Athitiya Singhapan - career aspirations

My journey with Hashimoto's disease and my experiences with the physicians in my life inspire me to pursue medicine and give back to the field that changed my life's trajectory! Physicians are much like authors, using medical knowledge as the ink and compassion as the pen to rewrite patients' life stories. I hope to rewrite others' health stories one day, just as mine was rewritten!

Although I often wonder what career path I might be pursuing had I not been diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease (perhaps a professor, journalist, astronomer, or author), I am learning to embrace and give meaning to my life experiences every single day. I cannot always control the experiences that happen to me, but I can control what I make of them!

Taking Manual Blood Pressures

In my Practicum Health Science class, I learned how to take vital signs, including blood pressure, respiratory rate, pulse, and temperature. I love the listening aspect of taking manual blood pressure - I feel like I am hearing the patient speak in a way that only stethoscopes can fathom. Shoutout to my classmate Noor for letting me take her blood pressure!

Hematology Lab

My Med Lab class allowed me to examine the components of my own blood and process it in a centrifuge. I found out my blood type, too: O-, the universal donor!

Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine

The vial may look invisible, but there is actually a rat's brain inside. Through a school field trip, I had the opportunity to learn about the Vibratome, a tissue-cutting technology that allowed me to slice a very thin brain slice... and take it home!

Shadowing Experience

I am so very privileged and honored to have tagged along with Dr. Piyanuch Kongtim to work for a week! She is a wonderful family friend who invited me to observe her at her workplace! She is a hematologist-oncologist at UC Irvine Hospital and in my opinion, a superhero!

DocPrep at Baylor College of Medicine

My first ever surgical knot was done with... a shoelace?! Through the FREE DocPrep outreach program provided by DeBakey HS and BCM, I gained hands-on experience in removing staples, performing intubations, and suturing. The stories of each physician's journey to medicine seemed to intersect at one point - the desire to utilize their knowledge to save and change lives.

Hospital Bedmaking

Few classrooms can say that they have beds right next to the student desks, but Mrs. Barnard's class is the exception! Mrs. Barnard taught me the importance of ergonomics in bedmaking. I also learned how to miter a sheet corner!

CASE PRESENTATIONS

At Debakey High School, students have the opportunity to go on clinical rotations. After every rotation, students create patient case files to share with the class. Here are all of my patient case presentations.!

Copy of Surgery Clinic

Copy of Allergies

Copy of Allergies Clinic - Athitiya Singhapan