The Doctor is In...

Today was quite average. Well, atleast for the most part..

In MED101 we had to show off our amazing physician skills. My class went to CELA, the section of Vanderbilt University that is used by medical students to practice any form of physical exams that may be performed during checkups. We were assigned partners and we're expected to go into the mock clinic room to interview a fake patient to understand how they are feeling and to look for potential reasons why they may feel abnormal. We were also required to perform cardiac and physical exams. My partner, Sophia, and I went into the mock room nervously and did all we were instructed to do. We "foamed in", knocked on the door, introduced ourselves, made ourselves comfortable(although not too comfortable), and asked the patient why they had shown up. After a series of questions to better understand the concerns of our patient and medical history, we began our physical exams. We listened to our patients heart(in search for systolic and diastolic contractions) and felt for the patients carotid pulse. We then transitioned to the last portion of the physical exam which concerned the individuals state of neurology. We made sure that all of the cranial nerves were in correct function and checked for our patients reflexes.

This mock examination of a fake patient was wonderful. It made me happy to be able to interact with a patient even if they were acting the whole time. I just felt exited to be able to directly see a patient and help diagnose and treat the patient. Seems like a great job.. Perhaps I have something else to consider?