The people listed below have been former fellows. Click on their name to open a summary of their experiences in their own words.

Thank you so much for this again, the lessons I learned, the experience I gained and this letter of recommendation from this internship will be invaluable assets to me as I continue my journey of becoming a doctor. 

1. My career plans at the moment are to go to medical school. My dream school is Duke, but ill most likely end up somewhere in Ohio, like Ohio State. After graduating from medical school I plan on becoming a primary care physician, I'm not quite sure which kind of primary care doctor yet, most likely internal medicine. Although I have even been considering emergency medicine lately. After I become well established I plan on using my medical knowledge to help others that are less fortunate. I plan on working with Doctors Without Borders or programs such as MedLife that go on mobile medical clinics in other countries and deliver free basic health care check-ups to people in need. 

2. The internship was incredible, so many things about it were satisfying. The fact that I got to live in NY for a little bit was amazing,there were so many new experiences for me living in the big city. I loved all of the meaningful conversations/advice I got from all different types of medical providers, I will always remember their advice and encouraging words. The mentor ship part of the internship was great as well, it was eye opening and refreshing to get to know surgeons on a more real and personal level. Sometimes doctors can be looked at as these brilliant minds that never sleep or eat, kinda like robots and it was nice to be reminded that they are human with emotions, flaws, and egos. I learned so much in the clinic, such as the value of patience and understanding, the importance of communication between doctor and patient and I even picked up some medical Span-glish along the way. Working that closely with patients motivated me and assured me that this is career that I want for my future. My favorite part, by far, was the OR. It was like stepping into a whole new world for me. It also let me see surgeons and the process of surgery in a new light. I always thought surgeons were like auto mechanics, they just simply took the old parts out and put new ones in. There is so much more to it than that, there is an unspoken beauty and a calming serenity in that sterilized room. I now see surgery as an art form and I thank you for exposing me to one of the more hidden, secret and intimate parts of medicine.

3. The doctors that I worked with the most were definitely yourself and Dr. Baghian. I worked with Dr. Wong, Lee and Dubey a pretty good amount as well.

4. Dr. Baghian was the doctor that I worked with the most. She taught me so many invaluable things that cant be learned in a classroom. She taught me about determination, patience, grit, office politics, and most importantly loving the work that doctors do. She warned me that many doctors become jaded or too egotistical and that I should try to avoid that at all costs. She would often remind me that after I become a doctor I have to remind myself everyday that I am doing an important service and of the reasons that I  love doing it. Dr. B taught me that medicine is difficult and frustrating and sometimes those negative aspects can overshadow your love for medicine and for the people you treat. 
Even more than just advice and mentor ship she taught me by letting me participate and aide her in her medical process which gave me important and valuable hands-on experience. She even let me practice scribing for her, which was helpful for my confidence when I started scribing in the Emergency Department at Aultman.  She is one of the most intriguing,complicated,brilliant and beautiful people I know and I am glad that I had the opportunity to work so closely with her.  

5. Me and Ojo worked on a project for Dr. Baghian. Our research paper was basically the prevalence of different types of hand infections that have been treated at Bronx Lebanon. We went further into detail by breaking the infections down into pediatrics vs. adult, into etiology and the percentage of the infections that were treated at bedside vs the percentage that were treated with surgery. It was very interesting working with such a large and new information database. 

6. The internship was incredible, especially since it was the first year that it was run. The only thing that I would suggest is a little more structure when it comes to the lectures from the doctors and the payment schedule, every thing else was great. I loved how much freedom/independence we had in regards to shadowing, research and the OR, it created a very productive learning environment because we are we allowed the freedom to mold our internship into what we wanted it to be.  

I cant say this enough, thank you so much for this opportunity.
Sincerely,

Michael Arnold 

1. My goal to become research doctor. Currently, I'm looking at internal medicine, general surgery, and just recently oncology. I plan to work as a research assistant for a year or two before medical school. Ideally, I would work in a neuroscience lab with a focus of plasticity. 

2. The most satisfying activities was assisting physicians in clinic. I actually felt useful to the doctor and not someone who was in the way. I could interact with the patients themselves and participant in solving their problem. I especially loved how many times this experience turning into a teaching opportunity where I learned actual medicine. 

3. In order from who I worked with/shadowed the most to the least. Dr.Baghian, Dr.Dubey, Dr.Simela, Dr.Lee, Dr.Kirschenbaum, Dr.Ayoub, Dr.Lacher, Dr.Meftah, Dr. Wong and Dr.Auerbach.  

4. Working with Dr.Baghian was easily the more chaotic experience of the internship and the most fulfilling. I would be in her office every Wednesday from 9 in the morning to as late 8 in the evening. My day would start with drawing injections while Dr.B rapidly triage patients. After I had made a few "diapers", what called the injection bundle, I would bring in the next folder and any patient slips, there were always multiple. I'd hand her the folder and she make a quick quip about the patient. She'd tell me if it was a F/U or a new patient. if it was a F/U, I would sit back and idly observe. If the patient was new then I would sit them down and collect info about what brought them in while Dr.B triaged. Here, I got my first true glimpse into being a physician. The patient would describe what event caused the pain, how they've been treating themselves, etc... Dr.B would step in and perform test while I diligently took notes of the results on my 9'' by 12'' clipboard. Every Wednesday, I got this opportunity to engage in patient story to actually help the doctor do their job rather than be a hindrance to it.

5. I worked on two research projects over the course of the internship. The first was along with Michael Arnold under Dr.Baghian was an epidemiology study on hand infections. The study focused on what was the source of the infection, what bug caused it, and where was it treated (OR vs bedside). The second project involved all four of the interns under Dr.Simela. The goal of this was to provide revisions to Oswestry Disability Index to make it better suited to a low income urban environment. 

6. I absolutely loved the internship especially the breadth of the field that we were able to explore. It served as an exceptional teaching experience for me. My only recommendation is to add more organization to the internship. I would've loved to have more lectures like Dr.B & Dr.Simela's or more labs like Dr.Ayoub's and Dr.Meftah's . Albeit I completely understand the doctors have other responsibilities. Please keep the amazing freedom we had to choose our mentors.
1. I am hoping to go to NP school after I graduate

2. Working with Dr. B as a scribe, working on medtools (learning how to create a surgical tool database), getting more experience with patient interactions with Dr. Dubey, experiencing the population in the Bronx and getting to go in the OR multiple times 

3. I worked with mainly doctor Dr. B but also with Dr. Dubey

4. Yes I can. Working with Dr. Dubey was great for learning various patient interaction techniques. Dr. Dubey saw a wide variety of patients and was able to include me in many of his routine visits. I came to understand how he managed many non surgical orthopedic issues and the first line of treatment for nonsurgical orthopedic injuries. 

Working with Dr. Babatunde, I came to understand how to use allscripts significantly better, and I learned how to do a physical exam for a painful knee or shoulder. Additionally, I got the chance to work on medtools, an up and coming website being created by Dr. B and his colleagues where they are working to create an organized orthopedic surgical tool database where references on how to use a specific tool and what kind of set the tool comes in is available. I was able to go in the operating room with Dr. B and experience his work ethic while in surgery. Lastly I also was able to better understand how to review Xray and MRIs by the end of my time with Dr. B and help him run his clinic visits. 
(I think 5 may have been covered in here as well - medtools)

5. I had the chance to do research for medtools which helped me to better understand multiple common surgical tools and procedures used in orthopedics. I would organize this information for the website.

6. I absolutely loved my experience at Bronx Lebanon. I was able to see a whole different side of medicine and patient - doctor relationships compared to my past experience in an emergency room and inpatient areas. I enjoyed working with this population and understanding the hardships that come with working with this kind of population. I learned so much about allscripts and how to conduct an orthopedic clinic visit. I also felt comfortable in this environment to ask questions and practice my skills in terms of physical exams, interacting with patients and scribing. My medical vocabulary significantly improved. Getting to experience multiple procedures in the operating room was incredible and really propelled me to try and learn as much as possible about the procedures and anatomical areas that were involved. I left this experience feeling like I had grown as a student and that I would take these skills with me no matter which area of medicine I pursued. I honestly am significantly more interested in orthopedics after my experience at Bronx Lebanon and I hope to return to this clinic and work with this great group of people again someday! 
Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
Working with Dr. Babatunde I got great experience with patients in the operating room and in the clinic. I learned a great amount about human anatomy as well as surgical procedures by watching Dr. B operate as well as scrubbing in with him on arthroscopies and arthroplasties. In the clinic I performed present health illness forms prior to Dr. B seeing the patient and shadowed him as he diagnosed his patient. I gained knowledge about many sports medicine injuries and the ways in which to diagnose them working with Dr. B.
Working with Dr. Lee I got a lot of hands on experience in the operating room. I learned a lot about surgical practices scrubbing in with him on amputations and bunionectomies. I also got a lot of experience in the clinic performing wound care on ulcers and post operative infections. Dr. Lee allowed me to get great experience in the clinic as I was allowed to perform minor procedures on patients such as suture removal, wound wrapping, and callus/corn trimming.

With Dr. K I got to participate in a highly efficient clinic and operating room. In the operating room I witnessed multiple arthroplasties and was able to scrub in on a few. In the clinic I got a great understanding of the types of conditions that qualifies a patient for a joint replacement. From Dr. K I also got to learn about what goes on behind the scenes in a surgical department. I learned a few ways to make a department more efficient with respect to providing patients with medical care.


Q7: What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
The highlight of the summer for me was working with the surgeons and gaining valuable knowledge from each of them. I like to learn and every attending was very willing to teach. Being in the operating room was one of the best experiences I have had to date, I thought every procedure whether it was 15 minutes or 5 hours was fascinating. The clinic was a great place to gain knowledge about clinical treatment and learn how to diagnose certain injuries. Lastly, it was very humbling to be a part of a team of surgeons and medical assistants providing medical care to people in the south Bronx.

