Wrapping Up

As my time here at the University Hospital of Wales is coming to a close, I have continuously been gaining useful experience in the field of medical illustration. By recently spending many days in the medical video unit, I have helped film and edit a documentary for the 40th anniversary since the opening of the hospital. In addition, I have assisted in filming neurological tests of patients with disorders, recording for example hand-eye coordination and other mental tests for doctor/patient records. I found this particularly fascinating to witness the struggle and impact that a neurological disorder can have on an individual’s daily functioning.

Below are images of curettes, which were photographed in conjunction with a senior medical photographer here in the department. These extremely sharp medical devices are used in surgical procedures. In dermatology, I also photographed two subjects which are shown below. The first photograph is a basic image to monitor a suspicious mole while the second image captures a basal cell carcinoma scar. Various lighting techniques were applied to illustrate the different characteristics of the scar.

Also of news are my recent travels to London, Amsterdam, and Belgium. I spent a few days in London before the riots and looting began thankfully. After, I stayed two  nights in Amsterdam and wrapped up my travels with a day full of chocolates, waffles, and fries in Brugge, Belgium. Amsterdam was particularly memorable, from the unconventional lifestyle to the beautiful architecture and canals. It was great to expand my horizons outside of Wales and visit some of the places that I’ve only dreamed of seeing. It is unbelievable that my last week at the hospital is near, however I’m nothing less than proud of all that I’ve accomplished during the short amount of time spent here. 

 

 

 

 Forensics, Forensics, Forensics

 I have spent the past two weeks in forensics and have grown even more interested in the field. Observing around five post mortems to date, it can be said I am growing accustomed to the graphic nature of these examinations. Although, I found the smell aspect a little difficult to deal with at first, especially when the bowels were opened.  After the last blog entry and only witnessing medical post mortems, I was given the chance to see some forensic cases as well.

It was interesting to note the differences within these types of examinations. First of all, forensic cases are evidently much more thorough and detailed. Various parts of the body are carefully swabbed and everything from undergarments to minuscule fibbers are collected as evidence. Due to the thorough nature of these examinations, forensic post mortems can take up to ten hours. Unlike medical cases, the Welsh Police CSI staff are present and provide their own forensic photographer who takes at least 100 photographs. It was fascinating to see the pathologist predict a cause of death and then support their predicting by finding a tiny defect in an organ. It was amazing that an injury to the heart that is almost unnoticeable to the human eye can result in death. However, in many cases it is not this simple and the brain or toxicology reports need to be examined. I saw a brain dissection this week and was asked to assist the pathologist in organizing placeholders to put different sections of the brain in. I’ve noticed that forensic examinations are a very timely process. For instance, toxicology reports can take up to weeks and the brain needs to be fixed in formaldehyde for at least three weeks just to be examined.  

Mark, the forensic photographer assigned me to take pictures of plastered organs--shown below is a ovary tumor and a bowel section with cysts. The first organ image shows a comparison of a "normal" sized ovary represented by the walnut, to a ovary that has a tumor. I also have been working on a side project for the Anesthetics Muesem here at the hospital. This muesuem displays a collection of historical medical equipment and illustrates how the technology of anesthetics has vastly developed throughout the years. I have photographed an old Ether Vaporizer that was used for surgical anesthesia procedures around 50 years ago. I have also put together a video of the subject that shows a 360 degree view, so every element of the Ether Vaporizer is illustrated. In the next few days, I will be doing mentoring in the video department. 

 

Settling In

As I have already been working at the hospital for nearly a month now, I have settled in Cardiff and my job at the hospital very smoothly. Lately, I have been spending much of my time working in the dental department and assisting in photographing patients in various wards. At first, the wards were slightly shocking and sometimes even grim, as illustrated in the trauma clinic where patients are usually completely unresponsive to stimuli. However, I am growing accustomed to the conditions I've witnessed which is paired a sense of normalcy.

Recently, I have been working on many sub-projects in which have produced portfolio worthy images. An interesting assignment included photographing the assistance of dental nurses for the hospital's online website for prospective students. During a forum for the hospital's information technology services, a statistic noted that the youth of Wales are rated to have the worst oral health in all of the United Kingdom and the importance of dental nurses was exemplified. The main focus was solely on the nurses working on every day tasks from assisting dentists to preparing dental molds to illustrate their fast-paced occupation.

I have also spend my first day with Mark, the hospital's forensic photographer and was given a overview and orientation of the entire department. With the faint smell of formaldehyde, I was shown the forensic imaging equipment, microscopes, and the autopsy examination rooms. Also, I watched video Mark captured of a post mortem examination in which the deceased body was severely decayed and covered from head to toe in maggots. Tomorrow, I will attend a full autopsy and with the anticipating killing me, I cannot be more excited!

 

 

I also photographed a human lower jawbone (disambiguation) section in the dental studio

Highly specialized dental x-ray imaging equipment

A broken scalpel stained blood, which was requested to be photographed for a client in the hospital.

