I have learned more than I ever anticipated throughout the past four years on how to properly care for a patient. Before starting medical school, I only superficially understood the role of a physician and how the physician works in an interdisciplinary team to effectively care for a patient. I assumed that the primary component was the acquisition of knowledge through years of medical school and residency. While this knowledge is a necessity in properly diagnosing and treating patients, it is only as useful as one’s ability to ask the necessary questions to arrive at a differential diagnosis and action plan. This knowledge does not take into account the role the physician has to coordinate care between medical teams, nursing staff, pharmacy, social work and so on.
Through my experiences in my clinical rotations, I have had the opportunity to grow my understanding of medicine as a whole. I started my third year rotations in a more observer role, while also building a strong foundation on how to properly gather information and present this information to my attending and residents. I was still focusing primarily on how I fit in to the team and how I could personally be of best use. As time went on and I became more comfortable with the workflow within the hospital, I became more acquainted with the individual roles of our team and how to coordinate care among all those involved. In my fourth year Advanced Adult Clinical Psychiatry rotation, I worked closely with Social Work to prepare patients for discharge. We would often sit in meetings together, going over the list and discussing what the best course of action would be for each patient. I listened and I offered my input when I felt it appropriate. This is one of many examples throughout my time on clinical rotations where I was able to coordinate for the care of a patient in a multidisciplinary setting.
Moving forward, I want my growth to include staying cognizant of the responsibilities we all have for the care of our patients. It can be difficult at times to remember the needs of nursing or social work when we have our own tasks to complete, but we are all most effective when we work as a team and I want my team to be successful. I plan to implement this by incorporating periodic check-ups into my routine so that no one falls by the wayside. I want to start each service by properly introducing myself and letting the other team members know that I am available if they have any questions or concerns and to always feel comfortable approaching me. I believe this would be a good place to start building rapport with everyone and I hope it can help improve on a culture of teamwork and synergy.
Advanced Adult Clinical Psychiatry Evaluations
Gastroenterology Evaluations
