(4 points) Job shadowing or informational interview: 4 points

 

For almost two weeks of my winter break, I spent time volunteering as a Medical Assistant at a Primary Care center. Going into this experience, I was nervous. It was the same facility I had completed my externship at when I was getting certified. I remember I had been nervous, as it was my first time applying classroom skills on real people. Looking back, I was trained well by people who wanted to see me succeed. I was thrilled to find that I did genuinely enjoy being back in the clinic. With a newfound sense of confidence, I was able to think critically about my experiences. 

I knew before hand that primary care specialities were not for me. I have an appreciation for the people who that is for, but I would prefer to specialize in something while being exposed to interesting cases. I could see several points where it was clear that the staff were a bit burnt out by the same common issues. The DrNP that ran the facility was quick to dismiss patients as "just trying to get out of work", while the MAs were quick to cut corners (such as approximating heights, even when the numbers did not add up". I am sure there is no cure for burn out, but I would like to lean towards the specialties that have lower instances of it. 

This experience allowed me to practice my skills, while engaging with a diverse patient population. I also realized that I need to brush up on my Spanish. While I am extremely grateful that I was able to build a strong enough connection with a provider to be able to come back and gain more clinical experiences, I am frustrated that I had to choose this over working, especially when thinking about a girl who trained with me who took longer to finish her externship because she had to rush to work. Overall, I am grateful that this experience helped me learn more about what I do and don't like about the healthcare industry. 

- Catherine Omeh