Kenan Karahodzic

Assist the staff team, primarily nurses and doctors, in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at WRHN/Midtown. The role consists of stocking, cleaning, and preparing operating rooms for C-sections. Responding to Code Pinks by bringing a crash card and an isolette. As a unit assistant, in the case of a newborn requiring transfer to the NICU, it is my duty to facilitate the transfer. In the case that the patient needs a blood transfusion, it would also be my duty to run down to the lab and grab the blood for the nurses and the doctors. On top of this, it is also my job to take specimens to pathology, as well as to soak the specimens in solution. This role requires a lot of dedication, long hours, and quick thinking, paired with memorization.

I am currently a volunteer at WRHN/Midtown Emergency Department. The ER is a fast-paced and stressful environment, which requires quick thinking and lots of communication for everything that goes on. As a volunteer, my job is to greet patients as they first come in, and guide them to where they need to go. Paired with this, it's also my responsibility to assist with any non-medical-related tasks, such as assisting patients once they're all set to leave. In odd cases, I may even be required to report a situation for a code to be called (Code Blue, White, Yellow, etc.). Working in the ER is not easy at all, and these past few months have really been a learning curve for me.

Thrilled to have had the opportunity to participate in an observership with Doctor Ronald Fowlis at WRHN/Midtown, as well as his office. During these four months of observership, I got a completely new perspective on what it's like to be a physician. I was able to experience reading Holter-Monitor charts, ECGs, Stress Tests, Tilt table tests, Examinations, Cardioversions, Cardiac auscultation, and even the opportunity to observe the heart during a PET scan and ultrasound.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to observe and work with Doctor Sadia Sabieh at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in early October. Working with Doctor Sabieh really helped me understand and showed me the reality of a doctor's work life throughout the day. I observed plenty of different cases, ranging from small to big. I was able to soak up lots of new information and put what I already knew to the test. It was truly a privilege to be granted this opportunity, and it really allowed me to learn a lot more about diagnosis and treatment plans.

Working as a busboy at the Mandarin was my first job, and this job required a lot of teamwork and leadership. This position involved setting out clean plates and silverware for customers, which, for the most part, wasn't an issue until faced with busy weekends or holidays, when they would disappear the second they were brought out. With this, my coworkers and I had to problem-solve and think quickly by assigning a role to each of us, so we wouldn't be lacking on busy days. Proper coordination with servers and other employees was mandatory to ensure that the work was getting done properly in an orderly manner. This job taught me a lot about teamwork and really helped me understand the importance of teamwork, which I apply to this day.