Summer Extern Program

Announcing the winners of the 2007 Summer Extern Essay Contest:

• Elizabeth Bobzien



• Becky Brey



• Kristen White



• Kathryn Zika

Each recipient was awarded a $500 scholarship
from the WAFP-Foundation for their essay.

Click on the names above to see each essay.

I was not sure what to expect the first day I donned my waist-length white coat, stethoscope and medical school nametag and met my family medicine preceptor in the lobby of the hospital. I had not had much patient contact during the first year of medical school, outside of working in the student-run free clinics and brief history-taking during our clinical course, Patient, Doctor and Society. Despite my apprehension, I felt excitement for the possibility of finally getting to spend time talking with, examining and treating patients, an experience that is usually reserved for the start of the third year of medical school. I am a people person, and spending hours on end cooped up in the library memorizing clotting pathways, the brachial plexus and the Krebs cycle, with little human contact outside of the other 149 members of my M1 class and my two older medical student roommates, had almost made me forget what it was like to carry on conversations that did not involve guessing at what we thought might be on the Neuro exam next week. In short, I could hardly wait to try out real clinical medicine. I was not disappointed.

On one of our first hospital rounds, Dr. Hansen had the unfortunate responsibility of talking to dying patient’s family about her wishes to not pursue any heroic measures to maintain her life. The patient was elderly, in her nineties, and had had a significant stroke. It was likely that she would not recover in any meaningful way. Dr. Hansen was not this woman’s primary care physician, yet he eloquently and knowledgeably informed her daughter and son-in-law of her status and what would probably happen over the next several hours. I was so impressed by his ability to provide compassionate care, even to a patient he did not know, and counsel her family with such ease. Together, they reached a decision to support her breathing until her other children arrived from out of town, and then support would be withdrawn and she would be made as comfortable as possible. After observing this encounter, I realized how important it is to care for the patient’s family and provide information in a thoughtful yet straightforward manner – a skill that I hope to learn in my future years as a physician.

Dr. Hansen and I talked about what I wanted out of the experience and what was expected of me. Luckily, our ideas about what the externship should be lined up very well. I wanted to work on my physical exam skills, observe and perhaps learn a few procedures, practice gathering focused histories of present illness, patient profiles and past medical histories, and glimpse the reasoning behind creating a differential diagnosis, choosing a medication and/or treatment and following up with the patient afterward. Dr. Hansen wanted to help me learn all these things, and he did an excellent job of asking a mix of questions, some that he knew were over my head and some that I could perhaps answer or make an educated guess. He made it known that he felt comfortable with my stepping up to the plate and taking histories and doing a brief exam on my own, and pushed me to try new things when he thought I was ready.

In this way, I learned how to do a gynecological exam, a genitourinary exam, the process and experience of putting in sutures, the use of cryotherapy to treat dermatological anomalies and more focused physical and neurological exams, among other things. All of these are experiences that I would not normally have until the second and even third year of medical school, and I appreciated the opportunity to become comfortable with them before being graded or doing them with minimal supervision.

Not only was I involved in hands-on techniques, but I began to learn about drug therapies associated with different diseases, especially chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipidemia. Because Dr. Hansen has an older patient population, many patients came in with similar concerns and I was able to advance my skills in taking focused histories associated with these conditions, as well as note which aspects of the physical exam are important to include in each visit (heart, lungs, and feet in diabetics).

I also knew that mental health care was a significant part of family medicine, from spending time with another mentor during the school year. Until these past few weeks, though, I did not realize just how prevalent diseases like depression and anxiety really are – I had learned the statistics in psychiatry class, of course, but memorizing that 8-20% of the population may experience depression in their lifetime, and then talking to four or five patients in one day about their depression are two vastly different ways of learning, and I prefer the latter. I found that I really looked forward to talking with patients with mental health concerns, and appreciated the reward of seeing them again in a few weeks, often with vast improvement after starting an SSRI.

