One of the runners ups in this year’s BagMask.com Anesthesia Scholarship contest is Rylie Pierce SRNA! Rylie is enrolled at Oakland University – Beaumonts DNP and is scheduled to graduate in August 2022. Her winning essay in the 2020 BagMask.com Scholarship Competition has won her a ADC 619 ADSCOPE-lite Stethoscope from Stethoscope.com.
Rylie’s essay:
An Easy (Sleeping) Pill to Swallow: A Letter to the Anesthetized Patient
Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for signing consent, and in doing so, giving me the opportunity to act as your surgical guardian angel. I know that you’re terrified. I wish I could take that uncertainty away. Luckily I can give you medications that may help. As we go into the operating room you may feel overwhelmed. Be assured that I will be with you the entire time. Did you pick out a good dream? Focus on my voice as you drift into that pre-meditated tropical paradise. When surgery is done the first thing you will hear is my adoration for the strength you displayed while under anesthesia. Although you may have been “sleeping,” I had a great time getting to know you.
While you were “sleeping,” I took great pride in protecting your brain. The very organ capable of problem-solving pandemics, developing vaccines, and delivering “dad jokes.” The part of you that provides the wisdom and life-experience to be generous, selfless and courageous in times of turmoil. Your brain gifts you the memory of your child’s birth, your first kiss, and even your first sip of beer (any of which you may wish to forget). Thank you for trusting me with who you are.
While you were “sleeping,” I worked with great vigilance in protecting your lungs. The lungs that yearn for fresh air and spring sentiment as we social distance behind closed doors. The breath that provides laughter and expressions of hope to those who are struggling through isolation. You know those lungs that work desperately to breathe life into others? While you were “sleeping”, I considered myself lucky to breathe life into them.
While you were “sleeping,” I was humbled by the opportunity to protect your heart. The heart that is so profoundly made to love with enough courage and passion to put yourself at risk for the benefit of others. The heart that grew twice in size the first day you brought your family pet home and beat twice as hard during your first date with your now husband or wife. If that heart would have stopped beating while you were “sleeping”, I would have considered myself privileged to bring it back to life. Luckily, I didn’t have to.
BagMask.com’s Upcoming 2020 Fall Anesthesia Scholarship Information
We’re already working on our next scholarship and are excited to try a new format! Look for more information about the next one sometime this fall, and be sure to follow us on social media and join our mailing list so you can keep up to date on future Scholarship information and other great Anesthesia Career Resources!
Instagram
Facebook
Youtube
Twitter
Linkedin
Eligibility for Upcoming Scholarship Entries
- SAA
- SRNA
- Anesthesia Resident
- Anesthesia Fellow
- Fourth year Medical Student that has matched to anesthesia