Q8: Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
I had a pretty good understanding of healthcare prior to this fellowship. What I did realize working in the south Bronx is how many people rely on medicaid, have no insurance, or have to hear the statement "your insurance can't cover this". I was very humbled working at Bronx Lebanon this summer.

Q9: How would you improve the fellowship?
I really cannot say that there is much to improve about the fellowship. We got a massive amount of clinical and operating room experience and every single day provided a new opportunity to learn more as every single attending was eager to teach. The only suggestion I could make is to include a little more research in the program. Otherwise this program was absolutely amazing and provided me with the best summer job to date.

Q10: What are your plans for your future in medicine?
My plan is to apply to research/clinical jobs for this summer and then return to Syracuse for one extra semester as this will allow me to be a triple major (biology, chemistry, and nutrition science) then that following June I plan on taking the MCAT and applying to medical school that year. This fellowship really helped me decide that I do want to be a physician.

Q11: Please add any extra comments here:
I really appreciate the opportunity that I was provided with this summer. It was an amazing experience all around. The staff at Bronx Leb from the surgeons, to the coordinators and medical assistants were all great to work with. Also, the other members of the fellowship became great friends of mine and I think that is due to the way in which the fellowship is set up.
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
This summer I had the opportunity to work primarily with Dr. Babatunde, Dr. Simela, and Dr. Kirschenbaum. I really enjoyed working with Dr. Babatunde. I have always found sports medicine very interesting, so I loved getting the opportunity to see first hand what that kind of career might look like. Working with Dr. Babatunde gave me the chance to learn how to scribe for a physician. I often went in to see patients before Dr. Babatunde did in order to learn the patient's medical history and his/her main concern for his/her appointment that day. This is a skill I will need for the rest of my career, so I am very appreciative that I gained this skill early on. Through Dr. Babatunde I learned the anatomy of both the knee and shoulder. I also had the chance to observe a couple of knee and shoulder arthroscopies. I was absolutely captivated by these surgeries. It was incredible to see how much could be done with just two or three incisions into the body. Overall I am very appreciative of the time I got to spend with Dr. Babatunde as he really took the time to teach me and answer any questions I had.

I also really enjoyed working with Dr. Simela. What I especially enjoyed about Dr. Simela was on days that I would work with him, he would first give me different spine diseases to research. This gave me exposure into the kind of conditions I would be seeing with him. Having this information beforehand allowed me to recognize certain conditions as patients described their symptoms when they came in for visits. Dr. Simela was the first surgeon I had the opportunity of scrubbing in with. I scrubbed in on an ankle fracture. I absolutely loved scrubbing in with Dr. Simela. Even in the operating room he would stop to explain exactly what was going on. Dr. Simela also gave me a lot of insight into what a career as a surgeon might look like. He discussed with me not just the medicine, but also the more organizational and regulatory side of medicine.

Working with Dr. Kirschenbaum was definitely the highlight of my summer experience. I worked with him in the clinic once or twice a week and also had the opportunity to scrub in on two knee replacements with him. There is nothing like scrubbing in on a knee replacement. Scrubbing in with Dr. K made me want to be a surgeon. I was completely blown away by how efficient Dr. K was. Dr. K has created a highly efficient joint replacement program that does not sacrifice the quality of care given to patients. Dr. K is truly an excellent teacher who really took the time to make sure I understood each patient's case that I saw. I was truly inspired by the quality of care he gave to his patients. He made every patient feel that their problems were important and gave them his full attention and respect.

What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
Though I knew I wanted to be a physician before this internship, I had never thought about becoming a surgeon. This internship made me realize that I want to become a surgeon. I enjoyed every single surgery I was able to observe or scrub in on. I learned first hand how best to treat the various conditions seen in the clinic. This internship taught me how to interact with patients as well as what it means to work as a part of a team. I appreciated that every surgeon or PA I worked with taught me not just about the medicine, but also about the positive and negative experiences they have had in their role in the medical field. Each physician that I worked with was truly an excellent teacher and I am eternally grateful for all that I learned in my nine weeks at Bronx-Lebanon.

Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
This internship taught me a lot about the role that cost, quality and access play in the South Bronx community. It was interesting for me to see how each physician handled seeing as many as 50 or 60 patients a day. Through this internship I got the opportunity to see how the healthcare system can often fail patients by not paying for their prescriptions or braces needed. Overall this internship highlighted just how many components make up the field of medicine and how it can be hard to increase one component such as quality without decreasing another component such as access.

How would you improve the fellowship?
I absolutely loved my time at Bronx-Lebanon. I learned so much from this experience, which I will take with me as I go on to pursue a career in medicine. My only improvements would be to add a larger research component to the program and provide a little more structure to the schedule. Though I really enjoyed that each day it was up to us to decide who we wanted to work with, deciding who would go to the operating room often posed a challenge.

What are your plans for your future in medicine?
I am currently a junior neuroscience pre-med major at Vanderbilt. I plan to work this upcoming summer in the Music Cognition Lab at Vanderbilt as well as take the MCAT. I am planning on taking a gap year then going to medical school in fall of 2019. Though I do not know what speciality I would like to pursue yet, after this internship I know that I definitely would like to become a surgeon.

Please add any extra comments here:
I cannot express enough how incredible this experience was. Getting to be a part of this team was a truly rewarding experience. I learned so much from every person that I encountered. I am so grateful for every person who was a part of my summer experience at Bronx-Lebanon Medical Center.
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Drs. Babatunde, Dubey, Simela, Baghian, Lee, Wong, Ayoub, and the chair, Dr. K.

Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
There are so many positive things I would like to say about each of the Attendings. Dr. Babatunde - Thank you for allowing me to shadow you this summer. There are so many valuable things I learned from you about a career in medicine. I really enjoyed watching you engage with people and I witnessed model encounters between provider and patient. Thank you for your tips on an appropriate writing style in a MR, those short anatomy lessons in between patients with Jake, the opportunity to observe a couple of your arthroscopies, and for so many other wonderful experiences. Thank you for helping me improve my patient assessment skills. Dr. Dubey - Thank you for allowing me to shadow you this summer. I really appreciated the fact that you took the time after each patient to create a learning opportunity. I learned so much about X-Ray reading, bracing/casting, surgical candidacy/risks, treatment plans, and medical ethics. I loved engaging with patients in Spanish with you as well. The carpal tunnel extraction was really awesome as well! Dr. Simela - Thank you for being so welcoming and kind to me this summer. I absorbed so much information each time we engaged with a patient. You taught me so much about MRI reading, XRays, basic spinal anatomy, chronic pain management, mobility, surgical candidacy/risks, ethics, nomenclature, diagnoses, and so much more. Thank you for allowing me to observe a lumbar spinal fusion, it was truly an incredible experience for me. I appreciate the time you took to go over new concepts with me, because I know how busy you are with so many patients. Thank you for your tips for a future in medicine. I also loved getting to know you and hearing about your mini schnauzer and family. I observed your interactions with so many different types of patients. With your unique pedagogy, I got to see the ins and outs of spinal therapy and surgery. I learned about the professionalism of the medical career. I took away a lot from my experiences with you at Bronx-Lebanon. Drs. Lee and Wong - Thank you for allowing me to shadow you both this summer. I learned so much about the world of podiatry, and how incredibly diverse it is! I am so grateful to have spent so many clinical and OR time with you both. I was exposed to so much OR culture: how to move in the OR, how to put on sterile dressing, scrubbing in/out, using a knife, holding a bone saw, I&D, and so much more. You both have awesome personalities and I remember having a really educational and fun time in clinic, OR, or during rounds. Thank you so much. Dr. Baghian - Even though we weren't lucky enough to have you for the whole summer due to your surgery, we are so grateful for the short time we spent with you. I hope you are feeling better! I gained so much as a student with you. I learned so much about the upper extremity science, surgery, and assessment. You also taught me so much about X-Rays, treatment plans, nerve tests, surgical candidacy, upper extremity anatomy, patient assessment, and so much more. I appreciate that you took time to answer any questions, as I know you are very busy. Your suturing lab and mini lecture in the department office (thank you for sharing the beautiful pictures of Sasha, by the way!) was an irreplaceable experience and one of my summer highlights...I still practice every now and then! You had a profound impact on me and what I conceive to be my future in medicine and possibly orthopaedics. I loved watching you interact with patients, and see you use your expertise to help others. I hope to attain more experiences in the upper extremity field. Thank you for sharing so much with me. It was great to speak in Spanish with patients with you as well. Dr. Ayoub - Thank you for allowing me to shadow you this summer, and to be a part of the Bronx Leb podiatry clinic. I truly enjoyed spending hours in clinic with with you, and watching you so tenderly care for your patients. You were so patient with me and answered so many questions. I learned so much by just speaking with you, but also by just observing you in clinic and in the OR. That being said, I'm so grateful to have participated in some of your surgical cases - thank you for teaching me while 'in the zone', letting me hold a cauterizer, capturing a close look at tissue and nerves, and informing me about the ebb and flow of the OR. These are so many invaluable pieces of information I will hold with me always. Thank you for sharing those beautiful photos and videos of your daughter. Dr. K - Thank you so much for an incredible opportunity this summer to personally work with you, the Attendings, the staff/administration, and all the patients and families in the Bronx-Lebanon community. I really had a terrific time here and I learned A LOT. Everyday was a valuable and unique experience. I did something different everyday, I wanted to surround myself in the different fields of orthopaedics. Thank you for allowing me to shadow you. You took the time to answer my questions, thank you so much. You had so much advice and wisdom to share. The time I spent with you in the OR was incredibly informative, fun, and astounding. You left an indelible mark on my premedical career. I am also humbled by your generosity by providing housing for me and the other girls. Thank you for giving me the most didactic, hands-on, immersive, and intellectual premedical internship. I left Bronx-Lebanon with a greater understanding of the realities of medicine, and a future in orthopaedic surgery.

