Personal Narrative: My Clinical Rotation

It is to my understanding that Texas lacks physicians and especially those in small, rural, low-income communities like my own, where people need healthcare but can neither afford nor know where nor how to get the care they need. I wish to provide hope to these communities; I hold the belief that many our health conditions can

Day four of clinicals was really long. The first patient was scheduled from 8 until 1, he was getting fitted for 4 crowns and an implant crown. When the patient came in he had a horrible odor and looked like he hasn’t taken care of himself in months. I seated him down and the dental assistant just glanced at his teeth and looked at me strangely and whispered come here and look. I look in this old man’s mouth and saw nothing but a brown layer of plaque and calculus build up and it disgusted me. How could someone not take care of their selves? Anyways, we ended up sending him to the hygienist's room next to us and they cleaned his teeth extra good. He came back into the room and Dr. Williams came in and quickly did a check up on his teeth and

Through my experience with the healthcare field, I have seen that low socioeconomic status, culture, and access are the major contributors to the health disparities today. Whether it is not being able to afford health insurance/medical costs, a culture that’s attitude and beliefs does not put much value on preventative care, or simply not having appropriate transportation to the doctor, all these factors work together against the patient. Medical professions can best tackle these issues by first knowing and understanding the needs of the population in which they practice. Theoretically, if one is aware of specific needs then those needs can be better addressed, whether they are financial or cultural needs. Also, medical professionals can work

I was never a kid that knew who I would become when I grow up. My interests ranged from wanting to become an interior designer to having a strong desire of becoming a pilot. I was often surrounded by healthcare professionals but I never imagined myself striving to become one. Little did I know that I would end up at a stage in my life where I would be sure about pursuing a career in healthcare. Although I have decided on my career path, I have yet to discover a particular field within healthcare that grabs my interest. The RA Internship will help me learn more about medicine and help me find a right field of study through clinical research experience and monthly lectures offered to me as an intern. Though this opportunity I will be able to

The United States has a significant “delivery of care” issue wherein physicians (and other HCPs) are concentrated in and around major cities and densely populated areas. This leaves rural populations with fewer physicians and more difficult access to care.

The asset that I researched and interviewed was Physicians Immediate Care on 6140 North Broadway in Edgewater Chicago. This is a small clinic which is actually part of a larger chain of clinics that are located in Nebraska, Indiana, and Illinois. This particular clinic was run by the Physician Assistant. I learned through the interview that the Physician Assistant can perform many of the tasks that a Doctor could, however, they must practice under a Doctor’s license. The Physician Assistant I interviewed said that a Doctor will periodically come during the week

Peace Memorial Hospital is a 600-bed, independent, not-for-profit, general hospital located on the southern periphery of a major western city. It is one of six general hospitals in the city and twenty in the county. After doing much research, the Board of Directors has decided that they should open an ambulatory location in the downtown area, to be known as the Downtown Health Clinic (DHC). The clinic will have 4 major objectives: “1. To expand the hospital’s referral base, 2. To increase referrals of privately insured patients, 3. To establish a liaison with the business community by addressing employers’ specific health needs, and 4. To become self-supporting three years after opening” (Kerin

My first APPE rotation was pediatrics in Cleveland Clinic. Before starting the rotation, I was scared but excited to have experience in Cleveland Clinics, since it is one of the biggest hospitals in the country. I was worried because I had no knowledge about pediatrics. Also, the first day of the rotation was a day after the final, so I was in a rush mode.

When assessing the current state of healthcare in the United States, properly forming an answer requires the separation of healthcare by geography, demographics, and economics. These factors influence the quality and availability of services and resources available to clients and professionals. The urban areas will usually have greater access to an array of services and resources, whereas the rural areas will see limitation in this regard. The rural community is normally a place with an eclectic collection of self-reliant people many of whom have never been exposed, within the context of healthcare, to the complexities contained within the healthcare organizations in urban environments. This factor does not eliminate or alleviate, for that

Everyday people have to deal with healthcare issues, and often time the healthcare system cannot understand the needs of these people. Considering a young adult woman, unemployed suffered from a chronic disease, has no health insurance, and unable to pay for her medication. She goes to a clinic in desperate need of help. A nurse tries to assist her, but because of healthcare barriers and lack of insurance, it takes several months to get her the help she needs. Some people could have health insurance and cannot have access to the care they needs because their insurance company does not want to pay the cost. Unfortunately, it is the reality that facing many Florida residents. Many studies have identified and addressed the factors that lead to

- There is a large physician aftercare population for referrals. Healthcare needs are high and there are four hospitals within a 15 mile radius leaving the need for more

My second clinic rotation is internal medicine and I’ve had many encounters, both with patients and colleagues, which have made me pause and reflect. One of those encounters, in particular, will still be on my mind long after I finish typing this reflective journal. The patient at the center of it all is a lady I’ll refer to from here on as “Mrs. Flowers.” Mrs. Flowers is an 81 year old female with dementia and diabetes. She arrived on our unit with a diabetic foot infection that had progressed from a simple toe ulcer to wet gangrene. Over the last 2-3 months, gangrenous changes encompassed the distal half of her left foot. During pre-rounds, our medical team unanimously agreed that we would contact surgery for a consult. At time, it was obvious

She is currently on a regimen of Armour Thyroid 90 mg daily. Her TSH was last checked in November. She previously was on levothyroxine, but cannot recall the reason why she was switched. She thinks it was changed by her prior endocrinologist. She does not recall having a specific side effect or problem with the levothyroxine and would be interested, potentially in switching back to that because it is more considered standard therapy. She does feel sometimes that she is having difficulty losing weight, even though she is trying. Her weight in the office is actually down 2 pounds from her last visit in May, but overall up 5 pounds from her last visit a year ago in June. She also feels bloated sometimes, occasionally has constipation, but no other symptoms of hypo or

Whenever someone gets sick, they have to travel to Grove Hill Memorial Hospital or to Mobile; however, poor people do not have twenty to forty dollars for gas to travel to other cities. I want to establish a medical center in my community where people can seek medical help. I am not talking about a small clinic that has to send people with extreme emergencies to another hospital. No, my medical center is going to have everything my patients will possibly need. If someone has a heart attack, my medical center has cardiologist and heart surgeons on deck. If someone has third degree burn, my medical center will have a burn unit. Even if someone has a mental or emotional breakdown, psychologists will be just a step away. I plan on giving my community one of the best medical centers in the state that has all the latest medical equipment and

Many people living in the Greenville County area today don’t have insurance to cover their doctor visits or hospital bills. In addition to providing ambulatory care the clinic will provide several less obvious benefits to a health system. We aim