Research/Internship/Shadowing in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to shadow Dr. Ryan McAdams, MD in the NICU at UnityPoint Meriter Hospital in Madison, WI through the RUSCH program. This was a wonderful experience on my journey to discovering which fields of medicine I am interested in and learning a variety of medical terminology that I will use on my research project evaluating AI bias and for my future career in medicine. I had a great time meeting physicians, fellows, nurse practitioners, nurses, and many other professionals in the hospital who have an undeniable dedication to treating neonates. I particularly enjoyed joining in on rounds and being able to join in on doing check-ups for the infants! Facing the unpredictability of the NICU was an eye-opening experience, as the infants and their families are in a vulnerable state. However, knowing that I got to shadow professionals doing their best to make a change in family’s lives opened my eyes to the possibility of a career in neonatology.

By Kaia Hall