Of course, we also had many very interesting cases. One man came in with no less than seven wasp stings on his right leg after stepping on a nest. He was previously unaware that he had a bee sting allergy, and so was obviously anxious after initially becoming short of breath and visiting the urgent care. He had subsequently developed a nasty cellulitis that required multiple days of antibiotics given by injection, along with several large, reportedly painful blisters – all of which was quite impressive if you haven’t seen many examples of cellulitis before (I had not).

Another case was quite a puzzle. A five-year-old talkative Hispanic boy, came in with edema of the left ankle and knee and tenderness in his joints, so much so that he did not even want to walk. He had just a few areas with petechiae and one ecchymosis on his lower leg. Without any other complaints besides a general feeling of tiredness, Dr. Hansen and I brainstormed ideas, mostly related to some form of juvenile arthritis. Finally, after consulting with a rheumatologist and corroborating the finding in various texts, Dr. Hansen decided he actually had Henoch-Schonlein purpura. This is a very specific vasculitis affecting four- to six-year-olds and causes tiny vessels to break, especially in the joints (causing edema), under the skin (causing purpura), and potentially in the kidneys, which is an important complication. A week or two later, I saw the patient again with another physician, and his purpura covered each extremity – very concerning to me because of the appearance, but which I knew was essentially benign. Luckily, he was feeling better with just a mild abdominal pain. However, a few days later he entered the emergency room with increased abdominal pain. The doctors made sure his kidneys were functioning all right, and he was eventually treated and discharged. Quite an ordeal for the chatty, bilingual kindergartener!

After spending eight weeks in family medicine, I figured out that there would really be no better way to spend my free time during the summer. Without the pressure of being graded, I was free to absorb as much as possible while being able to relax, enjoy the experience and ask questions as often as I liked. I am training to become a clinician, and what better encouragement could there be than to see what awaits me at the end of the tunnel of four years of medical school?

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“So Becky why are you interested in becoming a family doctor?” This was the first question I was asked when I showed up at Mercy Clinic South in Janesville this summer. I answered, “I like the idea of seeing a wide array of patients with different medical problems. The thought of seeing a 2-month-old for a well child exam, an 80-year-old with diabetes and delivering a couple’s first baby all in one day really excites me. Family practice seems so challenging because one never knows what is in store with each patient one will see.” My eight week summer externship exceeded these expectations as to what family medicine is really all about.

My externship mentor Dr. Rex Kolste is a faculty member for the family medicine residency program in Janesville. Not only is Dr. Rex Kolste an incredible teacher, he is a phenomenal physician. I had the privilege to work with him, as well as other faculty members and residents at Mercy Clinic South. I learned different styles of practicing medicine and had the opportunity to see first hand what it is like to be a family medicine resident. One of the best parts of my summer was getting to see an amalgam of patients. I never knew what to expect when I opened the exam door. Even though each family doctor has his or her own style, certain key qualities jumped out at me this summer that a family doctor should possess to be a successful practitioner:

Family caregiver. Family physicians get to take care of families, whether there is one generation or five. One of the first patients I was able to help take care of was a new mother and her daughter. It was great being able to have post-partum check-ups with the mom and the well child visits with the daughter at the same time. Plus I was able to see them both throughout the summer and I had the chance to see the little girl grow and develop quickly. I think a family trusting you to care for all of its members is a tremendous honor and responsibility that only family doctors have the privilege of doing.

Attentive. Being attentive to the patient and to his or her concerns is extremely important. For instance, an elderly man came to the clinic this summer with an insurmountable list of ailments and health problems, but his main concern was being able to ride his bike around his neighborhood. Even though he has cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and COPD, the main focus of his visit was to make sure he was in good enough health and shape to be able to take his daily bike ride. Paying attention to what the patient wants and to what makes the patient happy is key in maintaining the patient’s autonomy in his or her healthcare.

