Mentor Assessment #3 for MP5

Mentor: Dr. Ronald Mancini

Topic: Oculoplastic Surgery

Date and Time: 3/30/17 3:15 PM 4:00 PM

Place: UT Southwestern Department of Ophthalmology

Analysis:

This mentor meeting was the first one I had with Dr. Mancini since Spring Break. After

knocking on his office door, I found out that Dr. Mancini was already in a meeting with another

man, so I waited outside until they finished. This specific meeting actually initiated an interesting

conversation between Dr. Mancini and me after the man left. According to my mentor, the man is

an ophthalmology resident at UT Southwestern who is currently in the process of interviewing

for fellowship programs in oculoplastic surgery. Dr. Mancini explained the educational process

of becoming an oculoplastic surgeon, specifically detailing that at UT Southwestern, an aspiring

specialist would have to complete a one-year internship in either internal medicine or general

surgery before doing a three-year residency in ophthalmology. A follow-up to that is a two-year

fellowship in oculoplastic and orbital surgery. I knew most of this information already, but I did

not know of the one year internship straight out of medical school.

I explained my Original Work project to Dr. Mancini, citing the reservations I had about

the difficulty of it. However, Dr. Mancini reassured me that what I am doing is the best possible

way for me to learn anatomy and modeling as well as contribute to a true, gratifying purpose. He

even suggested that I add on a second component to my project, which is to record stock footage
of navigating the nasolacrimal ducts of the 3-D printed skull with an endoscope. The purpose of

this is to show how this skull can be used to teach medical residents about certain surgical

procedures, such as dacryocystorhinostomy. Though my printed skull may be not as professional

as others, it will be the greatest experience I can have to learn and purely learn. I have been

relying on online sources solely; now that I have begun to seriously progress my Original Work,

I must refer to more cohesive sources such as books about Autodesk Inventor 2018 and

nasolacrimal anatomy. Furthermore, I can use existing Autodesk files of detailed skulls as a

jumping board to practice modeling my own skull.

One point of action that I had initially planned is the use of part modeling rather than

modeling object into a distinct skull. Dr. Mancini fully supports this idea of mine. When

realistically modeling something as dynamic as the human skull, it is important to focus on

localized detail and then fuse multiple components into a holistic skull model.

Another plan of action I thought about is to acquire a 3-D scanner as well as a printer. If I

can gain temporary access to the human skulls present in Dr. Mancinis office, I can potentially

use a 3-D scanner to quickly make a software model of a skull with much improved accuracy.

However, this will detract from my personal benefit of pursuing my Original Work, which I hope

to model myself and thus learn intensively about.

Apart from the Original Work, Dr. Mancini has discussed with me an exciting primary

learning opportunity. In accordance with 3-D modeling, he also taught me about 3-D imaging, a

technique meant to add dimensionality to CT scans through the use of electrode-laden face

masks meant to capture physical navigational probing on a digital screen. This technology allows

doctors to accurately identify injured or diseased bones in the face. In mid-April, Dr. Mancini is

performing a demonstration of this 3-D imaging technique on cadaver heads. Since it is not
technically a patient surgery, he will ask supervisors if I can join in on the demonstration, which

would be an informative and exciting experience.

Overall, my Original Work has solidified and expanded in meaning. I will continue to

pursue my year of learning through working on a practical, purposeful, and intriguing medical

project as well as (hopefully) observing aforementioned demonstrations, which will be the next

best option after live-patient shadowing.