What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
This fellowship was unique because of its open format. The fellows had flexibility in their schedules to interact with different doctors on different days, spend time the ORs, and participate in clinic. The individuality of the fellowship is great. I was able to hone in on my interests and learn more about these areas. The hours in clinic really was one of the most special parts of the fellowship. The amount of time I spent with patients - asking them questions, listening to their problems, looking at their XRays and MRIs with the doctors - was remarkable. I really got to see what a day in the life is of an orthopaedic surgeon. Moreover, I got to work with an extremely intelligent, competent, multicultural, and tactful group of Attendings. I learned so much everyday, and in every hour. My OR experience was incredible...I cannot believe I was able to scrub in on a few occasions and intimately observe surgery in action. I loved working with the other fellows and supporting each other as we embark on the medical school admission process over the next year. The medical assistants, registration, and administration at the orthopaedic clinic are outstanding (Shout out to Emmanuel, Rosemary, Anna, Namig, Chrissy, Maria, Mike), and it was an utmost pleasure working and seeing them everyday. Thank you for being so patient with us that first week when we were still trying to figure everything out.I loved learning about physical tests on patients, and learning to ascertain the right information to help someone. I loved seeing cortisone injections and other methods of pain management.

Did the fellowship change the way you looked a a. It is perhaps some tone in between, but its more than just a consideration of a person's present health situation. Its about a myriad of things. Medical interventions, like surgery, are complex processes that use amazing technology and I am so excited and interested in the future of medical technology. There is a whole system to health care that is large and sometimes overwhelming. There are the loops and hurdles with insurance, MCOs, providers, and regional availabilities. I became closer to health care after this internship and learned so much about its many different layers and facets.

How would you improve the fellowship?
The Fellowship has an excellent 'open' structure, which I believe really benefits the Fellows to follow their own interests. However, I would love if there were a few more lectures from the Attendings and if possible, one or more suturing labs (those were so cool!). I know the fellows and me would have loved to soak up some more information and knowledge from the Attendings through the traditional lecture-style format. They have so much to share.

What are your plans for your future in medicine?
After graduation, I would really love to work for an ambulance company/EMT for some time. I would like to pursue some more research opportunities. In addition to making me a more competitive applicant for medical school, I really want to immerse myself in those medical and biomedical sciences to learn and individualize my interests. I want to go into medical school and residency/fellowship with a strong foundation in what my real interests are in medicine and in biomedical science. I want to see medicine in a variety of settings and platforms. I am really interested in orthopaedics and internal medicine.
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
I would say that I spent a fairly even amount of time among the attendings. I wanted to make sure that I was exposed to all the subspecialties represented in Dr. K’s amazing department. I found that all the the attendings were incredibly willing to work with us and teach us, and my time with every doctor was extremely valuable in different ways. That being said, I probably spent the most amount of time with Dr. Simela, Dr. Kirschenbaum, and Dr. Baghian once she returned at the end of the summer.

Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
Working with Dr. Simela was always a fun and challenging experience because he would ask me to do research on real cases we would see in the clinic and present him with a prognosis and treatment plan. After doing this for the whole summer, I felt like I had become familiar with such a large range and volume of diseases. I also greatly admire Dr. Simela’s ability to put his patients at ease. He has a certain poise and confidence both with his patients in the clinic and in his OR, and it was wonderful to be able to learn from him. Dr. Baghian was such an incredible teacher, and I only wish I was able to have more time to learn from her. Although she only returned for the last few weeks of the fellowship, the things that I learned from her were some of the most significant and I know I will remember them for a long time to come. She always took the extra time to explain everything whether it was describing how to read an x-ray or teaching me how to draw and prepare her injections for her, and beyond all the medical knowledge, she also shared invaluable life advice for me as I continue on with my future in medicine. One of the most memorable days of the fellowship was also when Dr. Baghian planned a suturing workshop for the fellows after work one day. I was actually required to do suturing with the Copenhagen Academy for Medical Education and Simulation while I was abroad, and I could still suture perfectly after learning from Dr. Baghian months earlier. And of course, there is nothing I can say to truly describe how amazing it was to work with Dr. K and learn from his countless years of experience. Watching my first total knee replacement with Dr. K during my first week of the fellowship left me completely in awe, and then being able to scrub in with him on that same surgery in the final weeks was definitely a highlight of the whole summer. He always made sure that he was teaching us and explaining things even in the middle of surgery. His expertise in orthopaedics is just one of his many talents. Spending the summer in his department and shadowing him also taught me so much about what goes on behind the scenes to run a department in the poorest community in the country. How Dr. K was able to take over the department and completely transform it with such a talented group of surgeons speaks wonders to his amazing leadership and how innovative he continues to be in order to keep everything running smoothly. On top of all of this, Dr. K has to be one of the most genuine and generous people I have ever met, and he was constantly checking in with us in order to make any adjustments so that the fellowship was running well.

What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
One of the best and most exhilarating parts of the fellowship was definitely all the time in the OR. It was incredible to be able to see so many surgeries and even be able to scrub in on several as the summer went on. There is nothing like getting a real look into the anatomy of the human body and being able to actually touch the bones and muscles of a person. I was constantly being surprised in the OR, and getting the realest look into what the daily life of a surgeon is like definitely sparked an interest in surgery that I hadn't had. The time spent in the clinic was also one of the best parts of the fellowships. After countless hours, I was exposed to more than I ever thought I would see within three short months. I can say that I interacted with patients from the ages of 5 to 85. I saw x-rays from every bone in the body and know how to detect arthritis right away. I now know the difference between spondololysthesis, spondololysis, and spondolosis, which are three words I didn’t even know existed. I can perform a complete patient history, and even begin to consider diagnoses and treatments in my mind based on what I have seen. The list goes on and on. Another one of the best aspects of the fellowship for me personally is the sense of encouragement I felt from the people I was able to learn from all summer. Dr. K has formed a very uniquely diverse department. Among his attendings, there are several women, and physicians of all different religions, backgrounds, and cultures. This is not common of most orthopaedic specialists, but being surrounded by this made me feel more encouraged to pursue whatever I am passionate about in the future despite any obstacles that may seem to be in the way. Finally, I would like to mention that I loved the opportunity of being able to attend Grand Rounds and guest speakers like Dr. Frank Lichtenberg. These were just more chances for us to become exposed to all aspects of the medical field and what its like to be a physician, and I think they were very valuable.

Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
Being in the South Bronx community definitely changed the way I look at healthcare. Although I have spent time volunteering in low-income populations in Rhode Island, the challenge of serving the community represented among Bronx Lebanon’s patients really encompasses all the major difficulties in health care today. All of the patients being treated are on Medicare or Medicaid, and the struggle of balancing cost, quality, and access to care was something I was able to see first hand, every day. A day in the clinic would often require each physician to be seeing upwards of 50 patients, and that meant that no time could be wasted during each appointment while simultaneously attempting to deliver the best care possible. I think health care delivery models in this country can learn a lot from this department.

How would you improve the fellowship?
I thought the fellowship ran really smoothly. We were given a lot of freedom but it allowed us to spend more time in the fields we were more interested in. The only thing I would improve is the research aspect of the fellowship. It was mentioned in the beginning of the summer that there were several research projects going on in the department that we may have the opportunity to join. I would have loved for to be able to incorporate a bit of research into my summer and it would have made the fellowship even more multidimensional. That being said, I still believe that the clinical experience was the most important and should be the main goal of the fellowship, so that would just be a minor improvement.

What are your plans for your future in medicine?
Once I graduate from Brown with a degree in Biology, I plan on taking a gap year before attending medical school. I’m not sure yet what I want to spend the year doing, but I may consider a research position or traveling for service work. My time at Bronx-Lebanon definitely made me more interested in serving under privileged communities in addition to opening my eyes up to the possibility of pursuing a career in surgery. No matter what path I end up taking, I know that my time at Bronx-Lebanon will have a lasting impact on my future endeavors. I don’t think I will ever be able to gain such amazing clinical experience as an undergraduate as I did from this fellowship, so following my junior year, I’m hoping to spend the summer doing some kind of biomedical research so I am exposed to another aspect of the field.

Please add any extra comments here:
I am beyond grateful to Dr. K and his amazing department for the incredible experience they allowed me and the rest of the fellows to gain. Every single person who I was able to work with was so great, from the medical assistants, to the office managers, and the surgeons. Sharing the opportunity with the other fellows also resulted in wonderful friendships. The fellowship is truly unique, and I really realized how much I learned after going abroad this semester. I studied in Denmark in a Medical Practice in Policy Program that took us to hospitals all over Denmark and Europe. The program focused on learning by doing and hands on experiences which are actually used daily in the lives of health care providers. Whenever we were learning things like taking a patient history, determining a diagnosis, or even suturing, I felt so much more prepared than my peers as a result of my time in the clinic. I was even able to visit an orthopaedic department at a major teaching hospital in Denmark, and when the chair of the department gave our class a series of patient cases, I was able to diagnose and treat them all easily just from what I had observed over the summer.

Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
I made an effort to spread my time between each attending as best I could so that I could gain insight on a range of orthopaedic injuries and see the different approaches and styles each surgeon brought to their office hours and operating room. Each and every attending in the department taught me invaluable lessons about what it takes to be a good physician and surgeon in a community like the South Bronx and it was a pleasure working with them and learning from them. This being said, I would say that some of the most memorable parts of the summer were spent with Dr. K, Dr. Baghian, and Dr. Simela.

Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
On my first official day of the fellowship I had the pleasure e of being in Dr. K’s OR for two total knee replacements and a total hip replacement. I remember being so excited but also not really knowing what to expect or how I would react to being in the room during surgery for the first time. I ended up being mesmerised by Dr. K at work. Dr. K always emphasised the importance of streamlining the process in order to increase efficiency and reduce surgery times. He worked meticulously but quickly, and scrubbing in on one of his total knee replacements was one of the highlights of my summer. His joint replacement program is inspiring, as was seeing him interact with his patients during office hours. Dr. K really does it all and makes it look easy. Although Dr. Baghian did not come back to work until the end of the fellowship, I learned an enormous amount from her in the short amount of time we had together. I really enjoyed the suturing workshop she led for all the fellows, and the most memorable day of the fellowship for me was getting to scrub in on one of her surgeries. Being able to assist her in the OR was such an amazing experience, and I’ll never forget getting to help her close the patient. In addition to teaching me about a range of hand injuries, Dr. Baghian taught me invaluable lessons about being a young woman in medicine. She spoke candidly about the inevitable frustrations that I will face on the path I am on, and gave great advice on how to overcome and focus on the medicine. Her honesty was refreshing, and she ran her clinic with grace. I am so grateful to have had the chance to learn from her, and definitely consider her a role model. It was always a pleasure working with Dr. Simela. He is truly an outstanding teacher, and he was always amazing with his patients. In Dr. Simela’s clinic I learned how to read spinal x-rays and MRIs from different views and how to detect some the most common spinal injuries. He also gave me the opportunity to go into the room and speak to patients before he did. Dr. Simela would also frequently give me and the other fellows different orthopaedic topics to research and present to him about, which was really good way for us to learn about stuff we wouldn’t necessarily see in clinic. The first surgery I ever scrubbed into was an ankle fracture with Dr. Simela. Being in his OR was really fun, and he always tried to explain what he was doing.

What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
The fellowship really helped me envision what life as a surgeon could look like for me. Working with each of the attendings gave me exposure to a range of orthopaedic specialties and a range of styles when it came to how each doctor approached office hours and ran their OR. I learned how important the work Dr. K is doing in order to ensure that the South Bronx continues to get the high quality care it needs. I learned about the medicine, but also learned about the work that goes behind running a hospital department smoothly and how changes in our healthcare system affect the responsibilities that doctors have. In the end, every single surgeon taught me the importance of loving the work and being passionate about what you do. I am humbled that I had the opportunity to witness Dr. K and his team do just that.

Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
The fellowship did change the way that I look at healthcare, as it gave me a very unfiltered view of what it really takes to provide healthcare to an underprivileged community like the South Bronx. I got to see what it was like to be a physician in an area where the majority of patients were on Medicaid and how access to healthcare was affected when trying to maximise quality and minimise cost. On an average day of office hours for Dr. K, he would see 50-60 patients. Although he wishes he could spent more time with each patient and the waiting room times can get long, this pace is necessary in order to provide as many people in the community healthcare as possible. I also learned that when working in a community like the South Bronx, sometimes patient outcomes really have nothing to do with the actual care delivered, but are rather related to other factors that are out a physician/surgeon’s control.

How would you improve the fellowship?
I think the fellowship provides an unparalleled amount of clinical experience for premeds. Between hours in the clinic and operating room, I was able to see orthopaedics in a very multidimensional way. The only thing that could improve the fellowship would be if research was more heavily incorporated. I think many if not all of the fellows were interested in joining some of the research projects that a few attendings had mentioned, but it was not something that was scheduled into our days so it never became a priority. This fellowship already provides so many valuably experiences, and research would just take it to the next level.

What are your plans for your future in medicine?
I hope to go to medical school in the future. I’ve always known that I want to become a physician, but the fellowship definitely turned me on to surgery. I will most likely be taking a gap year after I graduate from Brown when I plan to do research and apply to medical school.

Please add any extra comments here:
I can’t thank Dr. K enough for making this opportunity possible. He was not only passionate about teaching all the fellows, but he also gave honest advice and encouraged all of us as we begin on our path to becoming physicians. I had an unforgettable summer and learned so much from him and the entire orthopaedics department at Bronx-Lebanon. His dedication to the community he serves is truly inspiring and being able to learn from him is something I hope to take with me to medical school. I would do this fellowship again in a heartbeat and feel lucky to have met so many amazing people at Bronx-Lebanon.

Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Dr. Kirschenbaum Dr. Baghian Dr. Simela Dr. Babatunde Dr. Wong Dr. Lee

Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
All of the Attendings I spent a lot of time with did a really great job of teaching material and quizzing us on it to make sure we were learning it. They were great at answering questions and being patient with our lack of orthopedic knowledge. That is largely why I chose to spend the most time with those particular Attendings. Dr. K, Dr. Baghian, and Dr. Simela also did an especially great job of teaching life lessons as they related to careers in medicine and life in general. I also really enjoyed hearing all of the doctors paths. I was specifically inspired by learning about Dr. K's outside ventures, and all of the things he has accomplished and how he has managed to do so. I think it was especially powerful to see all that he had done and the massive impact he has had.

What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
I learned a lot about anatomy, orthopedics, and surgery. I learned a lot about the life of a surgeon, and about the many diverse paths that can be taken within medicine. I also learned a lot about hospital politics, and how to get around them... haha. I also took away many life lessons about how important it is to be in a career that inspires you, and how to mold your path to fit these needs. I also LOVED all the hands on opportunities, especially the cadaver lab

Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
YES. It was very inspiring to see top tier doctors working in the poorest neighborhoods, especially because they have so many other options. It showed a lot of the heart behind medicine. I also, however, learned A LOT about the financial/political world of healthcare from Dr. K, which helped me understand a lot of why things are the way they are, and opportunities for improving these systems in the future.

How would you improve the fellowship?
Research projects could be initiated earlier on. Also, the rigid schedule that was introduced initially could be extended to last for a couple more weeks, just to help us organize a bit more before we end up breaking off on our own whims. Other than that, it was incredible!

What are your plans for your future in medicine?
I would like to get an MD/MBA. I definitely plan to go into surgery (either orthopedics or trauma plastic surgery, or something of the sort), as confirmed by this fellowship, but would also like a background in business/leadership.

Please add any extra comments here:
I think this is such a great opportunity for pre-meds, and unmatched by any other programs out there. Very very very thankful for all the opportunities Dr. K gave us, and very inspired by it all
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Dr. Kirschenbaum, Dr. Ayoub, Dr. Wong, Dr. Baghian, Dr. Meftah and Dr. Babatunde


Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
In my time with each doctor, I was taught different lessons on life and medicine. In my time with Dr. Baghian I learned about her 10 pieces of wisdom to keep in mind while going through life as a doctor, an experience that can be very trying. This advice talked about compassion towards patients along with confidence as a surgeon. Dr. Baghian showed me how one should deal with patients of all different temperaments and backgrounds, showing respect towards them while still standing her ground about the best course of treatment. She also taught a great suture clinic for us which was extremely informative, exposing us to a skill we will definitely need later on. We were able to take the skills to the anatomy lab and practice. In the operating room, Dr. Baghian was not only attentive to her patient but also us students, teaching and showing us things as she went through her surgeries. Dr. Ayoub and Dr. Wong each showed me how vital different specialties are depending on where you are located. In the Bronx there is an extremely high rate of diabetes, leading to a mass amount of feet issues. The podiatrists dealt with a wide range of issues in a large quantity each day, along with rounding on many admitted patients. Through it all, the positivity and wittiness of all the podiatrists reminded me that you can really help people while still having fun. They were extremely welcoming, especially in the operating room, talking us through their surgeries and allowing us to ask questions in order to better understand. The majority of my interaction with Dr. Meftah regarded the research I did with him and his database. He taught me how important research is to a doctor's career and how tough it can be for that to happen. Through a lot of trial and error, I learned about the logistics of doing research, including things such as IRB approvals, what questions are worth asking, and how to navigate a medical database. These skills will prove to be extremely important as I continue my pursuit of a career in medicine. Dr. Babatunde was an extremely informative attending to shadow. He really pushed us to know more about what we were looking at in x-rays, clinic and in the operating room. Therefore I learned about the importance of briefing oneself on a case so that time can be used to ask effective and informative questions. Furthermore, Dr. Babatunde pushed us to interact with the patients on our own, interviewing them if they were first-time patients. This is one of the greatest things I got out of this program, hands-on experience dealing with patients, who were all very different. Finally, I spent a lot of time Dr. K in the clinic, in the OR, doing research, and just learning about everything. First, he taught me a lot of medical information that aided in my understanding of all the cases in the hospital, everything from total knee replacements and carpal tunnel release. He was a wealth of knowledge in all things medical and could answer any question any of us had. He took the time to explain things in the clinic and the OR which was extremely helpful to all of us. He also informed us on the inner workings of a hospital from a business and management side, something I had not been exposed to. I realize now that in order to have the best possible future in medicine it is important to know all of these sides in medicine. Being informed allows one to ask intelligent questions, a vital aspect of the medical field. Dr. K put in so much time to talk to us about any questions we had, specifically he guided me in my research that I did. Through this experience, he showed me the importance of inquiry and being curious about medical trends and advances. His life is an example to all of us of how many different opportunities exist in the medical field if you are willing to try new things and ask new questions. The entire fellowship, especially including the anatomy lab he set up for us students was an unbelievable opportunity that we were so lucky to experience. I learned more than I ever have about all aspects of medicine thanks to Dr. K and his willingness to teach.


What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
From this fellowship, I have gained even more motivation to pursue a career in medicine. Through my interactions with all of the attendings, I know that this is a field I can see myself in. I now have great examples of doctor-patient interactions, calm assertiveness in the operating room, and how inquiry can open many doors in the medical field. I also have a greater interest in the field of Orthopedics, including surgery, something I had not necessarily considered before this summer.


Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
This fellowship definitely changed how I look at healthcare. Due to the location of Bronx-Lebanon Hospital and the demographics of its patients I truly see how important Medicare and Medicaid are, as a huge percentage of patients relied on them. Furthermore, there is a huge difference between hospitals that provide demand-side medicine versus supply-side medicine and it shapes how these hospitals are run. For example, Bronx-Lebanon hospital is majorly a demand-side hospital, providing the care the community needs when it needs it. This results in doctors taking risks to give their patients what they need because it is their last chance. I am so impressed by the lengths the doctors would go to for their patients, while always remaining professional.


How would you improve the fellowship?
The fellowship was amazing and I would change little. One suggestion I have is to do more workshops with the students, they were extremely informative and enjoyable. However, I do know that the attendings have such limited time and truly we appreciate even allowing us to shadow.