Mentor and role model. Dr. Kolste is a great mentor. He teaches and leads by example with each step he takes in practicing medicine. His patients, colleagues, and students highly respect him and look up to him. When he chose to take on a student this past summer, not only did he offer to be a mentor for me, but he offered all the clinicians he worked to serve as mentors for me too. The residents gave me insight into the life as a resident and the faculty members taught me about building lasting relationships with patients and staff. I look up to each and every one of these physicians for different reasons because I want to ameliorate my character to provide the same standard of care I learned to practice this summer.

Intelligent. I know that it goes without saying that doctors need to know the basic science and practices of medicine, but I think intelligence goes beyond memorizing signs, symptoms, and disease processes. Intelligence also means knowing how to get through to patients and knowing that each patient’s personality and condition(s) is different. Many times this summer I encountered so many different patients with different ways of communicating with each doctor, but it was how each doctor was able to reach each patient that showed me true genius.

Listening. On a regular basis I was able to see some of the frequent visitors of the clinic. One woman in particular sticks out in my mind because she had come in for her regular monthly appointment and was completely distraught. She was under a lot of stress with the car accident and subsequent surgeries of her youngest daughter. During her visit I chatted with her and just listened to what she had to say. She didn’t ask any advice nor did I offer any, I believe the best thing I could have done for her that day was to listen to what she was saying. I realized that listening is the best medicine that any doctor can practice.

Yelling FOR the patient. Not only are family medicine doctors challenged by an array of different patients and problems every day, they also have to watch out for their patients’ best interests. It was refreshing to see that even the doctors that have been practicing for over 30 years are still learning something new each day. Every week at Mercy there were lectures and journal clubs about upcoming drugs or procedures that could potentially be good or bad for the patients. I learned so much about how to critically think for the benefit of the patients and how to advocate for patients’ rights. Dr. Kolste was always able to inform me about new evidence-based medicine studies and the importance of the results. He never performed unnecessary tests or procedures because he weighed the pros and cons of each thing he did based on evidence-based medicine study results.

Dedication. The physicians at Mercy South were always there for their patients. While on hospital service, Dr. Austin was called in to the hospital in the middle of the night for a delivery. Even tough the mom-to-be ended up having to have a C-section, she waited there with her patient until early in the morning. The amazing part is that Dr. Austin was there for her patient at the hospital all night.

Outspoken and truthful. I have to come appreciate the fact that patients appreciate honesty and straightforwardness from their doctors. This summer I was able to learn the best way how to be truthful with patients, even if it wasn’t good news that had to be delivered. Being honest is important for the doctor and the patient because the goals for the patient’s treatment can be clearly laid out. A man in his early 60’s came to the clinic this summer as a new patient. Before the doctor saw him, he told me had stage 4 pancreatic cancer but was bound and determined to take care of the rest of his health, that is, make sure his diabetes and hypertension were under control. Unfortunately he didn’t seem to know how grave his prognosis really was so the doctor I was shadowing that day had the difficult job of explaining the implications of stage 4 pancreatic cancer. In this extreme case it was really hard for me to see how hard breaking bad news can be, but at the same time it was and always is important for the patient to have the whole story about his or her health.

Compassion. Being compassionate is probably the most important characteristic I found family practitioners to possess. One patient I fondly remember would come in every two weeks to have her venous stasis ulcers examined, cleaned and bandaged. Every time she came in she gave me a huge hug and said, “Hi Becky. How are you today? You are going to be such a great doctor. Please come and do your residency here so I can be your patient.” She was happy and cheerful during some of her visits and was sad and crying at others, but no matter what mood she was in her primary doctor always took the time to care for her as a whole person.

