This morning, I volunteered with The "Friendship Clinic." This is a student-run clinic for underserved groups in the Lansing area. Most of the patients that are seen have either Medicare, Medicaid, Ingham County Health Care, or are uninsured. The clinic also receives a large homeless population. I have been thinking about volunteering for a while and was excited to get going!
I arrived to the clinic at 7:30 AM. I was given a tour of the clinic, which was actually a lot nicer than I had imaged it to be! We then began seeing patients. I was given the option of seeing a patient alone (which I was totally not ready for) or seeing a patient with a second year student. I obviously opted for the latter. So, a second year medical student and I went in to see my patient. We helped her complete all of the necessary forms, took a full medical history and family history and gave the patient a full physical. [First time I have ever heard bowel sounds...cool!] After seeing the patient, we went to present to a physician. The physician was fabulous! He not only had a great passion for his job as a doctor, but also really wanted us students to learn. I had never presented to a physician before, so after the second year and I stumbled through it, he went through exactly how it should sound. He then had us bring in some lab work forms and scripts. I was expecting him to fill them out and give them back to see our patient, but to my surprise, he had us write them! Thats right, I wrote my first script today! It was pretty awesome! Definitely felt like a real doctor for a second! After the patient left, we completed all of the paperwork...which is a lot. I also wrote my first SOAP note, which is a document that includes: Subjective info (what the patient describes, old lab tests, etc), Objective info (things you find in a physical exam), Assessment (what diagnoses we have come up with) and Plan (what treatments and referrals we have given the patient). I know it sounds silly that I was excited about paperwork--scrips and soap notes--and that when I get farther along in this career path, I will dread doing it, but for now I am excited about doing all of these little aspects of a doctor's job.
It really was a great morning! I had such a positive experience with the Friendship Clinic and definitely will be back in the future! :)
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Fall v. Spring
I am one week into Spring semester and I can already tell this semester is going to be CRAZY different from last semester--not only the curriculum, but also with my experiences with patients, my schedule, and my free time. I will always remember the first day of medical school. The night before, I had all of my schoolwork prepared, backpack packed, clothes laid out. I went to bed early. Prepared a nice meal for the morning (including a big cup of coffee). I was crazy nervous, but very excited. I had a full day of classes and stayed up until 4 AM frantically studying. I'm sure none of the material I studied that night stuck in my head. I am also sure that I was incredibly inefficient in the way I went about studying, but hey, its all apart of getting adjusted to school, right?
Now, fast forward to last monday...the night before our first day of school, and where am I? At home, packing school supplies and getting ready for the upcoming day? Nope. I am at the bar with my classmates. Now, don't get me wrong...I am not taking school less seriously or anything. I am very motivated and absolutely want to be as successful as I can be, I just realized now that my first week should not be as stressed about as I had done first semester. I also know the importance of balancing school with fun...and when we don't have a ton of work to do, why not have fun while I can?
Other differences I have noticed so far:
1) Afternoons are more free! Last semester, I had mornings filled with lectures and afternoons filled with labs/small groups...So, my time to study was crammed to the nighttimes. This semester I still have lectures in the monrnings, but I only have a few labs and small groups every week. So, I have many days where I have the whole afternoon free to study! Its very nice so far!
2) Way, way, wayyy more exams! So, everything I have talked about so far are definite positives of this semester, but I think this is the worst part. Instead of having an exam a week, we will have either 2 or 3 exams a week. We have one additional class this semester, so everything is taught just a little big quicker and we have a lot more exams! ...Hopefully the free time I have gained will be in good use studying for all of these tests.
3) More patient interaction: Last semester's clinical skills class taught us how to communicate and interview patients. We were given four opportunities to really practice these skills with model patients, but thats really the only big patient interaction we had. This semester, there is a TON more experiences that allow us to interact in a clinical setting. First, we do a Longitudinal-Patient Centered Experience, which I described in "Spring Semester". My first meeting with my patient is this Monday, so I am sure I will blog about that as soon as its done. Also, we do physician shadowing this semester, which I am starting on Friday (hopefully). Lastly, I am also volunteering with Friendship Clinic (see future blog!)
