Benjamin Bone Post #4

For the last day of my internship, I spent the day with Dr. Wax at the Jefferson Orthopedic Clinic. Our morning was very busy. I got there around 8:00 a.m. It takes so long to get there and to get home. I never realized how bad traffic can get in New Orleans! The commute isn't too bad though! We saw patients all morning with the following problems: carpal tunnel, arthritis, broken fingers, torn ACL/MCL, torn rotator cuff, and many more. Each time Dr. Wax shows me their x-rays and MRI pictures, it is becoming more and more evident to me of what each injury looks like. He has done a great job explaining the different coloration, indentations, contrasts and what they suggest about the patient. Clinic ended around 11 a.m. that morning. Dr. Wax had a lot going on. He told me he had to make a bunch of phone calls and do paper work and would probably skip out on lunch. I offered to assist him with his tasks, but he told me that it was just busy work and to go on and get some lunch before clinic started back up again at 1 p.m. Since my dad works at the Jefferson Parish Forensic Center/Coroner's Office in Harvey, I called him up and we went to lunch together. After, I went back to his work and saw his office for the first time. It was really cool to see the forensic lab where the pathologists complete toxicology tests for dead bodies. I learned how they test it and what cocaine looks like when its picked up by the machine. I also got to see the morgue, where they do autopsies, and where all the major organs from each body are stored. Gross! It was really interesting to see what my dad did everyday and how biology and chemistry plays such an important part to their investigations. After my tour, I drove back to the clinic which was only 5 minutes away about. There, we saw more patients, including one lady who was giving us some problems. She worked for a schooling system and was claiming to have hand pain that wasn't allowing her to work. Dr. Wax told her that therapy was the best option, but she said she didn't have time for all that. It amazes me that people want to find a solution to their problems, but never go the extra mile or do their part to try and heal. A lot of people either want the pain meds or worker's comp or just want to get out of there job. This isn't all people by any means, but it surprises me how low some people get in their lives. Overall, I learned so much at my internship and I can really see myself going into a profession like orthopedics in my future! Here is a picture of me at the clinic!