My name is Trena Pilegaard and I am a second-year student at Case Western Reserve University Master of Science in Anesthesia Program in Washington, D.C.
In December, I completed a rotation at Washington Hospital Center for my outpatient rotation. Outpatient procedures are those where the patient is expected to be able to go home on the same day as their procedure, provided that everything goes smoothly. You may have also read about my cardiac rotation at Christ Hospital, which was another invaluable experience.
I've lived in the D.C. Metro Area for some years now. I particularly enjoy the holiday season in Washington, when all the Christmas decorations go up. I highly recommend seeing the Christmas displays at the National Botanical Gardens if you have a chance or Christmas Tea in Peacock Ally at the Willard Hotel! Even after the holidays, Washington offers fun activities such as ice skating in the Sculpture Garden!
My advice to any incoming students is to find that one thing that brings you peace, whether that be meditation, reading, running, playing an instrument, or whatever, and do that thing everyday for a few minutes if you can. These two years of study are very busy and stressful, and I've found it's so important for me to take a step back from my day so that I don't become overwhelmed.
About this post: The Student Spotlight series highlights MSA students in their second year of coursework in Cleveland, Houston, and Washington. The series is a student-led initiative, and is designed to share current student experiences with prospective students.