What are your plans for your future in medicine?
I am definitely planning on applying to Medical School. I am entering my junior year and I will begin to plan out when I will take the MCATs. I am now planning on pursuing a field that would allow me to do surgery, as it was something I found I really enjoyed.


Please add any extra comments here:
I would just like to thank the entire Orthopedics department for everything they did for us students this summer. The attendings, the administrators, the nurses, everyone! I had one of the greatest experiences that I have ever had and it is already shaping my future as a potential doctor. All of your caring was so evident and we were all extremely lucky to have this opportunity. Thank you for giving us your time, we know it is so valuable. You have all had a great and positive impact on me personally.
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Dr. Babatunde, Dr. Simela, Dr. Wong


Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
I really enjoyed the amount of positivity and patience displayed by the Attendings. Everyday we students were greeted with enthusiasm and smiles. They took pride in their work and really enjoyed teaching us about their specialties. The Attendings also offered support and encouragement on our individual paths.


What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
The best things that I got out of this fellowship was the opportunity to connect with the Attendings. The orthopedics department has some really great characters and I am thankful to have met them.


Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
I did not know much about healthcare before this summer, but I was able to learn a lot through our conversations with Dr. K. He taught us about the business behind a fully functional clinic and the strategies that he used to develop his clinic. Our research projects were also an opportunity to learn more about orthopedics specifically.


How would you improve the fellowship?
I think that the fellowship was designed well. I have no improvements to suggest.


What are your plans for your future in medicine?
Right now I am planning to go to medical school. I am awaiting invitations to interviews.
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Dr. Lee, Dr. Simela, Dr. Wong, Dr. Baghian


Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
Prior to the fellowship, I knew nothing about orthopaedics. Through my experiences with the different attendings, I learned a lot about the anatomy of musculoskeletal system, as well as about the different pathologies that arise within it.

Furthermore, I gained experience in running a clinical study under the mentorship of Dr. Simela. Along with another fellow, I collected data on pain perception from over 100 patients in the Health and Wellness Clinic. I really enjoyed carrying out the project, and learned a lot about how to best communicate with patients with different personalities. Being involved in every aspect of a research project is an experience that I had not yet had, and doing so during this fellowship has given me a greater understanding and appreciation for the scientific method.

Lastly, I got over being squeamish in the operating room thanks to repeated exposure!



What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
I really appreciated chatting with the attendings about how they got into their profession and how they viewed their profession today. I gained a much more realistic view of being a doctor than the one I previously had, as I realized that being a physician not only includes the noble pursuit of helping people, but also the everyday challenges of working in a fast-paced environment such as a hospital. The fellowship provided me with more exposure and connections to clinical practice and doctors than I have ever had before, which has in a way humanized doctors for me and in fact makes me even more excited about entering the field of medicine. There are attendings that I will not hesitate to reach out to when I would like guidance at certain points in my medical journey, and so I am very grateful to have had to chance to find role models through this fellowship.


Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
The fellowship changed the way I look at healthcare in that I now see that the system is more compartmentalized than it should be. Given the nature of complex urban environments and the external factors that affect people's health, I noticed that the fact that each specialty (and sub-specialty) targets a specific facet of someone's health sometimes leads to less than ideal outcomes. For example, I shadowed an attending whose cast got wet despite instructions to keep it dry because the patient was homeless and it had rained. Although the attending gave the patient a new cast, the fact that he is homeless and may again be caught in the rain did not change. It is easy to label the situation as one where the patient is non-compliant, but evidently social and environmental factors played a role to negatively affect the patient's healing. As a result of my deeper understanding of external determinants of health, my outlook on healthcare is now more nuanced and mature. Moving forward, I plan to improve the healthcare system based on what I observed during this fellowship.


How would you improve the fellowship?
I think that the fellowship could be improved by having more development opportunities aside from shadowing. Due to the fact that shadowing entails watching a physician interact with patients (who generally always come in with the same several diagnoses within each sub-speciality), the highlights of the fellowship were the research and workshop components as they provided either complementary or background knowledge to what was observed in the clinic. As a result, having at least one workshop each week or a research project that spanned the entirety of the Summer would add to the learning experience of the fellowship. (That being said, I know that this year was unique because Dr. K's altered schedule meant that he could not hold as many meetings with the fellows as was originally planned.)


What are your plans for your future in medicine?
I am currently applying to medical school. I also hope to conduct clinical research throughout my career and advocate for patients on a policy front.
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Dr. Ashley Simela
Dr. Charles Lee
Dr. Sepideh Baghian



Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
Dr. Ashley Simela
I was able to work with Dr. Simela very closely as he was my mentor for the clinical study that Lianne and I conducted. He taught us how to think critical in terms of identifying a clinical question and how to thoroughly investigate. He walked us through the process and continued to challenge us with guiding questions. Ultimately, the project that we produced was looking at pain perception and the use of narcotics in a complex urban environment. It provided us the opportunity to create a novel questionnaire and administer to over 100 patients.

Dr. Charles Lee
Dr. Lee really opened my eyes to the world of podiatric medicine. I really resonate with the idea that podiatry gives you the opportunity to look into surgery, bones, dermatology, and wound care. It was also very inspiring to see his interactions with patients. The level of genuine care and humor that he showed to his patients is unparalleled to what I’ve seen before and I too hope to be as lighthearted and caring doctor like Dr. Lee.

Dr. Sepideh Baghian
Before this internship, I never considered surgery, let alone orthopaedics. While I know that there is a long way to go on my path to become a doctor, I leave this internship with a desire to become an orthopaedic hand surgeon. There is something about the complexity and delicacy of the hand (also sitting down during OR) that is really compelling, and I would have not been exposed to without the mentorship from Dr. Baghian.



What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
The most noteworthy components of the fellowship was the direct patient care, clinical research, and the surgical shadowing. The opportunity to shadow various attending in different subspecialties over the period of 8 weeks provided a vivid depiction of the life of a physician. In addition, the clinical research provided a very direct exposure to clinical research in terms of taking part of very process from project formulation, data collection, and publication. Lastly, the surgical shadowing again provided more depth in understanding to the information we learned in clinic.


Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
It most definitely changed the way I view health care. It offered a holistic approach to medicine. We were able to look at the nuanced physician-patient care and also the business and macro perspective of how hospitals run and health care at large.


How would you improve the fellowship?
I would make the clinical research more structured. I think that I was lucky to have worked with Dr. Simela but more structure would give all the fellows and opportunity to do meaningful clinical research.


What are your plans for your future in medicine?
After my undergraduate years, I would like to work as a consultant in a Health Care Consulting Firm for 2 years and then matriculate to medical school. While it may change in the future, my aspiration is to become a orthopaedic hand surgeon.
Q1
What is your name?
Sheila Moran

Q2
What year was your fellowship?
2018

Q3
What type of fellow were you?
  • Summer

Q4
What college are you from?
Brown

Q5
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Dr. Simela and Dr. Kirschenbaum

Q6
Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
In my time at Bronx Lebanon I learned so much beyond the anatomy of the spine or the knees/hips. All of the physicians that I shadowed are clearly very mindful of the population that they are serving. This was evident not only in the plan of care, but also in the time that Dr. K spent signing waivers for things like extra time in bed at a shelter, for instance.
I also learned a lot from Dr. Kirschenbaum about the economics of healthcare and the importance of streamlining processes within a healthcare delivery system.
Another takeaway that I got from Dr. Simela was to be particular about my future medical career. I learned to strive to create a practice that walks the line between doing the most good that I am able to, as well as providing myself with the most fulfilling/satisfying career.


Q7
What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
What I loved was that every day was a little bit different. I was able to rotate between physicians in clinic or the OR at my own volition in order to follow particular cases to completion. I also loved that I could use my experiences with the attendings to inform my research projects. For instance, we started to look for the relationships of english as a second language and the use of a translator in determining a patients' understanding of his or her condition.

Q8
Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
Definitely. Going into this summer I think I was still under the naive impression that if I studied the science and got through medical school, I would have the job that I want waiting for me at the end. However, I now know what an active participant I should (and must) be in order to create a medical practice that can do the most good under the current healthcare system in the United States. I have been keenly interested in the economics of healthcare and have actually enrolled in an online class, as well as a course at Brown, that focus on this topic.

Q9
How would you improve the fellowship?
One suggestion that I had talked to Dr. Kirschenbaum about is trying to ease the transition into Bronx Lebanon in the first week. I think if the future fellows were given little bios about each of the attendings (what their specialty is, what they are interested in researching) before the fellowship begins, it would help to get the boll rolling faster.

Q10
What are your plans for your future in medicine?
My current plan is to take a gap year before medical school and explore more of the business of medicine and healthcare to get a broader medical education before returning to the classroom for medical school.

Q11
Please add any extra comments here:
Thank you for a truly phenomenal summer. I am sure that my nine weeks at Bronx Lebanon will shape how I act as both a student of medicine and science, as well as a future medical provider.
Q1
What is your name?
Dominique Carlo

Q2
What year was your fellowship?
2018

Q3
What type of fellow were you?
  • Summer

Q4
What college are you from?
Brown University

Q5
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Dr. Wong
Dr. Findling
Dr. Baghian


Q6
Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
I made friends that have similar interests and goals. A lot of the doctors served as mentors and answered any questions we had regarding medicine as a career and vocation; they weren't afraid of befriending you.

Q7
What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
I loved working as a translator for the doctors whenever they needed and permitted it. I think it allowed me to take part in the doctor patient relationship that is formed as the patient entrusts their health to their doctor. I thought that was really special and I got to experience very touching experiences because I was serving as a facilitator to their relationship. This allowed me to experience a connection with the patients that I wouldn't have felt as an observer. I also realized I love surgery.

Q8
Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
The fellowship made me realize that doctors are human too. Regardless of how amazing they may seem, they get tired and make mistakes as well. It also showed me how health literacy, language, and low socioeconomic standing interact and affect the healthcare many in the US receive negatively.

Q9
How would you improve the fellowship?
I would've enjoyed more guest lectures, but other than that I absolutely loved the anatomy lab we got to participate in. That was definitely one of the highlights of the fellowship.

