October 3rd, 2021 by Wilson Murane
NSS had the opportunity to host Dr. John Sanders – a Dartmouth ’64, retired cardiac surgeon, and current professor of cardiac surgery at the Geisel School of Medicine – for its first in-person Clinical Conversations session of the term on 10/3. With decades of experience in adult cardiac and thoracic surgery, mitral and aortic valve repair, and aortic dissection, Dr. Sanders offered his unique insight into how to best approach any cardiac case in the clinic, reminding students of the challenges associated with correctly diagnosing any patient given the vast array of potential drivers associated with cardiac abnormalities.
Dr. Sanders primarily presented on a case involving an elderly man presenting chest pain when walking up the stairs. Using the acronym SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan), he explained how to best approach such a case. After acquiring as much information as possible on the patient’s life history and symptoms, Dr. Sanders explained the limitations with various cardiac tests, including EKGs, angiograms, and echocardiograms. Finally, he walked the group through the process of inserting a stint into the man’s heart to bypass his cardiac blockage. Giving us a historical perspective, he detailed just how quickly surgical technology has evolved from crude and inaccessible to extremely complex and relatively mainstream.
We at NSS are so grateful to have welcomed Dr. Sanders as our third guest speaker in our Clinical Conversations series and look forward to hosting future doctors, both in person and remotely, with our classic shadowing program.