Well, thats all for now...Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
Now, fast forward to last monday...the night before our first day of school, and where am I? At home, packing school supplies and getting ready for the upcoming day? Nope. I am at the bar with my classmates. Now, don't get me wrong...I am not taking school less seriously or anything. I am very motivated and absolutely want to be as successful as I can be, I just realized now that my first week should not be as stressed about as I had done first semester. I also know the importance of balancing school with fun...and when we don't have a ton of work to do, why not have fun while I can?
Other differences I have noticed so far:
1) Afternoons are more free! Last semester, I had mornings filled with lectures and afternoons filled with labs/small groups...So, my time to study was crammed to the nighttimes. This semester I still have lectures in the monrnings, but I only have a few labs and small groups every week. So, I have many days where I have the whole afternoon free to study! Its very nice so far!
2) Way, way, wayyy more exams! So, everything I have talked about so far are definite positives of this semester, but I think this is the worst part. Instead of having an exam a week, we will have either 2 or 3 exams a week. We have one additional class this semester, so everything is taught just a little big quicker and we have a lot more exams! ...Hopefully the free time I have gained will be in good use studying for all of these tests.
3) More patient interaction: Last semester's clinical skills class taught us how to communicate and interview patients. We were given four opportunities to really practice these skills with model patients, but thats really the only big patient interaction we had. This semester, there is a TON more experiences that allow us to interact in a clinical setting. First, we do a Longitudinal-Patient Centered Experience, which I described in "Spring Semester". My first meeting with my patient is this Monday, so I am sure I will blog about that as soon as its done. Also, we do physician shadowing this semester, which I am starting on Friday (hopefully). Lastly, I am also volunteering with Friendship Clinic (see future blog!)
Well, thats all for now...Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Spring Semester
I begin Spring Semester in exactly 1 week. So, here is a little peak at what my coursework is going to be for the next 5 months:
1) Medical Neuroscience (4 credits)
2) Microbiology/Immunology (5 credits)
3) Clinical Skills (2 credits)
4) Cell Biology/Physiology II (4 credits)
5) Epidemiology/Biostatistics (1 credit)
6) Pathology (2 credits)
7) Integrative Clinical Correlations (1 credit)
8) Mentor Program (1 credit)
9) Longitudinal Patient Experience
What I am most excited for:
-Clinical Skills: This semester we get to lean how to use all of our "doctoring" equipment. We will learn how to do physical exams and integrate what we know about doing patient interviewing with these new skills. So, this is obviously an exciting part of our curriculum this semester!
-Neuroscience Lab: I love the brain. It is definitely the most fascinating organ, so I am nerd-ily excited for this lab component on this course.
-Longitudinal Patient Experience: We are all paired up and assigned a family that we will work with in depth. We will learn a lot about what these patients experience daily with their chronic conditions and begin to understand what it really means to be a patient. I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure its true of most people in medical school, that one of the most appealing parts of our future job is the interaction with people. So, I am excited to get started with this.
-No more Anatomy: Don't get me wrong, I do love the body and think Anatomy is an absolutely crucial element of my first year medical education, but I am so so so happy to not have the stresses of this class this next semester. Anatomy was by far the hardest course I have taken, because of the sheer magnitude of material there is to know. So, I can say that I am happy that I have completed this class.
What I am most nervous for:
-Microbiology/Immunology: Based off of the units alone and the fact that I have never taken micro, immuno, or bacteriology... I feel utterly unprepared or this class. Oh well, I am sure it will be fine!
-Epidemiology/Biostatistics: At first look, this 1 unit class looks kind of like a joke. However, every second and third year has given lots of warning about this class. We even had a mandatory class meeting where second year students came to talk to us about how hard this class is and how many people fail each year. I also have recently learned that the class is out of 45 points...total. That means, you can only miss 11 points in the entire class to pass. So, yes...I am shaking in my boots.