Q10
What are your plans for your future in medicine?
I'm studying International Relations so eventhough I'm unsure of how I will combine the two, I definitely know I'm going to medical school.

Q11
Please add any extra comments here:
I would like to say: Thank you! to all the doctors that participated. They really are amazing and brilliant professionals. I really appreciated every ounce of patience, piece of advice, and time that they gave me.
Q1
What is your name?
Chloe Zana

Q2
What year was your fellowship?
2018

Q3
What type of fellow were you?
  • Summer

Q4
What college are you from?
Brown University

Q5
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Dr. Findling, Dr. Kirschenbaum, Dr. Baghian, and Dr. Dubey.

Q6
Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
I am extremely grateful for all the invaluable skills and knowledge the attendings at Bronxcare transmitted to me, each in their unique way. 

Dr. Findling, thank you very much for all the lessons I learned from interacting with you. It has been really rewarding to attend your clinic. I could see that your motivations as a surgeon at Bronx-Lebanon were to help the South Bronx community and provide high-quality and unbiased care to all your patients. I will always keep with me your insights into what being a physician means. I will remember how a surgeon career implies sacrifices and requires a deep understanding of why doctors do what they do. Moreover, being in the OR with you was a lot of fun and really educative.

Dr. K, your insights on the business side of healthcare made my fellowship invaluable. Not only did you give me a plethora of information on business management and health care economics, but all the discussions we had urged me to pursue a multifaceted career. You sparked an interest in me that encouraged me to read and learn about the aforementioned topics! Your metaphors and explanations were fascinating and appreciated, as you always made time for us in your busy chairman schedule.  

Dr. Baghian, I have learned a lot from observing you in the clinic. It was really rewarding to see how adroit and unbiased your approach to care was. Thank you for taking the time to give me honest insights into the reality of being an orthopedic surgeon.

Dr. Simela and Dr. Meftah, thank you for letting me in your OR and for being so pedagogue. I was always in awe and seeing you operate fueled my desire to be a surgeon!

Dr. Dubey, Dr. Allen, Dr. Babatunde, Dr. Auerbach, and Dr. Ayoub, I am so appreciative of the opportunity you gave me to observe you in the clinic. The orthopedics department at Bronxcare manages to offer such an amazing surgical care to the South Bronx population, and you all gave me hope that the future generation of surgeons has good health care models like yours to learn from!


Q7
What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
Before this fellowship, my desire to become a surgeon came from a big intellectual curiosity for health care and medical sciences. But during my summer at Bronxcare, I developed such a genuine feeling of joy from being in a hospital environment, that I am now certain that my dream career is in health care, and there is nothing more satisfying!
The experience was immersive enough so that it gave me a deep understanding of what being a surgeon can mean, and how diversified the profession is.


Q8
Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
Yes, my summer as a pre-med fellow has been extremely educative. I arrived with a very academic state of mind and left New York with such a rich understanding of the real-world implications of health care. Dr. K, thank you for integrating the business side of healthcare into the program and getting me out of my academic bubble to understand what real-world health care could be. 
Moreover, I am so humbled that this fellowship unveiled some of the complexities of providing care in an urban setting!
Each attending in your department taught me how important caring for your patients was, and how much difference one surgeon can make in a medically underserved community!


Q9
How would you improve the fellowship?
I have absolutely loved that the fellowship was multifaceted. We could see that it has been the product of multiple years of feedbacks and improvements! Please keep the amazing freedom we had to design our weekly schedule!
The only thing I would suggest would be to add more open discussions about journal articles related to health care and public health! I loved the one we had on “the package of pregnancy care”, led by Dr. K!
I will always remember the "cadaver lab", which was one of the highlights of my summer!


Q10
What are your plans for your future in medicine?
After I graduate, I wish to become an oral surgeon. I am currently studying for the DAT, which I will take in January. After dental school, I wish to pursue a specialization in oral surgery and get an MD. This fellowship also urged me to consider getting an MBA!

Q11
Please add any extra comments here:
This fellowship is like no other in the country. I am so humbled to have spent time with such amazing, skilled and caring surgeons.
Q1
What is your name?
Olivia Tracey

Q2
What year was your fellowship?
2018

Q3
What type of fellow were you?
  • Summer

Q4
What college are you from?
Yale University

Q5
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Dr. Kirschenbaum, Dr. Simela, and Dr. Babatunde

Q6
Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
I had incredible experiences working with each of the attendings. I spent the majority of my time this summer working with Dr. Simela, as he was the PI responsible for my research project with Peter and Sheila. I loved conducting research Dr. Simela, and really appreciated both the freedom he gave me to really take charge of the project, while also providing valuable insight and help when needed. One of my favorite attributes of Dr. Simela is his unique ability to explain highly complex aspects of spinal surgeries in terms that are easy to understand, both to patients he is working with and to those who are observing him. I will always be grateful for the conversations I was able to have with Dr. Simela, both about spinal procedures but also on the broader aspects of life of a doctor. I particularly enjoyed my time with Dr. Simela in the OR, as he always made a point of explaining exactly what was happening in the procedure and why he was taking the approaches he chose.

I also very much enjoyed working with Dr. Babatunde in both the clinic and the OR. In clinic, Dr. Babatunde taught me how to take patient histories, and would allow me to interview new patients and then present their chief complaints to him. This is a skill I will use frequently in my future medical career. In the OR, Dr. Babatunde explained his arthroscopic techniques for the knee and shoulder with ease, and taught me how to identify anatomy through the use of the camera. It truly was time spent in the OR with both Dr. Simela and Dr. Babatunde that reinforced my desire to be a surgeon.

My favorite days in clinic were spent with Dr. K. Dr. K has an incredible ability of connecting with his patients, all of whom walked into clinic with smiles on their faces, regardless of their level of physical pain. Dr. K also always made a point of answering all of my questions and explaining any and all courses of action for his patients, so that I always felt on the same page as him in terms of his decision-making. I will always value his level of patient care, and I will work to replicate that attention when I am a practicing physician one day.


Q7
What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
Although I entered the fellowship with the desire to one day become a surgeon, this program has reinforced my passion for the discipline. I cannot express how much I enjoyed every surgery I was able to watch up-close in the OR, or the frustration at not being able to fully scrub in myself (though all I could have been adequately prepared for would have been holding instruments for the attendings). I also loved being able to observe the one-on-one interactions doctors have with their patients in the clinic, and to actually see the impact a physician can have on ameliorating the life of another individual. I will always be grateful to the physicians, PAs, and MAs I had the opportunity to work with this summer, all of whom are incredible teachers and shared with me valuable insight into various medical careers.

Q8
Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
Working at BronxCare provided valuable insight into the importance of adequate healthcare access in the community of the South Bronx. It was incredible to witness how many patients each attending saw per day, usually double or triple the number of patients seen at other hospitals across Manhattan. In addition, I was exposed to the role of insurance in the healthcare field and its affect on both patients and physicians themselves. Overall, my time at BronxCare broadened my knowledge of how healthcare affects different patients in different communities, and the importance of all people having access to quality care.

Q9
How would you improve the fellowship?
I absolutely adored this fellowship. I feel as though I have been more exposed to the world of healthcare and the life of a physician than I ever have before, and ever will before I attain a medical degree. I also loved the flexibility of being able to decide which physicians to shadow on which days, as well as the flexibility in how much of my time was spent in clinic, in the OR or doing research. Perhaps it would be a bit easier to devise more concrete schedules ahead of time to avoid having multiple students working with one attending on the same day.

Q10
What are your plans for your future in medicine?
I plan on attending medical school right after college, with the hopes of becoming a surgeon. Before this program, I had never really considered working in orthopedics, but now could absolutely visualize myself as one day becoming an orthopedic surgeon (or perhaps a pediatric orthopedic surgeon) as well.

Q11
Please add any extra comments here:
I am incredibly thankful for the experience I had at BronxCare, as it has shaped my view of medicine for the better. All of the attendings truly inspired me to continue pursuing my medical career, and I hope to one day come back to BronxCare to share my love of medicine with future doctors and patients as well.
Q1
What is your name?
Natasha

Q2
What year was your fellowship?
2019

Q3
What type of fellow were you?
  • Summer

Q4
What college are you from?
Brown University

Q5
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Dr. Huang

Q6
Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
Dr. Huang was really friendly and always eager to explain things to us. Dr. Wong and Dr. Baghian were also so welcoming to us, and I really appreciate the time they took to help us learn and make sure we were comfortable throughout the summer. They were all always happy to have us in the OR, and incredibly generous with their time and energy.

Q7
What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
One of the most unique and valuable parts of this fellowship was the ability to see all aspects of a department by shadowing different physicians, rather than being restricted to just one. In addition, being able to conduct our own research projects was so rewarding and an experience that is truly unlike anything I've seen. The access to resources and amount of jurisdiction we had over our own work was unparalleled, and I really learned so much about medicine and my own interests in the medical field. I also loved the day we spent visiting OB – seeing the C-sections and births was really incredible and something that I think back to all the time.

Q8
Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
Yes, absolutely. I feel like I have much more of a holistic picture of how a department works, and what it's like to work with patients. Moreover, witnessing attendings' relationships with their patients was a really rewarding and gratifying part of the experience.

Q9
How would you improve the fellowship?
I would maybe recommend starting research projects a bit earlier in the summer. Also, it could be useful to consider different housing options.

Q10
What are your plans for your future in medicine?
Applying to medical school currently, but still am open-minded about career paths. I'm also considering MPH programs, or taking gap years to take more time to figure out what I would like to focus on.

