Happy Monday

Happy Monday everyone! Beginning of the week update from yours truly. Things here in Maine have picked up and the weeks are flying by. I'm in the classroom 3 days a week and the other days I'm spending in the Emergency Dept. at Parkview Adventist Medical Center in Brunswick, ME. I am rounding with an ER doc there, Dr. DiPete, who has been around forever and has done a great job of showing me the ropes. I was thrilled to get the ER rotation and all of the staff there have been great. I get a good deal of teasing from them being from Wisconsin and we all have fun together. Tried corn chowder for the first time and they were SHOCKED to learn I had never heard of it before. It is delicious and I highly recommend if you haven't tried it. Have seen a few exciting things in the ER and many everyday things. Learning a great deal and it's always exciting to see all things you read about come to life. The gravity of medical school becomes very real when you are in the hospital and watching first hand the sheer responsibility that comes with being a physician. It is very evident why we go to school for so many years, there is just SO much to know. Dr. DiPete has been doing this for 35 years and he still has to look things up from time to time. We are seeing a handful of patients on our own every week to get used to taking a complete history and physical. It is very nerve wracking because we have a doctor in the room who critiques us afterwards and gives a full report of our performance. They are very hard on us but it is a great learning experience and I am making the most of it. I may have to work harder when it comes to studying than some of the other students but patient interaction is where I feel I really shine. It is incredible how much of being a physician is building a repoire with your patient. Half the battle is getting them to open up to you and tell you what is going on and sometimes this involves very personal and sensitive information. We must be able to get people to trust us so that we can pry into their lives and get the answers we need. There are so many different aspects that come into play to be good at this and every week I'm learning and becoming better. There is no doubt that medical school consumes your life and everything else is forced to take a back seat. You have to love this journey even in the most crummy times. Have a great week everybody! Love, Ash :)