Dr. Edward Kammerer, MD is a good family friend. We have been friends for more than 17 years! When he heard I had a goal of job shadowing an internal medicine physician to see if that is the path I want to take, he kindly offered a day when I could follow him around and see what his typical work day is like. I met him at 8:00 a.m. on a Friday. When the day first began he had some paperwork to fill out and catch up on.
When I arrived at work Monday, there was nobody for me to shadow, so Kalei decided to send me to OMP Walk-In Clinic for the day. I followed Raymond and sat in on one patient visit and then I was sent out on my own to room patients by myself. I was able to see a young child as a patient for the first time. I demonstrated how to take vitals differently on a younger child and how to perform an eye exam using pictures on the Snellen eye chart. I performed an electrocardiogram (ECG) under the direction of Karen.
These experiences are just two of many that have influenced my decision to work in a similar environment upon my completion of medical school.
While I enjoyed working as a part of a supportive healthcare team, I wanted more than to work with patients from behind the counter. I wanted to prescribe the right drug the first time, to develop meaningful and effective relationships with patients, and to use the skills I mastered as an English major – to write and speak in a clear and concise manner, to interpret complex information, to research, and to think critically – every
As an aspiring physician in Emergency Medicine, it is hard to describe typical physician workday activities. Every day is unique and filled with many opportunities to learn and develop clinical, interpersonal communication, leadership and critical thinking skills. Despite this, there are certain routine activities which I had the opportunity to observe through my shadowing experience in the Emergency and Operating rooms at California Hospital Medical Center, Los Angeles. One day, a two year old patient came into the ER after falling and cutting her head. The patient’s mother told the physician that her daughter is nervous and scared.
Lani: I was helping for someone’s project for COMM 245; I was in the video lab, in the studio. I was on campus and decided to contact everyone I knew who comes to the school. I remember I sent out a snap saying guys I think there is a shooting, be careful and then I started sending out individual texts to people making sure they were okay, like hey are you good? Stay out of an area.
The knowledge, skills, and experiences that I have acquired have laid the foundation to become a successful health care teacher. I have learned in my entire life that compassionate work for patient’s care serve as a foundation to build on, enabling me to become a responsible healthcare worker, leader & teacher. Being a medical professional for me is my passion for work and achieving goals. The medical field is ever changing because it requires constant learning and staying up to date with current issues. I graciously accept this responsibility.
When I was first diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a common colon disease, I had no idea what it was. It wasn’t until several tests and explanations from multiple doctors that my parents and I started to understand the extent of the problem. Although it didn’t seem like it would be a big deal, it quickly took over my entire life. Dealing with the condition meant chronic pain, medication, and many more doctors’ visits. Fortunately, my case wasn’t too severe.
My first comprehensive exposure to the health care field was six years ago as a senior, during which time I participated in hospital-based schooling. This program allowed me to observe a multitude of different medical disciplines, with rotations in surgery, orthopedics, nutrition, dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, administrative services, and many more. Three out of the five school days were dedicated solely to shadowing, and the other two were spent in the classroom learning various medical-centric studies. Once in college, I continued to shadow physicians whenever my class scheduled permitted. I participated in the 4-U Mentorship program, which paired me with a fourth-year medical student who was preparing to do his residency in general
Through my studies of human expression and its reflection of how people deal with world events in different ways, I developed sensitivity to other worldviews that continues to prove useful through my daily interactions with people of different backgrounds. I have learned that just like art, medicine involves pattern recognition and derives insight from experiences. Similarly, what I especially enjoy about being a medical assistant is interacting with patients on a daily basis and getting to be a part of their medical experiences, even if it is just by lending an ear. The experiences on my path to a career in medicine have made me want to make a real, tangible difference in the lives of those around me – a difference that leaves my patients in a better condition than they were in before I met them.
The level of care that the varying healthcare professionals provided to these patients was fascinating and became intrigued to a career path in the medical field. Over the next couple of years, I narrowed the possibility
I started my career with the intent to be at the bedside caring for patients. In the past 4 years I have been learning but not a majority from books or in a laboratory but from human to human contact. I work for a safety net hospital; truly no one is turned away. I’ve helped collaborate care in a time of crisis for people that bring with them cultures, beliefs and values from half way around the world.
My passion for healthcare lies with patient care. I enjoy taking care of patients and their family. I have chosen to become a family nurse practitioner because I can combine nursing and medicine to provide a higher level of care to my patients. As a nurse practitioner will be able to make an impact on my patient’s health through, health promotion, disease prevention, managing acute and chronic conditions and improving patient’s health (Wynne,
When I contemplate why I want to pursue a career in the medical field, I picture my high school allied health class where my enthusiasm for the field first started and I became a Certified Nursing Assistant. I have been around hospitals and doctor’s growing up, but that class opened my eyes to a new world. To learn extensive amounts about the healthcare field and have the opportunity to gain clinical experience has no comparison, to be able to learn hands on at that age, and know that I wanted to care for patients. To see all those elderly residents, to experience helping them and showing them compassion, it made my day, every day I was there. The fact that I can do two things I love, learning new things and helping people get better excites
For the majority of people, pursuing a career in the medical field is a career which should be avoided at all costs. Whether this profession is a surgeon, a nurse, or a psychiatrist, the long hours of study and work (which are necessary for these occupations), are not in most people’s definition of a “fun job.” In addition, after the long years of study come to an end, the most feared moments arise, the time to pay student loans. Nevertheless, none of these obstacles intimidated Juan Delgado in order to pursue his dream as a healthcare professional, more importantly, to help our community. Delgado, the oldest of two, was born on December 3rd,1991.