Well, thats a little look at what I will be doing... I have loved loved loved break, but I am getting ready to start up on school again! I am excited to go back to Michigan and get started on cramming my head with lots of more knowledge!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
New Years Resolutions
I hope everyone had a fun and safe New Years! This year, I spent New Years in the Bay Area. My night started with a trip to the ice-skating rink, something I haven't done in many many years. I then went to a dinner at Beni-Hanas for dinner (a tradition that was started last New Years). Finally, S and I decided to go into the city to watch the midnight firework show on Pier 14 in San Fransisco. It was such a nice way to start the year!
Like last year, I wanted to develop a solid set of new years resolutions that I could look back on them each month to make sure I make some progress. So, here we go....
Resolution #1 [Health]: Continue to work on my exercise plan and diet.
I realize this is the most common resolution made each new years, but nonetheless, I still think it is a great idea for everyone to consciously start out the year with the goal of improving their diet and improving their exercising. Some ways I plan on doing this is to schedule different exercise classes, Yoga classes, or hours to Lap Swim in my schedule each week. I also will be going to my apartment gym other nights that I do not have the time to attend these other options. Finally, I am bringing a cookbook with me to school, in hopes that I wont get bored of cooking the same things and will actually cook nightly, instead of buying food that is bad for me.
Resolution #2 [School Goal #1]: Improve semester average and Master each course!
I was very happy with how I performed academically throughout my first semester. My semester average ended up being at around a 87%, but I know my coursework gets harder next semester. Instead of having one or two exams each week, next semester I have two or three a week. So, I am going to need to keep on top of it better than I did last semester. More than simply improving my semester average, I want to continue keeping above a 85% (or a "mastery") in each of my classes. I know I can do it!
Resolution #3 [School Goal #2]: Participate a valuable externship or research experience.
There are so many amazing summer opportunities around the country for first year medical students. These experiences can be externships that allow you to shadow in different departments in a hospital or conduct research in hundreds of different fields with some of the most well-known and well-respected researchers in the country. So, I want to make sure that I take advantage of some of these opportunities. I also am entertaining the idea of participating in research during the school year, but I wont decide if this is possible or logical for me to do until I figure out how the semester's course load is for me.
Resolution #4 [Relationship]: Continue to work on the balance between school and my relationship.
While school is in session, basically all of my "free" time is spent studying. In other words, I really don't have free time...ever. So, being in a relationship with someone who is equally as busy is obviously hard to balance. Last semester, I feel like we did a pretty good job seeing each other almost every weekend. However, most of the time we were together, we spent studying. So, this years goal is to try to take a break and go on dates, go explore Michigan more, and just be with each other. It sounds easy, but this honestly is probably the hardest of my resolutions. For any of my fellow-medical student readers, you all know this feeling of feeling guilty when you aren't with your books. So, by taking off time to "hang out" seems pretty difficult.
Resolution #5 [Friends]: Contact friends from the past.
I think I do an okay job with maintaining friendships from the past, but I definitely want to work on improving this year. I go weeks (or even months) without talking to some of my best friends from high school and college. I know everyone is busy, but it doesn't take long to send a quick text or make a quick call. Moreover, for those relationships that I have somewhat let go, I want to re-contact those friends from the past. Specifically, some friends from high school that I have lost contact with and basically all of my friends from abroad. Its so hard to maintain all of my friendship relationships from all the aspects of my life, but I want to improve this over the next 12 months!
Resolution #6 [Self #1]: Travel to a New Place.
Yes, I am reusing a resolution from last year, but I love to travel and will probably have this resolution every year until I die. I would obviously love to travel out of the United States (specifically to somewhere in Africa or to Thailand), but I am happy to go where ever life takes me...as long as its somewhere new!
