Recently, I had another opportunity to shadow a doctor for a day in a hospital. Although I expected it to be much of the same, the experience was different. I was able to witness a doctor carry out two procedures called bronchoscopies that day, along with the doctor talking to patients and helping to treat them. I got to learn more about sleep medicine in this experience as well, and it was interactive because I learned about how sleep studies were conducted and got to see one with a sleep study software. I also got to experience a breathing test firsthand to understand how and why they are conducted in patients.
I aspire to be a doctor in the future, and this experience helped me understand the technical aspects of a doctor’s daily life as well as soft skills needed to better care for the patients. Along with this, the experience taught me how doctors support and empathize with their patients even during hard times.