What’s New?

Cases in the second Clin corr session were much more focused on our professors’ respective profession, which I appreciated as Professor Maida allowed us to get more insight into Pediatric cases and Prof Lopez cases focused more on the surgical aspect of care.

What Skills I’ve Developed?

I’ve developed better questions from the clinical corr sessions that allow me to formulate more specific differential diagnoses. I am asking more pertinent questions in regard to my patients’ complaints rather than questions that don’t help me form my differentials .

What Was Surprising or Challenging?

One thing I found surprising was how in depth the surgical cases were. It was more than knowing the diagnosis but required us to know how to hand off our patient to the next team and what specific things may be needed pre op, post op etc.

Where I Need More Work During Clinical Year?

I definitely need more work done in the clinical year and I would say it mostly needs to be in my planning. The plan not only should consist of treatment but follow up, education etc. Treatment options are sometimes not as straightforward as our exams are and need multiple steps.

What resources did you find most helpful – which ones will you use going forward in the clinical year?

Uptodate and AccessMedicine were very helpful throughout my sessions as it allowed me to quickly look up certain treatment options based on patient population, specific organism, etc.

What have you learned about yourself through this class?

I’ve learned that, at times I may not know exactly a patient has based on their chief complaint but with different questioning, I am allowed to formulate an idea of what the patient has. So I make sure to tell myself it’s ok if I don’t get an idea of the patient’s disease right away as I may need additional information to help me.

Have you changed your opinions/beliefs about any aspects of practice as a result of this course?

My opinions have stayed the same throughout this course, I just learned more about the importance of history taking and treatment plan.

What would you advise the students in the class behind you about this course?

I would advise students in the next class to speak up even if they believe they are wrong. I often saw on multiple occasions that I may have known an answer and decided not to speak up because I was too scared of being wrong.