Resolution #7 [Self #2] Learn a New Skill.
I realize this is broad, but I don't care. I want to learn something new! Maybe to cook, maybe to draw, maybe to play the piano. I don't care, but I want to learn something and I want to learn it well! :)
So, thats all for now. I probably will come up with some new goal mid-way through the year, but 7 resolutions is enough for me right now!
Happy New Year everyone! :)
Like last year, I wanted to develop a solid set of new years resolutions that I could look back on them each month to make sure I make some progress. So, here we go....
Resolution #1 [Health]: Continue to work on my exercise plan and diet.
I realize this is the most common resolution made each new years, but nonetheless, I still think it is a great idea for everyone to consciously start out the year with the goal of improving their diet and improving their exercising. Some ways I plan on doing this is to schedule different exercise classes, Yoga classes, or hours to Lap Swim in my schedule each week. I also will be going to my apartment gym other nights that I do not have the time to attend these other options. Finally, I am bringing a cookbook with me to school, in hopes that I wont get bored of cooking the same things and will actually cook nightly, instead of buying food that is bad for me.
Resolution #2 [School Goal #1]: Improve semester average and Master each course!
I was very happy with how I performed academically throughout my first semester. My semester average ended up being at around a 87%, but I know my coursework gets harder next semester. Instead of having one or two exams each week, next semester I have two or three a week. So, I am going to need to keep on top of it better than I did last semester. More than simply improving my semester average, I want to continue keeping above a 85% (or a "mastery") in each of my classes. I know I can do it!
Resolution #3 [School Goal #2]: Participate a valuable externship or research experience.
There are so many amazing summer opportunities around the country for first year medical students. These experiences can be externships that allow you to shadow in different departments in a hospital or conduct research in hundreds of different fields with some of the most well-known and well-respected researchers in the country. So, I want to make sure that I take advantage of some of these opportunities. I also am entertaining the idea of participating in research during the school year, but I wont decide if this is possible or logical for me to do until I figure out how the semester's course load is for me.
Resolution #4 [Relationship]: Continue to work on the balance between school and my relationship.
While school is in session, basically all of my "free" time is spent studying. In other words, I really don't have free time...ever. So, being in a relationship with someone who is equally as busy is obviously hard to balance. Last semester, I feel like we did a pretty good job seeing each other almost every weekend. However, most of the time we were together, we spent studying. So, this years goal is to try to take a break and go on dates, go explore Michigan more, and just be with each other. It sounds easy, but this honestly is probably the hardest of my resolutions. For any of my fellow-medical student readers, you all know this feeling of feeling guilty when you aren't with your books. So, by taking off time to "hang out" seems pretty difficult.
Resolution #5 [Friends]: Contact friends from the past.
I think I do an okay job with maintaining friendships from the past, but I definitely want to work on improving this year. I go weeks (or even months) without talking to some of my best friends from high school and college. I know everyone is busy, but it doesn't take long to send a quick text or make a quick call. Moreover, for those relationships that I have somewhat let go, I want to re-contact those friends from the past. Specifically, some friends from high school that I have lost contact with and basically all of my friends from abroad. Its so hard to maintain all of my friendship relationships from all the aspects of my life, but I want to improve this over the next 12 months!
Resolution #6 [Self #1]: Travel to a New Place.
Yes, I am reusing a resolution from last year, but I love to travel and will probably have this resolution every year until I die. I would obviously love to travel out of the United States (specifically to somewhere in Africa or to Thailand), but I am happy to go where ever life takes me...as long as its somewhere new!
Resolution #7 [Self #2] Learn a New Skill.
I realize this is broad, but I don't care. I want to learn something new! Maybe to cook, maybe to draw, maybe to play the piano. I don't care, but I want to learn something and I want to learn it well! :)
So, thats all for now. I probably will come up with some new goal mid-way through the year, but 7 resolutions is enough for me right now!
Happy New Year everyone! :)
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