Personal Narrative: My First Professional Experience In The Health Care Field

“Moral issues greet us in each morning in the newspaper, confront us in the memos on our desks, nag us from our children’s soccer fields, and bid us good night on the evening news” (Velasquez et al 2015). Let me take this time to share one of my student’s testimonies on what she experienced on her recent occupation as a Medical Assistant in a psychiatry clinic. In her short time operating as a Medical Assistant, she saw one prevailing ethical dilemma daily in the clinic she worked in. Most days she experienced an overwhelming and unexplainable joy and excitement knowing that, she was fulfilling her greatest passion in life. Not everyone has the opportunity to work in the field of their studies, but there she was functioning in the capacity,

The phone was ringing as I stepped into my house. My mother picked up the phone without realizing she would shortly be sent to her knees. She yelled for me to get into the car and we rushed into the hospital. As hectic as the situation felt, time seemed to pass by very slow in that car. We finally arrived to the hospital to find my father nervously talking to the doctor. I learned that my brother had been brutally beaten up by a couple of teenagers on his way home from school and, as a result, had lost most of his teeth.

Squeaking shoes, running fast, comfy scrubs that make it easy to move fast, shiny stethoscopes that help nurses hear patient's hearts beat. These are some of the things that nurses do everyday at work. Along with helping patients there are many tasks that nurses do every day in a variety of locations that not only take a toll on them physically but mentally as well.

My first clinical I felt my greatest accomplishment was not being shy and hesitant. The first day we had clinical was the first day that I got the opportunity to float to another floor, I was very nervous at first. Going into a new place for anyone is different at first because you don’t know what to expect. I think what made my experience so great was the endoscopy nurses and doctors, they were some of the nicest and helpful people I’ve met so far. I got a wonderful opportunity to learn next to the doctors doing the procedures and also see other roles of the healthcare team like the nurse anesthesiologist.

Imagine a connected healthcare interface where your medications are linked to your smartphone, smart pill bottles remind you of when it’s time to take your medications, and prescription medications or surgeries are customized towards your individual genetic and physical needs. This is the future of healthcare - we just have a long way to go before we get there. As you look at startups in the healthtech space - many of them are well on their way to having one piece of the puzzle - AdhereTech with smart wireless pill bottle to TalkSpace with customized online mental health counseling. To create that integrated network I believe the buy-in will need to come from some of the largest healthcare companies currently, such as Johnson & Johnson, Cardinal

My job duties for CMA I welcome patients by greeting them, in person or on the telephone if needed.

This week I had rotation at Genesis and also Cumberland Hall. Genesis was very different that what I expected. When I think of a “rehab” I think of people all sitting around with major withdrawal symptoms, a very strict schedule, multiple one-on-one session, and with no smoke breaks. At Genesis, throughout the day the client was able to do their own thing until the scheduled group session and smoke breaks. I was placed on the male unit and I was very surprise of the self-awareness that I experienced. Just listening men talk and tell their stories brought on a whole new prospective and quickly changed the image of the addict stereotype. While I was there we also established that all the clients was first timers and all fathers, and afterwards I was able to sit and think about how grateful I am to have my father who’s not an addict. I have had the luxury of always having a clean and sober father; which I had taking for granted.

The field of medicine has always peaked my interest as I have been and still am a very accident prone person in and out of the doctor's office and hospital. It began when I was two and broke my left radius and was always going to the doctor to get it checked or to physical therapy to have my muscle strength brought back. I have broken my left arm three other times since the age of two and have had many other health complications, but there was one health issue that was not my own that pushed me over the edge. My freshman year after golf practice, my mom picked me up and on the way home she started experiencing severe cramps. She pulled over and parked her car, and began telling me how much it hurt. A few seconds later her eyes rolled back into

When I was in third grade, I told my mom I would became a great teacher just like my amazing third grade teacher. She was a caring, helpful and awesome teacher and everyone loved her. I was positive about my decision until I was in middle school. The teachers I had were amazing, but seeing them had to deal with the students with problems made me changed my mind. I did not know what I was going to be until I was in high school. I have many cousins who are in medical field; one of them is a nurse, one is a scrub nurse, one is a pharmacist, one is a family doctor and another one is a prosthodontist. I got influenced and inspired by many great people in my family, so I decided to be in medical field. But deep down inside, I was still unclear about what path should I take.

Though I have another year and a half before I complete my schooling, it is always important to find out as much information about my future field of work. Knowing what is to be expected when going in for a job interview will not only be a bonus for myself, but allow me to feel confident when giving answers.

The nurse gestured for me to come closer. I took a few steps forward and she leaned towards me and whispered, “Try holding her hand. You’ll help her feel more at ease.” I was a little hesitant but I did as I was told and took the patient’s hand. I felt her hand mold into a strong grip around mine without hesitation. While the patient’s grip never lessened on my hand, sometimes it would clench up for a moment before slowly relaxing again. The rest of the staff was busy following the surgeon’s directions, moving quickly around the room. I felt uncomfortable being the only one standing still, doing nothing. So I glanced at the patient. She was breathing hard with her eyes closed, her hand still securely around mine. My hand was starting to hurt, so I tried to ease it out of her grip. But as the patient winced in pain, she grabbed my hand even more strongly.

I had two clinical experiences this week, clinical was done in two separate facilities. On Thursday, October 5, 2017, we had our first clinical experience at Ziegler, this is an out-patient clinic for the mentally ill. On the next day, Friday, October 6, 2017, we had our second clinical experience at Mobile Infirmary, this is an in-patient unit for the acutely ill mental patient. My experience, insight, and learning points for both facilities will be discussed

After having been exposed some of the top collaborators from all over the world through my summer internship at a local biomedical research center, I learned about the many sides of working in the medical field: not just treating others directly, but the series of intricate networks in which people collaborate to find cures and treatments of diseases. This process has always fascinated me, and it was exactly what I found on my first trip to the University of Michigan. Upon arrival to the first appointment for my brother’s epilepsy, we were visited by a series of nurses before meeting Dr. Simon Glynn. Once we had met, he asked us a series of questions, examined my brother, and set up appointments for us with other practitioners so they could treat my brother in a holistic manner, with each doctor specializing in their own field. From this point on, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by all of Dr. Glynn’s work, especially that with the Human Epilepsy Project. This type of collaboration and research is exactly what I seek to be a part of one day. At the University of Michigan, clubs like the Neuroscience Students Association and the Biology Student Alliance make this possible by providing networking opportunities, offering seminars, and giving exposure to

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to take part in the medical field to enhance the lives of those who need help. Although, I am a little unsure of what nurse to be, I know that physically working with those that can not do anything on their own will give me pleasure. Since I was about nine years old, my grandmother had severe Alzheimer's and could not physically or mentally care for herself alone. As part of my daily life, I cared for her by feeding her, dressing her, and bathing her, but most importantly, I was her friend. A couple months before she died, she rolled out of bed one morning and was crushed by her tv, breaking a hip and sending her to the hospital. There, we visited her almost everyday, and I watched how the nurses

My first professional development was a field trip with Ms. McGovern’s 3rd Grade class to watch the Orlando Philharmonic’s concert made especially for elementary kids. Through a powerpoint and narration from the conductor and our host, students were introduced to many classical pieces, including “Night on Bald Mountain” and “The Firebird Suite”, as well as the theme to Jurassic Park. For certain pieces, such as a piece from Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life or a piece from Swan Lake, they would also incorporate opera singers and ballet dancers. One of the highlights of the concert was when the audience got to participate by singing along to “What a Wonderful World”. Overall, this was a concert that seemed to know its audience would need more