet. With limited Vietnamese speaking ability between the two of us, we mostly inferred what was going on around us. Once everything was set up, 3 OBGYNs walked in and began the procedure. They began by sterilizing and sealing the patient's belly with some plastic. Since this was the first surgery I've observed, I got a little nervous with all of the sharp tools they were holding up and the deep "shhhk" cutting sounds I heard as they cut through all the layers of skin. I was also surprised to see how little blood there was throughout the procedure, since I thought that all surgeries meant lots of blood. The incision was not as large as I had thought it would be, and before I knew it, a head popped out and into the doctor's hands! After they maneuvered the rest of the body out skillfully, one doctor cleaned the baby. It was amazing seeing how firmly and quickly the doctor handled the baby; I assume it must be years of skill and lives birthed put into practice. The nurses wheeled the baby out for measurements. From the moment the doctors stepped into the room to when the baby was wheeled out, it took an astounding 15-20 minutes! For the next 45 minutes, the doctor's focused on stitching the patient up, which was a longer process that I initially thought. Suturing each layer of skin seemed tedious, especially when you have to make sure it was as if no incision was made in the first place.

We stepped outside after the patient was done with her procedure, and saw the nurses hovering over the baby, who was swaddled and had a new pink hat. They smiled at the baby and gently poked her little cheeks. It was heartwarming to see that no matter how long the staff might've worked there, the joy of a newborn never faded. After the baby was wheeled to the post-op room, through the wall, we saw the mother of the patient happily rocking her new grandchild as the mother smiled softly from her bed.

After lunch, we went down to the other floors, where we were able to observe the ultrasound rooms. One of the staff members explained which part of the baby's body she could see during the ultrasound. She pointed out the spine, the 4 chambers of the heart, and the head. She also mentioned how the baby is breached, and she could tell because the baby's head was not where it was supposed to be. My eyes were not trained to spot out the nuances in the black and white screen in front of me, so it was cool to see how quickly she explained what she was able to see.

It was an absolute privilege to see the birth of a new life today. Observing OBGYN gave me a window into seeing another side of medicine, which was not to prevent death or sustain life, but to start it. It made me appreciate more what my own mom went through for me and my younger brother with her own c-sections many years ago. It was also so inspiring to observe an entirely female OR team! Shadowing Day 3 was definitely the most memorable shadowing day for me, and I'm excited to continue learning throughout mission trip :D

the OBGYN shadowing team!

Nina and I in scrubs!

observing the ultrasound