2014 Sarah Lambros
Mentor Company - Spinal Injury Clinic, Foothills Medical Clinic
Operation Minerva
When I first heard of Operation Minerva, it was not from school, but when I went to dance class. My very good friend Mady was invited, and she told me all about it. I asked my science teacher, Mr. Cholach, about this opportunity, and though he hadn’t heard of it he went to the website and entered my name. When I finally heard the news that I was able to take part, I was really happy and thankful. I’ve always imagined I’d be a doctor or even a surgeon when I grow up’ so this was very exciting for me!
When I woke up on the morning of my mentoring day, I put on my polka dotted skirt and fastened a pink flower in my hair. I was to be taught by Nicole McKenzie’s team and learn about some jobs at the Foothills Medical Centre, specifically the Spinal Injury Clinic.
By the time my bus arrived at the last stop before the Medical Centre, I realized that it would only be me and one other girl, Megan, who would be touring the jobs with Nicole. Megan came to sit beside me for the last five minutes, and I found that we would get along quite well. It turns out I'm not the only kid that knows at 13 what universities I might want to go to! We talked about our schools and other various subjects until we arrived at our destination.
Megan and I were greeted by Nicole when we stepped off the bus. She was wearing a Cheshire Cat shirt, which showed me that she was playful and she was going to be fun. We introduced ourselves to Nicole, who was positive and friendly. She brought us in through a section coming off of the main hospital. Nicole explained that we were going through the spinal and head injury building, which was in between the cancer facility and the large building. Our mentor said that she didn't even know what happened everywhere in this building, let alone in the other sections! She led us down the hallway to her office, and on the way, I noticed that there were many different types of people, running around with different tasks. I saw some people coming through the doors with a patient in a mobile bed, others riding their wheelchairs from place to place, and people waiting for family members on benches in the lobby. It was quite a busy place; I wondered what the main building was like, how chaotic it could be.
After Megan and I got our belongings we settled in Nicole's office, we were able to listen to her tell us about her job. Nicole's fascinating job includes researching information to get more knowledge about back and spinal injuries. I'd never heard of this type of occupation, but Nicole said it only became a profession a few years ago. She then told us how complex this branch of work is, and how many different people and jobs go into the whole system. There are physiotherapists, people who build wheelchairs, others who assign certain wheelchairs to patients; the possibilities are endless. I knew that there were many different professions in the medical field, but there are even more than I anticipated. Once we were done talking and it was time for us to start our day, Nicole gave us a small tour of the building. We then headed off to occupational therapy, where a medical student informed us with what OT was all about.
Occupational therapists help people who have suffered a stroke, spinal or back injury get back to their normal lives. If half of someone's body stopped working, it may take some time for the person to continue on with their daily lifestyle. Megan and I got to see someone get occupational therapy, and what interested me the most was the muscle stimulation. This is where the muscle is being told what to do by electricity, and the brain gets used to the movement so it can move the muscle itself. We were told that after a half hour session of using the stimulation, some people can start to use the muscle without help - whereas before the session they couldn't even come close. The science behind it is so fascinating. The OT was definitely one of the highlights for my day.
Next on our list were wheelchairs. Before my mentoring day, I didn't know anything about all the science behind using a wheelchair. It turns out it's much more complicated than putting a chair on wheels when you break your leg. Every little detail of the chair affects how it benefits the patient. The way the back tilts, how the patient puts pressure on their seat when they sit down, even the position of the foot rests. It's amazing really that you need a team of people just to assign wheelchairs. After we learned a bit about the sciences, Megan and I got to try sitting in a wheelchair. On top of the seat cushion was a sheet hooked up to wires that told us where we put most of our weight when we sit down. It was interesting to see how I don't even notice that I put more of my weight on my left side, yet with that test it was quite obvious. Having a job assigning wheelchairs seemed like a complicated, yet very interesting career.
After we had a pizza lunch (yum!) with some other female workers from the medical centre, Nicole, Megan, and I headed off downstairs to where the wheelchairs are fixed and put together. The basement also had a gym where patients who just got new wheelchairs learned to use them. Megan and I even got to try riding in a few wheelchairs! Two of them were just the simple kind where you turn the wheels yourself, but we also tried a power wheelchair. That one was weird. All you did was move a small handle and it took you where you wanted to go. I must say, I liked the simpler wheelchairs more. I have always been a very independent person, and if my only movement was based on moving a toggle, I’m pretty sure I would get restless and probably annoyed. It really showed me how what it’s like to live in one of these machines. It's hard to understand somebody's life until you are put in their shoes. Simple things that I don't even think of became really difficult while I was in the wheelchairs. Just opening a door was not an easy task - took me about two minutes! After we were done trying out the wheelchairs, I had to try to put one together. I must say, that wasn't my strength. By the time Megan and I were done with that section of our day, it was time to go home.
As I took the bus ride back to the pick-up spot with Mady, we discussed our different days. She went to ConocoPhillips, which is an engineering firm. We both agreed that today was really fun. I'm really glad I took part in this, and I hope my high school next year will have more opportunities like this.
Operation Minerva really opened my eyes to the real math and science world, and that’s just my one experience from learning about only a few jobs! It gave me the opportunity to see the bigger picture. What a treat to see so many professional women earning a living while making a difference. Even before my trip, I thought that when I grew up I’d like to have a profession in the medical field. Now, I’m almost sure of it. Seeing firsthand how doctors and nurses help people really inspires me to pursue a similar career. I know many young girls that would feel the same way, and I told my teacher and my Vice-Principal how wonderful and inspiring my Operation Minerva experience was. My job shadowing day is something I'll always remember.
Thank you Operation Minerva!
