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The 6th Month Mark
May Residency Journal
As the sixth month of my residency begins, I have come to terms
with the fact that the fellowship will not last forever! I would
love to have more time, but it is more important now that I get
the most out of the hours and days I have left here. I hope
that the activities featured in this journal are indicative of a
“good” fellowship experience. Either way, I am having a
wonderful time and learning more than I had ever hoped for.
Rotations
Although project involvement seems to dominate my time now, I am
also continuing to do rotations throughout the organization. A
few weeks ago I finally completed my first rotation through the
emergency center (EC)! I went in from 9:30 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. and
will definitely be doing it again at some point during the year!
This experience was unforgettable; as I’m sure it is for every
student. For the majority of the night I shadowed (or tagged
along with) a nurse that is highly respected among the EC staff.
He was a tall, pony-tailed, gruff man who at first seemed
intimidating. However, I soon found out that he was amiable,
genuine, and GREAT at his job. I can imagine him being promoted
in the near future, if he doesn’t decide to go to medical school
first! I was able to run to the shock rooms at every overhead
page and my guide explained many of the procedures and processes
taking place as they progressed. I saw a bit of everything one
can expect to see in the EC: gunshot wounds, chest pain,
stabbings, car accidents, drug withdrawals, motorcycle
accidents, psychosis, and random pain with shortness of breath.
I observed how well the EC operations ran as we handed patients
off to different floors and as I saw how quickly housekeeping
turned over the shock rooms. It was impressive. I was also able
to interact with medical school students (who were about as
involved as I was) and medical residents. One of the residents
made an interesting comment. The resident had come down to help
with a patient needing surgery (he was clearly on his surgery
rotation). He asked me if I liked “this stuff,” referring to the
EC experience. I responded that I very much enjoyed it and would
likely come back. He responded, “Really? I don’t like it. I like
the complex surgeries upstairs. Down here, you see people when
they’ve reached rock bottom, when they’re at their worst.” He
shuddered slightly. Perhaps he is not cut out for public health.
The other exciting rotation I did was through the HIV/AIDS
clinic. This clinic is a completely different animal than the
rest of our health centers. It is neatly tucked away in a very
poor neighborhood and specializes in providing primary care
services to patients with HIV/AIDS. I learned that many pregnant
women get vital OB services and counseling at the clinic, as
well. The Director was fabulous. He has been working tirelessly
on behalf of HIV/AIDS patients since the 1980s and still does a
fantastic job running the clinic. There are a few unique
characteristics of this clinic. First, only 7 of 90 staff
members at the clinic are system employees. Nearly the entire
staff is funded by Ryan White funds, making the staff members
“Ryan White employees.” The Director is able to hire staff by
governing who gets those payments. Moreover, the entire clinic
and its operations are funded primarily by the same funds.
HIV/AIDS care is very expensive. If those funds did not exist,
the clinic would not exist. Without going into minute detail, it
is easily stated that the clinic provides an absolutely
necessary and beneficial service for the community.
Changes are Coming
A recent social media “scandal” occurred and put new pressure to
hasten decisions to introduce courses and training on
“professionalism” for students. A YouTube video was discovered
that features students dancing in a skit to a song with lyrics
describing our patients with less than courteous words. The
video hit the news media and we were all forced to respond. The
video was distasteful, heartless, immature, and silly. Though it
angered many system staff members, it proved to be a wake-up
call and a learning opportunity. We must recognize that such
feelings and opinions toward our patients exist throughout the
entire system. We now must address it proactively by educating
staff and reminding ourselves of why we exist and why it is
important to serve our patients with respect and kindness.
Lessons Learned
The projects I have worked on have shown me how important it is
to build relationships within the organization. They have both
allowed me the opportunity to interact with staff from all areas
and see how trust and friendship play a part in the
organizational dynamics that foster productive groups.
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Building relationships
is vital to getting a job after the fellowship.
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Building relationships
is vital to getting anything done on a project!
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Building relationships
is vital to proving your worth at an organization.
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Everyone is not cut out
for public health!
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My organization provides
outstanding care and services to the community!
J
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Change is scary. Some
people embrace it. Others flee. |
