OREX

I was recently accepted to a surgery observation program called OREX (Operating Room Experience) at The Hospital. The website is a little outdated--this is now the fourth year of the program.


A year ago around this time, I had just started volunteering in the Emergency Department, and it was a dream come true. Now it gets better! God has opened so many doors for me on this path, and for that I am grateful.


Fifteen participants and I will be attending pre-operation lectures by Dr. Harken, the chief of surgery, once a month at 7:15am. This means I have to wake up at 5:30am to get to The Hospital on time via public transportation!  We scrub in to observe a minimum of 4 hours of operations, and can stay as long as we like (one of last year's participants watched 6 surgeries in a day--sounds exhausting). I've never had to get surgery before, and I've never watched one before, either. It all sounds unreal to me.




We are required to write reflections to share in an online forum with the others, so we get the full range of experiences. Maybe I'll share some HIPAA-okay ones here. Another component of the program is attending bi-semester OREX meetings to present topics in surgery, healthcare, or whatever we choose. We also have the optional opportunity to sit in on "Grand Rounds," where surgeons from Kaiser, The Hospital, and another hospital (I forget) conference to discuss the biggest cases for the week. It again starts at 7:15am (seems to be a magical number in surgery) but our director Lucy stressed that "a breakfast of surgeons" is provided, and Dr. Harken sometimes offers to drive volunteers back to The Hospital for their surgery day. Haha--perks, I suppose. 


I'm stoked. I really want to make the most of this.


I'll let you know how the first day goes. I've scheduled my first observation day to be the 18th, eeeeep! I'll hopefully not break the scrub-dispensing machine, put my scrubs on backwards, get yelled at by nurses for entering red zones, forget where the masks are, and be in everyone's way.  Lucy emphasized that a key attitude of smooth OREX sailing is one of invisibility--we really don't contribute anything to the surgery (actually zero--we just stand around), and need to just watch the professionals do their jobs. I'm a tad nervous, but she said we must act like we belong, even though we don't.


With no medical authority of my own, any glimpses of this profession that I catch are privileges to learn from and share with others. I wonder what this year has in store. Surgery has always seemed like such a sterile science to me. I hope I'll have the eyes to see it for what it is, beyond the scalpel incision.