Outside of the hospital, I have also been spending time with co-workers and continuing to explore all of what Cardiff has to offer. This past weekend, I toured Cardiff Castle on a beautiful (rare) afternoon in Wales and enjoyed the breathtaking scenery. 

My First Week

 I have completed my first week as a clinical photography intern at the University Hospital of Wales. I was given a taste of four different and unique departments within the Media Resources Center. Spending my first day in the opthalmology unit, there was no delay on begining my first clinical experience. I observed our opthalmic photographer utilizing flourescent angiography as a technique to examine circulation of the retina using a dye tracing method. After the nurse injected the patients with sodium fluorescein, issues such as macular degeneration became exceedingly apparent. It was amazing to observe a wide array of retinal diseases, especially prevalent in diabetic patients. On my first day, it was surprising to participate in a great ordeal of clinical departments and set the scene for the days ahead.
Dermatology was one of the most notable departments, each patient photographed had such a varied skin condition, from rosacea to cancerous moles. It was notable that the clients were extremely eager to get their photograph taken, as this documentation will aid their doctor in tracking the progress of their skin condition. When a dermatologist sees hundreds of patients it's difficult to recall, even with detailed notes if one's condition is actually improving--and this is one of the many reasons to why these images prove to be imperative.
The ward and wound clinic were easily the most eye opening experiences of the week. In each fast paced environment, clinical photographers would photograph at least 20 or more patients with the most severe medical issues I have ever seen. Ulcers were very common, however some ulcers were so severe and infected that the patients were bound to a wheelchair. There was a pungent odor in the wound clinic that was oddly easy to become accustomed to.
In dental, I was assigned to take my first images at the hospital of dental molds in the studio. Different angles of a dental mold and stint were captured for a client's request. I enjoyed working and experimenting with the various types of studio flash to achieve the most even lighting that displayed all of the subject's detail. Another hands on experience in this department included assisting in photographing client's standard dental views for reasons such as orthodontics and documenting oral diseases. This opportunity was interesting, as I was given the chance aid in holding dental mirrors to help the photographer capture the bitting surfaces and palate of the mouth.

Graphics was equally a very hands-on experience. This department deals with various types of job tasks, from designing the hospital's annual report to medical illustration of body parts for educational use at Cardiff University. I worked in Photoshop to create a cardiac illustration with painting a heart to display depth and shadow. At first, I was nervous after looking an example of the task, but after I started working in Photoshop I grew more comfortable and created one of my first medical illustrations!
Even though it is only my first week working at the hospital, I already am thoroughly passionate and excited for what is to come ahead during the next two months. I feel already accustomed to the Welsh culture and people, even though my accent sticks out like a sore thumb! While living in a flat five minutes away from the hospital, I am also in close proximity to the center of the city in Cardiff where there is great deal of local attractions. I am eager to start my second week at the hospital and experience that medical field from a behind the scenes perspective.

3 Weeks Until Take-off

In roughly three weeks I will arrive in Cardiff, the capital of Wales!

What will I be doing?

I will be working as a clinical photographer and job shadowing professionals at the University Hospital of Wales. The first month will be spend working in the dermatology, dentistry, ophthalmology, forensic, and surgical departments. The average day will be split into two, shooting in the morning followed by reviewing and digital processing in the afternoon. During the second month, I will be given the chance to concentrating on a area of choice, which will be forensic photography. My skills learned here at RIT will be put to the test overseas in Wales! This unique opportunity was made possible through the Rochester Institute of Technology Work Abroad Program, my BPC advisers, and the generous support from the Biocommunications Association.

About the Hospital

The University Hospital of Wales is the largest hospital in Wales and provides many exceptional services to people residing in and outside of the area. This teaching hospital offers day to day health services such as dental examinations to a population of around 500,000 individuals living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. There is also a wide range of specialized departments, some which include the accident and emergency, transplant, neurological, dermatology, and surgical units. In comparison, healthcare in the United Kingdom is very different to our system here in America. England, Nothern Ireland, Scotland and Wales each have their own system of publically funded healthcare. Collectively, the National Health Service (NHS) provides public healthcare to all permanent residents that is free at the point need while funded by taxation. With the exception of charges for some prescriptions, optical, and dental services, UK healthcare covers everything from treating colds to open heart surgery. The principle of the NHS is that adequate health should be available to all, regardless of economic status.

Last but not least..A little bit about me!

I am a junior majoring in Biomedical Photographic Communications and Criminal Justice at Rochester Institute of Technology. Before coming to RIT, I developed a strong passion for science and photography throughout my high school career. While searching for colleges and majors, I found the school with a perfect area of study which combined imaging and science into one collaborative and unique major. After a few quarters, and developing a strong passion for forensic imaging, I decided to additionally major in Criminal Justice to complement the forensics specialization. While continuing my studies, I aspire to eventually work in the forensics field as a career. Some of my interests include photography, microscopy, biology, reading, meditation, and music.

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