Q11
Please add any extra comments here:
I really can't thank you enough for this experience! It was truly formative and I enjoyed every bit of my time at Bronxcare. I learned so much and had lots of fun – every morning I would be eager to go to work, and every night I was so grateful for what I had seen that day and excited to what I would learn the next day.
What is your name?
Eva Kitlen

Q2
What year was your fellowship?
2019

Q3
What type of fellow were you?
  • Summer

Q4
What college are you from?
Brown University

Q5
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Dr. Scher
Dr. Baghian
Dr. K


Q6
Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
Dr. Baghian always made such an effort to teach and include me when I was in clinic or surgery with her. In clinic, she taught me about hand conditions in a fun and engaging way and always made sure to let me help and learn about treatments and techniques as much as I could.
I was so impressed with how Dr. Scher built and maintained mutual trust and respect with her patients. She had a patience with and way of listening to all her patients that I hope to remember and strive for in my future as a healthcare provider.
I really enjoyed getting to shadow Dr. K both at BronxCare and at the Washington Heights Urgent Care clinic. At Washington Heights, I learned about how the urgent care model can be a powerful tool to connect people to specialty care and saw the power of a community-based healthcare system in the Washington Heights community.


Q7
What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
The clinical experience I gained is incomparable. I gained a much stronger, deeper understanding of how healthcare systems function and how current public health challenges manifest on a systemic and individual level. Personally, I now feel like I have a real understanding of what it means to be a care provider. Through the fellowship, I have gained unique insight into the lifestyles of surgeons and physicians who focus their practice on serving both individuals and communities.

Q8
Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
The fellowship completely transformed the way I look at healthcare. Before the fellowship, most of what I knew about healthcare systems came from a strictly academic context. While there is value in learning about healthcare in a classroom setting, the fellowship led me to understand how academic discourse about public health is not the same thing as the real-life manifestations of public health that affect people's lives. For example, I've never had a public health class focused on appointment wait times or other logistical aspects of accessing care, but I found that these issues have an enormous and direct on patients' experiences with healthcare. Before the fellowship, I also had minimal exposure to or interest in insurance and the financial side of healthcare. However, this experience led me to understand that all of the more abstract healthcare issues I care about are intrinsically related to financial structures. As such, I became involved with several research projects centered around building understanding of costs and spending in healthcare with the goal of building more efficient and accessible healthcare systems that better serve communities. Through the fellowship, I developed a much more holistic, realistic, and applicable perspective on healthcare.

Q9
How would you improve the fellowship?
The fellowship is absolutely incredible as it is :)
My only suggestion would be to give a bit more structure regarding the research projects early on in order to facilitate their completion.


Q10
What are your plans for your future in medicine?
I went into the fellowship considering a future in clinical medicine but lacking much clinical experience. After this fellowship, I have a hard time seeing myself in a profession besides medicine. I didn't expect this experience to sway me toward medicine so strongly, but the opportunity to spend so much time in clinic and talk to patients about their experiences with health and healthcare led me to understand the enormously eye-opening, rewarding, and challenging nature of clinical work. During the fellowship, I spent a significant amount of time shadowing in the operating room, which was an interesting exposure to the practice and lifestyle of a surgeon. I also valued the opportunity to shadow in the emergency department and explore medicine outside of orthopedics. As of yet, I'm unsure which subfield of medicine I would like to pursue, but this fellowship has solidified my decision to pursue medicine and has given me unique experiences to inform my future decisions about different specialities and subspecialties.

Q11
Please add any extra comments here:
Thank you again for this AMAZING opportunity and all you do to make it happen!!!
Q1
What is your name?
Gabriela Batista

Q2
What year was your fellowship?
2019

Q3
What type of fellow were you?
  • Summer

Q4
What college are you from?
Brown University

Q5
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Dr. Kirschenbaum, Dr. Wong, Dr. Huang, Dr. Simela, Dr. Baghain

Q6
Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
Each and every attending has their own approach to clinic, and pretty unique perspectives on "doctoring" and healthcare. That being said, I loved getting to rotate to spend time with each attending in clinic and OR, especially given their different specialties (ex. spine, sports, hip/knee, foot, etc.) All of the attending were excellent, and very supportive and helpful towards our learning.

I enjoyed spending a good amount of time in the operating room with Dr. Huang, watching hip and knee replacements. I enjoyed shadowing Dr. Simela in clinic and especially talking to him about the social factors that he considers in terms of delivering the best healthcare experience to his patients. Dr. Baghain is amazing in the OR, and very helpful to learn from in clinic. I appreciated the time she took to do the suture lab with us. Dr. Scher has amazing energy with her patients, and I enjoyed getting to talk to her about her experiences in medicine and shadowing her in clinic. Dr. Dubey is really enthusiastic and great to spend time with in clinic as well. I really enjoyed being in the OR with Dr. Auerbach and watching spine surgeries. I especially loved getting to spend time with Dr. Wong in podiatry - podiatry has some more hands-on procedures in clinic, usually related to care of diabetic feet. I was also able to go on rounds with Dr. Wong to see his patients post-op. I'm grateful I was able to see that piece of the healthcare experience, as well.

Dr. Kirschenbaum is very patient with his patients in clinic, and uses everything as a teaching/learning experience for his students when we are shadowing with him. I was also able go to the clinic in Washington Heights with Dr. K, which was interesting to see the difference in terms of how that clinic ran differently or may have seen different types of cases than those at BronxCare. That was a very special opportunity to go to Washington Heights, as well.


Q7
What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
This fellowship is one of the most meaningful and intensive opportunities an undergrad could have when seeking a realistic, comprehensive view into the field of medicine. All three components of the internship - shadowing, research, and "lectures" or "discussions"/site visits - provided the most well-rounded, intensive experience I could have asked for.

The cadaver labs were amazing! We had two labs, one mostly dissection-based, and the other practicing arthroscopic techniques. We also had a suture lab with Dr. Baghain, and got suture practice kits, which was great. It was awesome to get these hands on experiences, that made me excited and interested in pursuing surgery. Shadowing in clinic was a great opportunity to chat with the doctors about orthopedic medicine, and also just about their experiences and advice in the field. Touring the Stryker plant, where BronxCare gets their hip and knee replacement toolkits, was a really good experience to understand the different pieces, costs, and actors that play into surgery.

The fellowship really lets you get what you want out of it - students were able to do as much shadowing and as much research as they would've liked to, but are supported towards the goal of presenting their research at a conference (including the Orthopedic Summit). I loved being able to pick what research I was interested in, and collaborating with other interns closely to work on them.

I think best of all was feeling welcomed and supported by the attending, nurses, hospital staff, Stryker representatives, and most of all, Dr. Kirschenbaum - as the chairman of the department and the founder and director of the fellowship. Dr. K was incredibly supportive for each and every one of his fellows - he really cares about what you want to get out of the experience and makes himself incredibly available for feedback and communication about how research and shadowing are going. Students get to work one-on-one with him to choose which research projects they'd like to work on, and even design their own. For example, after our first few weeks of shadowing, Dr. Simela and a few other students and I decided to create a health literacy survey to understand how much patients knew about their medical conditions, and how much self-efficacy they felt they had over their own health outcomes. This was amongst other projects, which speaks to the variety of clinical research that could be done.

For example, I was interested in shadowing in OB-GYN and Emergency Medicine as well, and Dr. Kirschenbaum got in contact with the chairman of OB-GYN and ED so students could have an opportunity to shadow in those departments as well. I also had an excellent, special, and informative experience shadowing in OB-GYN, too. That is all to say that Dr. Kirschenbaum is really there to help students get what they want out of the summer and clinical opportunity!

Personally, I did not have any extensive clinical experience coming into this internship. I hadn't had the opportunity to shadow in clinic or in the operating room, and struggled to understand the realities of a career in medicine without having a comprehensive understanding of clinical practice. I worried about things like cadaver labs in medical school, and did not think I was even necessarily fit to go into surgery. Coming out of it, I loved watching the surgeries, participating in the cadaver labs, and learning from the doctors. This fellowship was an unparalleled experience.


Q8
Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
One of the most special things about this fellowship was being specifically located in the Bronx, and working with a patient population in a congressional district that often reflected the greatest barriers and inequalities in healthcare. Being able to chat with Dr. K and the attending about the current states of our healthcare and insurance systems - and see the importance of accessibility, availability, and quality of healthcare in light of financial, transportation, language barriers, etc. to care - was invaluable.

Thus, as a student who is also interested in pursuing an MD/MPH and conducting public health research, I am grateful that Dr. Kirschenbaum, Dr. Simela, and Dr. Scher, especially, were willing and passionate about addressing the social determinants of health that exist alongside the delivery of quality orthopedic surgery and "primary care". It also helped me understand how healthcare delivery functions as a business, and why this may create such huge disparities in healthcare across the country (or even within a single city).


Q9
How would you improve the fellowship?
It may be helpful to talk about the research projects the first or second week to give students an opportunity to start early on them, if they'd like to. Also it would be helpful to have the cadaver lab sooner on, to study and understand the anatomy before intensive shadowing in clinic and the OR. The anatomy is helpful for understanding the procedures that doctors will talk about with their patients in clinic.

Q10
What are your plans for your future in medicine?
I plan on applying to medical school and pursuing an MD/MPH degree. I am interested in surgery, perhaps related to women's or maternal health.

Q11
Please add any extra comments here:
Thank you so much Dr. K, attendings, Christie, Emu, Michael, and nurses! The fellows and I miss you all, and BronxCare, very much :)
Q1
What is your name?
Melanie Anaya

Q2
What year was your fellowship?
Summer of 2019

Q3
What type of fellow were you?
  • Summer

Q4
What college are you from?
Brown University

Q5
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Findling and Baghian

Q6
Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
Dr. Findling was very enjoyable to shadow. I felt comfortable asking questions and I generally had a lot of fun shadowing. Dr. Baghian was truly astounding. She was very nice and did a great job explaining concepts to us. Not only was she good with us, she was an amazing doctor with her patients. She always listened attentively and was very kind. Her work ethic is fantastic and everyone loves her for a reason. Dr. Kirschenbaum was also the best mentor/boss. He always tried to answer our questions and guided us toward success. I am so incredibly grateful for everyone I had the opportunity to shadow and interact with.

