17 -year-old Cathryne Sheridan was in surgery. However, she wasn’t the patient.
Sheridan went on her first mission trip in the Dominican Republic along with her father and other doctors.
Sheridan assisted in many knee surgeries, and felt that “I was thrown in the deep end like I wasn’t ready for it.”
“I felt really empowered that I actually made a difference in people’s lives,” Sheridan said, “Even the smallest actions make a big difference.”
Most of the time, Sheridan would wash medical instruments, hand prescriptions to patients, organize a lot of tools, and in the meantime she would watch the surgery and help out any way she could. This was Sheridan’s first time shadowing.
“It was a little nerve wracking walking into it,” Sheridan said. “But I definitely have a new interest in medicine.“
Sheridan watched many knee surgeries, and felt that “I was thrown in the deep end like I wasn’t ready for it.”
Sheridan did not need any experience for this position, just approval from Professor Juan Bosch that deals with the program. Sheridan traveled with her father who is a first assistant surgical tech and group of doctors from St. Louis and from Portland. This is his fourth time.
“My dad’s been wanting me to go for a while,” Sheridan said.
For four days of the trip, Sheridan woke up at 6 a.m., got on the bus, drove to the hospital named La Vega, and would work for ten hours a day, and sometimes even longer.
Many doctors on the mission trip got sick due to eating something that was washed with water like salad.
Sheridan saw a difference in the hospital in the Dominican versus the U.S. In addition, doctors from St. Louis had to bring various instruments due to the lack of supplies accessible.
The trip in total lasted 9 days, and occurs every January. This program started eight years ago.
Sheridan will continue to get involved with the medical field, and will soon attend more mission trips.