My name is Emilia Morales and I am a second-year in the Case Western Reserve University Master of Science in Anesthesia Program in Washington, D.C.
As a person filled with wanderlust, I had this romantic idea of traveling all over the country for my clinical rotations to learn and expose myself to the various methods of providing anesthesia to patients from a multitude of anesthesia providers. I am currently at the Palo Alto VA Hospital rotation in California. In the past few months, I have rotated in several locations including Washington D.C.; St. Louis, Missouri; Denver, Colorado; and Albuquerque, New Mexico. I will be traveling to Miami, Florida next week for a two month rotation.
Through the uniqueness of my clinical experiences, I have further solidified my love and desire to practice anesthesia. In all of my rotations, the anesthesiologists and AAs have been so willing, eager, and patient to teach and pass down their wisdom and techniques.
I am grateful for the MSA curriculum because it has provided me confidence in my ability, comfort in the operating room, and knowledge of anesthesia, all of which have grown exponentially due to the program’s fast paced, rigorous, and precise mission to transform students into excellent anesthetists.
Despite the strenuous nature of the program, I have been able to squeeze some time to enjoy life! I am an outdoor enthusiast, traveler, and avid runner. During my time in the program, I have run the Navy and Air Force Half Marathon twice, the Marine Corps Half and Full Marathon, Monterey Bay and Big Sur Half Marathon, and the Quad Keyah Half Marathon at the Four Corners Monument. I am schedule to run the Miami Half Marathon and the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. Some of my other adventures include hiking throughout the D.C. Metro area as well as California and Colorado. My travel has allowed me to explore cities like New York and Chicago, go wine tasting in Long Island, and snowmobiling in the Rocky Mountains. I've been on a hot air balloon at 12,000-feet in Albuquerque, and enjoyed time at home in Monterey, California.
If I could do it all over again, I would not change my decision to practice anesthesia and I encourage you to do the same!
About this post: The Student Spotlight series highlights MSA students in Cleveland, Houston, and Washington. The series is a student-led initiative, and is designed to share current student experiences with prospective students.