Where Every Small Step Matters

There is a very specific kind of quiet in the operating room. It is not actually silent. There is soft background music playing, the steady sounds of movement, and the calm coordination between everyone in the room that makes everything feel controlled and intentional. Working alongside the nurses and staff, I quickly noticed how much teamwork and communication goes into even the smallest steps before a procedure begins.

Over the past few weeks, through the Troy Tech Senior Internship, I had the opportunity to intern at a local surgery center. It has been a really eye-opening experience and my first time seeing how things work in that kind of setting up close. Even though surgery and dermatology are very different on the surface, I’ve started noticing that there are shared ideas that show up in both in small but important ways.

One thing that stood out to me the most was how much emphasis is placed on preparation. Before any procedure, there is a very careful process of cleaning and prepping the surgical site. I saw things like Betadine and saline being used, and what really stuck with me was how intentional everything is. Nothing is rushed, and even the smallest steps matter when it comes to preventing complications later on.

I also realized that a lot of what I was seeing connects back to prevention in general. In dermatology, we talk a lot about things like protecting the skin and preventing damage before it becomes a bigger issue. Seeing a surgical setting made that idea feel more real in a different way, even in something as simple as how the skin is treated before a procedure.

Outside of that, it also reminded me of our club’s work putting together care kits for the homeless during the holiday season. Those kits were simple, but they were still focused on prevention in a way, like helping with basic hygiene and reducing the risk of infections or skin problems. Being in the surgery center made me appreciate that idea more, that small preventative steps can actually matter in a real way without needing to be something complicated or medical-heavy.