CAA Shadowing 3rd experience

January has been such a whirlwind, but I finally found some time to share my third shadowing experience with a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant (CAA). Life has been so busy lately that I haven’t had the chance to update the blog, especially since I just got back from an incredible trip to the Dominican Republic—more on that in a future post! As I’ve mentioned before, finding shadowing opportunities in South Florida has been a challenge. To make this happen, I rented a car and drove two hours north. My day started early—I left home at 4:45 a.m. and made it to the hospital just before 7 a.m. The CAA I shadowed was so kind and full of great advice. Right as we entered the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), I was stopped because my hair wasn’t covered. Thankfully, she took me to grab a scrub cap, as I had already changed into hospital scrubs but didn’t realize I needed the cap too—lesson learned! This was my third shadowing experience, and I felt much more comfortable this time. The first case of the day was a laparoscopic appendectomy—a procedure to remove the appendix using a minimally invasive robotic approach. The patient was young, and the CAA took the time to explain every step in such a clear and approachable way. As an anatomy professor, I was fascinated by how she tied her explanations to physiology and anatomy. She walked me through the intubation process, showing me how one tube led to the trachea and another to the stomach, helping the patient breathe and preventing any complications if stomach contents came back up. She made it seem so seamless. Once the patient was asleep, I was able to watch the surgery on the camera, and the surgeon even pointed out the appendix to me. It was incredible to see this in real time—I couldn’t help but marvel at how people perform these complex procedures every single day. The second and third cases were equally fascinating. One was an open umbilical hernia repair, and the other was a re-exploration craniotomy—yes, I got to witness neurosurgery! It was an awe-inspiring experience, and each case solidified my excitement about this field. This shadowing opportunity reinforced how important it is to seek out diverse experiences with different CAAs. Every experience has been unique and valuable, and I highly recommend shadowing as many professionals as possible.