After Eight Hours of Shadowing...

I can say that it was a wonderful experience that only solidified my resolve to become a physician. I learned a lot from the NP that I shadowed and took plenty of notes on each patient. I will not disclose any of this information here, but I can say that I witness a multitude of different patients. Their ages ranged from 15 to 87 years old!

Family practice is interesting because there is such a difference between each patient and what they are coming in for. I couldn't help getting excited over what I was going to see next. Unfortunately, the MD in the office had a medical student shadowing and working with her so I didn't get an opportunity to shadow her, but the NP that I did shadow was amazing! She was so professional and knowledgeable about everything. She explained a lot of things to me and always made sure that my questions were answered. She even gave me a few things to look into before I came in that had to do with the patients I was expected to see.

I learned that there are several ways that you can quit smoking from a medical standpoint; I learned about Chantix, Nicitrol, and Wellbutrin to name a few. I also learned that the thyroid stimulating hormone on blood work for a young girl can fluctuate because it is part of the endocrine system and can be due to changes in hormone levels. I learned what a hemoglobin alc is and the normal range of lipids. I learned how to present a patient and how to ask anticipatory questions depending on age and gender. That is just the tip of the iceberg of what I learned at this family practice!

Overall it was a great experience and I was told that I am more than welcome to come back and shadow some more before the summer is over! I just might, but I am now looking into shadowing a local psychiatrist. At first, I thought that it was against HIPPA for me to sit in with a doctor and patient as I did at the family practice. It just didn't seem likely, but I used a great resource that I have been using for years called StudentDoctor.Net to see what others thought on the subject. Many said that it was fine as long as the patient was okay with it.

I spent a good majority of my night looking up local psychiatrists and assessing their educational background and overall ratings by their patients. I ended up making a list of about 5 psychiatrists to call on Monday! My grandmother also mentioned that I should contact the family practice that I shadowed to ask if there are any that they would recommend. I have some work to do! I'm glad that I enjoy all of this!!! ^-^

Shadowing at a Family Practice!

I am excited to announce that I begin shadowing my primary care physician and one of her nurse practitioners tomorrow! I called them last friday and they got back to me that day and told me to come in today at noon so we can create a tentative schedule for me to shadow. I will be shadowing a NP tomorrow and a MD on Thursday! I will be there for a total of four hours each day and they told me that I can do it for however long I want.

I am also oddly enthused by the fact that she gave me a few things to look into before I come in tomorrow. I have to look up a few meds, some labs, and learn about the average range of lipids! She also mentioned that she will teach me how to "present a patient" the easy way so I am more prepared for med school! I can't wait to go tomorrow! As soon as I return home, I will make another post! See you then! ^-^

Second Day of Volunteering!

Hello all! Yesterday was my second day volunteering at a local hospital! It's a great experience and although it can be a bit boring in between errands, it is so worth it!

When I signed up, I got to choose between a vest or polo t-shirt...I chose the vest because I can wear my own clothes underneath! ^-^

Like I said previously, this was my second time volunteering. That being said, I was more prepared for the day ahead. There are usually two others volunteering on Sundays, but for the past two weeks, it has only been me and a man named Pat. He is really helpful and has accompanied me for a lot of the errands because he knew that I was new at this. I got to transport a patient and ran three specimens down to the lab...ALL BY MYSELF! Whooo!!! :P

The hospital is also nice enough to pay up to $3.75 for us to eat in the cafeteria! So nice! I can really get a lot with $3.75! xD

Overall, it was a great second day! There were more errands and I got to roam around the hospital a little to figure out where everything is! I love being a volunteer!!! ^-^

Books, books, and more books!

I know that as a pre med, I should be prepping myself for the long and treacherous road ahead so I like to read up on medicine and medical school! I'm so lucky that I love to read! ^-^

I went to my school's library and took out a few books. Can you tell what I want to specialize in??? Well, I know that my specialty is subject to change, but psychology and psychiatry are my passion! I am actually planning on purchasing Case Files: Psychiatry on Amazon HERE.

I actually bought this book the other day. So far, it's been such a joy to read about what is to come. There is a section in the beginning where you have to answer questions about why you want to become a physician and then they explain both the pros and cons of even considering the decision to be a physician. It's a great read and I highly recommend it for anyone considering being a doctor, in medical school, or for the family members and friends of a pre medical student. You can buy is on Amazon HERE.

The next two books I am looking to buy are:

You can check these out on Amazon as well HERE and HERE. 

I think that reading is a fundamentally necessary thing to do, especially for a pre medical student. It's good to look ahead and learn a thing or two about good studying habits as well. 

My First Post!

So...this is my first post on my new blog! What to say, what to say...well, perhaps I should talk a little bit about why I made this blog.

I created this blog as a way of keeping track of my progress as a pre med student as well as relating to others who are thinking about, are going through, or have gone through medical school.

Well, I am currently a junior in college on my way to receiving a BS in Psychology and a minor in Anthropology. I decided to be a pre med earlier this year. Medicine has always been in the back of my head since I was young. I always wanted to help people and have always been fascinated by the human body and it's inner workings. Unfortunately I also felt intimidated by medical school and the loss of 8-10 of my prime years. I had low self-esteem and dealt with depression and anxiety after the untimely passing of my grandfather. I just never felt good enough.

Over the past few years, I have been trying to better myself mentally and figure out what I truly want. More recently, I have also been attempting to better myself physically as well. Eating better, exercising, and learning more about skincare. I want to change myself for the better and find a way to balance my life in a way that I never previously thought possible. My next step is to work on my fear of planes and driving...I have a lot to work on, but I know that anything is possible and I can achieve whatever I set my mind to!

Well, that's it for my first post! I am so happy to continue this blog and share my experiences with the world! ^-^