Q7
What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
Shadowing in the OR was amazing. I have always had a rough time trying to get in contact with doctors to shadow because I did not know how to go about it. However, with this opportunity I was given the opportunity to shadow in clinic and also the OR, something very different from even my peers who have shadowed already. Also, I got to learn a lot about the general life of a surgeon and patients. It helped clarify my own goals for myself.

Q8
Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
Definitely. I did not know what to expect. I knew doctors see patients, but it was just hard to fully grasp what a whole day can look like and the diversity of cases someone can be presented with. Everything became more real with this experience.

Q9
How would you improve the fellowship?
I would have liked to have more of the business of healthcare classes. It was truly a perfect internship either way.

Q10
What are your plans for your future in medicine?
I still want to be a doctor. This experience even made me more sure of my desire to become a surgeon. Fingers crossed it actually happens!

Q11
Please add any extra comments here:
Thank you so much. I cannot say this enough. This internship was really once in a lifetime and I never really like saying that. However, in this case it really was.
Q1
What is your name?
Noshin Nuzhat

Q2
What year was your fellowship?
2019

Q3
What type of fellow were you?
  • Summer

Q4
What college are you from?
Brown University

Q5
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Dr. Huang, Dr. Scher, and Dr. Baghian

Q6
Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
Interest in teaching and sharing there experiences with patient care.

Q7
What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
Although the fellowship was jam-packed with so many things that I enjoyed, I particularly enjoyed being able to observe operations and shadow the attendings in the clinic. The knowledge and insights I gained during conversations with Dr. Kirschenbaum were also highly impactful.

Q8
Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
This fellowship changed my outlook on healthcare in many ways. Coming into the fellowship I was not aware of the challenges that come with health care delivery and how much progress we still need to make to find a system that works for everyone. Going forward these are some things I will keep in mind as I work towards entering the field of healthcare.

Q9
How would you improve the fellowship?
I would suggest starting the research projects a bit earlier.

Q10
What are your plans for your future in medicine?
in the future, I want to attend medical school and work towards becoming a surgeon. I wanted to become a surgeon even before entering this fellowship and this fellowship has only solidified this ambition. I also want to obtain an MBA in the future so I can also take part in hospital administration.

Q11
Please add any extra comments here:
This fellowship is truly an exceptional opportunity for pre-meds to get a fully immersive experience in health care. It has taught me so much about what it truly means to work as a doctor and has helped me understand what I need to learn more about as I continue on in my journey in medicine.
Q1
What is your name?
Lisa Schulmeyer

Q2
What year was your fellowship?
2019

Q3
What type of fellow were you?
  • Summer

Q4
What college are you from?
Brown University

Q5
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
My time was relatively equally split between the different attendings, but I definitely spent more time with Dr. Findling, Dr. Allen, and Dr. Huang in the OR, and Dr. Scher in clinic.

Q6
Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
I couldn’t possibly go through every moment that was important to me this summer, but a few moments with Attendings that stood out to me include:
From my first day shadowing Dr. Scher, I was so impressed by the way she always prioritized the human aspects of medicine: establishing a good relationship with every patient that she saw, making sure they understood their diagnosis and exactly what she and they could do to improve it, and that she respected their time and trust in her. At the same time, Dr. Scher took the time to explain to me what she was doing, how/why/and how often it works, and what external factors need to be considered to excellently treat a patient.
I (together with Melanie!) often shadowed Dr. Findling in the OR because I loved watching how that entire OR team worked together. They would switch on the dime from casual conversation to complete seriousness and I could really see how much they trusted each other and knew exactly how to work together as an efficient machine. Dr. Findling was always so generous with his time, calling us over to look more closely, pointing out anatomy, and encouraging lots of questions.
Unsurprisingly, Dr. Auerbach endeavored to teach me all of spine surgery in about an hour. By the end of the afternoon, we was asking me try to diagnose patients from their histories and reading MRIs, and I really enjoyed the chance to learn from him. In the OR, Dr. Auerbach stood out to me for how much he checked in with his team to make sure everyone was on the same page, even (and especially) during high-pressure and time sensitive moments.


Q7
What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
I am endlessly grateful for how generous all the attendings, clinic staff, and OR staff were with their time, energy, attention and patience. I don’t think that any other opportunity exists that could show me so much of what goes into delivering excellent primary orthopaedic care (in a Closed Urban Setting™…) from the point of view of those people who work to make it happen. From letting us follow them around with stopwatches for days, taking time to stop and explain what they were up to in clinic or the OR, and giving so much advice about the choice to go into healthcare and their specific specialties, to suggesting and supporting interesting research questions, or giving advice for making goals for ourselves and our futures, all the teams I encountered at BronxCare were so welcoming and generous to me and the other fellows. Personally, the most meaningful thing that I got out of this summer fellowship was a sense of greater certainty. I had thought for years that I would like to go into orthopaedics, and while I don’t pretend to know about the pros and cons of every field of medicine, I think that joining a team like this is exactly what I want to do.

Q8
Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
It absolutely did. I saw how much more there is to healthcare than just knowledge and skill; because the most important part of providing healthcare is providing care. So much exists between a diagnosis and a good outcome, and much of that happens from collaborating to remove the barriers that might stand in a patient’s way to better health. I saw that in the way that attendings discussed bracing vs casting options with a single mother so that she could still give her kids a bath or writing letters to employers and housing authorities to stand up for patients’ rights. Human connections and trust are always paramount, and textbook solutions don’t always fit reality. Every part of accessing, receiving, paying for, and understanding healthcare relies on the other parts, and that is an important lesson that really came to life for me while I had the chance to see it in action at BronxCare.

Q9
How would you improve the fellowship?
While there are so many things I would never want to change about this amazing opportunity I was given, I think that two things related to research could make the fellowship run more smoothly. First, getting organized into research teams from week one would make it much easier to finish writing abstracts by the end of the two months, without having to scramble or miss out on shadowing in the final weeks. Also, I wish I had been involved in more research projects. I thought that splitting my time between fewer projects would make it easier to get each one done, but I think that the projects with more people (eg TDABC, Health Literacy) were able to accomplish much more.

Q10
What are your plans for your future in medicine?
I am ever more confident that going to med school is the right choice for me. I’m planning to take one or two years after undergrad to either work on research related to my chemistry concentration or healthcare or to work in business consulting or similar before applying to med schools. I really think that orthopaedics might be the field for me, but that will be a decision for my future (hopefully more knowledgeable!) self.

Q11
Please add any extra comments here:
All that I can say is THANK YOU. This summer was transformational for me, and it is all thanks to you, Dr. K, and the whole team at BronxCare. Thank you for taking this chance and investing so much in us.
Q1
What is your name?
Gabriela de Queiroz Campos

Q2
What year was your fellowship?
2019

Q3
What type of fellow were you?
  • Summer

Q4
What college are you from?
Brown University

Q5
Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
The attending I spent most time with was probably Dr. Huang, primarily in the OR but also in clinic.

Q6
Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
Shadowing Dr. Hung in the OR was a very informative experience. I previously had a vague sense of how the inside of the OR worked, but I didn’t really know how many people were involved in each surgery and how many different tasks they had. The TDABC project required that we watch a lot of different joint replacements from the very beginning in the ambulatory bay all the way through to the PACU. Not only did I learn how the different surgeries were done, but I also now have a very clear schema of all the moving parts and different staff required to carry out a total joint replacement.
Another really positive experience was shadowing Dr. Kirschenbaum in the Washington Heights clinic. It was interesting to compare the approach to treatment in Health and Wellness, where patients can come in and see Dr. K on a regular basis, to that in Washington Heights, where the doctor only sees patients once every two weeks. It was important to see that, although it is all based on the same science, medicine requires certain adaptability and a skilled physician knows how to properly navigate those circumstances.


Q7
What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
This opportunity is absolutely unparalleled in the access to the medical environment that it gives fellows. I am currently applying to medical school and my time at BronxCare has both showed me what it is like to be a care provider and helped me further develop the idea of the doctor I want to be more than any other clinical experience I’ve had thus far. The fellowship was also the first time I was able to see the effects of health literacy on patient autonomy firsthand. It was very informative to see concepts that we learn about in various public health classes actually play out in the clinical setting. Doing so offers a certain depth to the material that simply cannot be obtained in the classroom.

Q8
Did the fellowship change the way you looked at healthcare why or why not?
The fellowship definitely changed the way that I look at healthcare. I think the way that it is approached in the classroom is not always realistic and that was made clear to me in the first week at BronxCare. I think the “lecture approach” to healthcare is far too idealistic and doesn’t take into account the day to day reality of hospitals. Being at BronxCare and speaking to Dr. Kirschenbaum about the access, quality, and cost of healthcare was very eye-opening and provided a much more practical framework with which to approach these discussions.
Particularly because a group in our cohort was doing a project on the matter, I also learned a lot about health literacy. The importance of patients understanding their conditions and their respective treatment processes became very clear to me as we spent more time in the clinic. Previously a vague term I heard tossed around in class, I didn’t realize how crucial health literacy is to the process of care and how low it can be in specific populations, particularly in those in which English is not their first language. Through the fellowship, I have learned that high health literacy translates directly to greater patient autonomy, which is critical in good delivery of care. We need to support efforts in the current healthcare system to increase patients’ understanding of their conditions and the treatments they are undergoing.


Q9
How would you improve the fellowship?
One point which I think could be improved in the fellowship would be starting the research projects earlier. Once we started working on them, the process flowed very smoothly. However, I feel as if we were somewhat rushed to finish at the of the summer. Maybe this is just a function of it being the end of the fellowship, but perhaps starting the projects earlier could relieve some tension from the last week.

Q10
What are your plans for your future in medicine?
I am currently applying to medical school which I will attend after completion of my Master’s at Brown. As of now, I am interested in going into the field of psychiatry and ideally working with underserved populations. However, I am open to new experiences and realize my trajectory might change as I learn more about the different areas I might pursue.

Q11
Please add any extra comments here:
Thank you, Dr. Kirschenbaum and everyone at BronxCare Orthopedics! This fellowship was an incredible opportunity and I am so grateful to have been a part of it!
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