Muhlenberg athletes are spending the summer of 2026 enjoying fantastic experiences on campus, in their hometowns, across the country, and even around the world.

Rising sophomore volleyball player Andrea Romero-Agosto, a public health major and Spanish minor, observed many procedures, and health equity in practice, while shadowing an obstetrician-gynecologist.

This summer I had the incredible opportunity to shadow an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN) for both clinic and surgery days. As a public health major and Spanish minor who is deeply interested in health equity, particularly in regards to women's health, this experience was invaluable to me as it solidified my interests and will definitely be key in guiding my career path.

The practice where I was shadowing consists of primarily female physicians, all from different backgrounds. This was very inspiring to see as it created an environment in which many of the patients could relate to and connect with their healthcare providers on a more personal level.

The doctor I was shadowing is bilingual, and many of her patients speak Spanish as their first language. As a Spanish minor, observing this was especially important to me as I was able to see the relief that many of the patients felt when they could speak to their OB/GYN in their native tongue. As I have learned through the courses that I have taken as part of the public health major, effective communication between patients and their healthcare providers is crucial to ensure that patients are able to successfully voice their concerns and be treated appropriately.

In addition to this, it was very fulfilling to see the systems and processes that I have learned about in both my Muhlenberg biology and chemistry courses at play. While shadowing, I observed countless procedures including but not limited to an endometrial biopsy, obstetrical ultrasound, laparoscopic myomectomy, as well as my two personal favorites: a robotic hysterectomy and multiple cesarean sections.

Watching the robotic hysterectomy showed me how medical technology is constantly advancing to provide more efficient and effective ways to treat patients. It is still so crazy to me to think that doctors are able to perform surgical procedures without even coming into contact with the patient! As for the cesarean sections, watching the birth of multiple babies was truly a surreal, beautiful experience that I will never forget.

While there were definitely several aspects of these procedures that had to be explained to me by the OB/GYN, I strongly believe that the classes I have taken at Muhlenberg set me up with a strong foundation to not only be able to understand what I was observing and being told, but to also think outside of the box and come up with insightful questions that ultimately helped further my understanding.

Even though observing the surgical procedures was the highlight of my experience, I also enjoyed seeing the relationships that obstetrician-gynecologists are able to form with their patients due to the continuous nature of the care they provide. During the relatively short period of time I was shadowing, there were several patients whom I met in the clinic, was present for their delivery, saw their baby after the delivery, and then saw the patient again for their post-operative check up. The OB/GYN who I was shadowing even had some patients who she had delivered when they were born, which I thought was very special.

Having the opportunity to use the academic foundation I am building at Muhlenberg in a real-world setting was a deeply rewarding experience that confirmed my desire to pursue a career in healthcare. I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity over the summer, and I am looking forward to applying everything I learned to this upcoming school year and beyond!

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