Getting Broken In

things are going pretty well. i love the hours- i work 9-5 (well, i've been there to closer to 6 both days so far and haven't really taken much of a lunch, but still beats getting up at 5am like my past 2 rotations). i will be working one day/week in the urgent care clinic, hours being 1pm-9pm...may get to do some suturing and stuff. we'll see. everyone's really friendly. i have now seen a few peds patients....a 2 y/o w/ an earache who i promptly made cry. have also seen a few cases of MRSA (it's really out there in the community, people- wash your hands!!)what else? lots of hypertensives, diabetic, and high cholesterol routine visits. some viral infections, knee probs, lots of back pain, post car accident pains, etc.

we students don't get access to the computer-based charting system (all the MD's, PA's and MA's carry around laptops and just put in everything as they talk to the patients...they even print prescriptions to the front desk for the patients, make referrals, receive emails from the MA's w/ vital signs, etc), so when we go in to see a pt before the MD does, all we get is their billing sheet on the door that gives a few word description of why the patient is visiting. it often says things like "6 week follow up" and you have no idea what they're following up for. or it will say "ill" and you have to find out what kind of ill. so far i haven't been caught too off guard and patients don't seem to hate telling a clueless student the contents of the chart that i could easily have with me but don't....but i'm sure someone really "ill" at some point will snap at my lack of background on their case. it's kind of nice for the docs for us to see the pt first, because then we present to them about why the pt is there and some background that we gathered and the doc can go in and cut to the chase and not have to hear the whole 15 minute discourse that we sat through on why they have been taking their antihypertensions every other day instead of daily as ordered because they have to share them with their cat...things like that.

i don't know any of my meds....it's embarrassing. as is my ekg reading skills. the MD's are pretty good teachers, though...so i think i'll pick up a lot while i'm there. it's a very different atmosphere than the hospital. i'm still adjusting, but it's early yet. i have 6 wks to get in the groove.