Greetings, Blogosphere:
The time has come, the Class of 2015 has officially made it to third year! Not only does this mean I have moved on to upperclassman status, but I also had my first REAL patient encounter in The Eye Center today. The best part was, I survived Day 1 as a student doctor in the clinic.
Time has really flown at SCO…it was only last month that I was studying for final exams and preparing for preclinic checkouts. Now, here I am assessing, diagnosing, and managing my first patient’s ocular health, WOW! In all honesty though, I was really feeling the nervous anticipation in that hour before my patient arrived. Fortunately, my staff doctor offered some peaceful assurance that my suitemates and I would get through the afternoon’s list of patients, albeit with some struggles here and there ;)
So how about that first patient encounter? I examined an elderly female whose biggest complaint was decreased vision due to a maturing nuclear sclerotic cataract…not too shabby. I made my first cataract extraction referral and worked on my patient education by telling the patient and her caregiver how cataracts form and what cataract surgery entails. The patient ended up scheduling a cataract evaluation with a local ophthalmology partner of SCO. While I spent entirely too long on my patient’s exam, it was a great ‘first experience’ and helped me get my bearings. With each experience in the clinic, I’m looking forward to improving my speed, knowledge, and efficiency in patient care.
While there’s sure to be more clinic stories to come, there are also classes, labs, and exams to beckon my attention during the summer semester. Luckily, we’ve got the Memphis sunshine to keep us refreshed and motivated throughout this semester. I’m convinced that if Day 1 has been any indication, this semester is going to be another fun one…
Carpe Diem,
Amy
P.S. To celebrate Mother’s Day I took a detour up north with my mom to Michigan and visited my grandmother. Both women are hoots! Plus, I got to channel my inner Dutch girl with a stroll around the Holland Tulip Festival.
