Last week I had finally finished my semester long project: my original work paper. Although the process was long, tedious and, at times, discouraging,overall it helped my grow my passion for gynecology and grow as a person as a whole.
After completing my original work, I feel that I am more knowledgeable on gynecology and women’s health as a whole. Review of published studies shows that TENS may be an effective treatment modality and/or therapeutic adjunct for primary dysmenorrhea. The most serious side effect of TENS was discomfort at the site of electrical stimulation. However, the women that had this uncomfortable sensation, stated that they would still be willing to undergo the treatment in order to be rid of painful menstrual cramps that hinders their lives for a few days each month. However, more studies need to be done on the practicality of using a TENS unit on adolescent women who are more affected by primary dysmenorrhea than the rest of the population.
When I first came to ISM, I thought I would just be learning little things about OBGYN and just shadowing a professional, not exactly getting to do my own things. However, when I started my Original Work and realized that my research and ideas can someday help others earn a better life and hopefully even create a product and new piece of information that will help new generations of researchers. The knowledge that I will gain in college and beyond, will help me tweak this study design better for the future and to successfully be conducted in the future.