Waltz of the OR – Finding the Music from Within

by Minjal Patel

There is an air of musicality that has drawn me towards the OR, whether it is the organized chaos of the beeping monitors or the sounds of steel instruments hitting the table as the team prepares for the patient to arrive. It reminds me of a Chopin waltz – everyone carefully navigates the space as the pristine sheets of blue are draped over the patient. Having trained in classical piano performance since the age of nine, I often find parallels between music and surgery. Those similar bright lights that shine overhead illuminate the surgical field while blurring the rest. While it may seem like a dramatic romanticization of surgery, I reflect on my training as a pianist, which spanned over a decade and has now become a pivotal part of who I am today. It transports me to the time I performed a structured Bach prelude in front of an audience.

I sat down at the piano, placing my hands on the keys. Looking into the crowd, I saw blurred faces and whispers as the conversations dwindled into inaudible sounds. If I had learned anything in my training it was to focus on the rhythm of the music from within, silencing the sounds outside. When standing over the surgical field, I find a serene beauty in the calm that penetrates the surrounding chaos.

I believe that as third-year medical students first navigating the OR, we are often terrified of the space and its uncertainty. I highly suggest to my fellow colleagues to embrace the OR as a place where immense learning for medicine meets uncovering yourself. There are moments when you will discover your resiliency and perhaps even your “Why?”. Lean on the nurses, scrub technicians and rest of the staff to navigate this space. Continue to ask questions and have a fervor for learning. I have heard from many that the OR is a special place in the hospital – it truly is! I believe that you have to experience its musicality to appreciate it. As an aspiring surgeon, I hope to continue hearing the music this space has to offer amidst its challenges and its noises.

About the Author
Minjal Patel is a third-year medical student at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine in New Jersey. She aspires to pursue a general surgery residency. She currently serves as an ACOS Social Media Ambassador. She also loves writing, gardening, and traveling the world with her family.