Teaching ability. I found this summer that the best physicians were the best teachers. Being able to relay medical information from technical and complicated language to a student and patients in layman’s terms is invaluable. When I started this externship, the only physical exam experience I had was taking the blood pressure of all my family members. My interviewing skills experience was limited to a handful of patients at the Saturday free clinic and for a class at school. Needless to say, I went into the clinic with very little experience. Dr. Kolste was extremely understanding when I explained I had limited history and physical exam skills. Whenever we had a free moment, he would ask me to pick an area of the body and we would go through the physical exam. Among other things, I learned how and where to listen to lung and heart sounds as well as how to palpate the abdomen. Not only did I learn from the doctors, but patients also learned about their health and medical conditions. For example, a young woman was diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease (STD). She was unaware of what HPV is, where she contracted it, how she got it, and how she could transmit it to others. In this case, it was very important that the doctor informed her about STDs, about HPV, and the new Gardasil vaccine.

Open-minded. Medicine is always changing. Whether a new medication is made or a new technology is developed, doctors need to be able to adapt and integrate new medical advances into their practices. This summer I also learned that newer medications are not always the best choice for every patient. It is important to prescribe drugs that will benefit the patient the most. A new drug called phentermine was recently FDA-approved for weight loss but is definitely not for everyone. This drug has potential serious side effects, like heart palpitations, but whenever a patient was interested in taking it and met the criteria to try it, a few of the doctors were willing to help the patients struggling with obesity by prescribing it.

Respectful. All the doctors I shadowed were respectful of each and every patient. The only way to establish a great working doctor-patient relationship is to have that respect returned by the patients. Whether a patient was there for an STD check, smoking cessation counseling, or a pap and pelvic exam, no doctor passed judgment or looked down on any patient for any reason. Every well woman exam included a pap and pelvic exam. The pap and pelvic is not any woman’s favorite reason for visiting the doctor, but it is a visit that each woman should make. For instance, one woman came to the clinic for her yearly exam and was more than willing to allow me to perform it. She respected me as a student and, in return, I respected her as a patient and person for allowing me to perform my first exam on her. After she expressed her confidence in me, we both felt at ease and that was the biggest obstacle to overcome.

These attributes are ones I would look for when searching for a personal primary care physician. Dr. Kolste is one doctor that possesses all of these plus many other amazing qualities. I want to thank him for the incredible opportunity he provided me with this past summer. I also want to let him know that I can’t believe I learned so much in such a short time. Before the externship I had an interest in family medicine, but now when someone asks me what field of medicine I am interested in I can saw whole-heartedly that I want to be a family doctor.

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The old John Denver song, “Country Roads” fit the scene as I drew closer to the place that I have called home this past summer. Driving through the green hills and passing farm after farm, the rustic, rural nature of the area captures this Southern California girl’s heart. As I drove around the bend, I found myself braking to slow for the horse and buggy on the road in front of me. Yes, I fell in love with this rural area nestled in the middle of several Amish communities, somewhere between Madison and Lacrosse. It was here, that I got to enjoy the experience of a lifetime.

The small rural clinic that I worked in seemed to do a little of everything. The variety of work in a day astounded me and brought great satisfaction. Delivering babies, setting fractures, removing skin cancer and managing diabetes kept me constantly on my toes. Often, the ambulance would stop by our clinic with a patient to get an initial assessment before heading down the road 20 minutes to the nearest hospital. There were so many cases that I wanted to learn more about! I frequently found myself in an exam room facing a differential diagnosis with things that I had never heard before. The medical text books on the shelf next to my desk soon became very familiar as I tried earnestly to read and learn about the many things I was confronted with that day. I quickly realized that I simply did not know enough. It truly was hands-on learning. The neat thing was that I would read about a case that I had seen and often a similar case would walk into the clinic later that day. This would give me a chance to apply my new knowledge. It quickly became apparent that continued education is essential. Family medicine encompasses so much that even physicians who have practiced for years must continue to keep their education fresh. The picture of practical medicine and the book work of the first two years of medical school began to come together. It was astounding. Many of the subjects of which countless hours in lecture have been spent became extremely relevant. Every age and seemingly every ailment walk into the clinic at one time or another, which I absolutely loved. The variety and excitement of not knowing exactly what to expect when I woke up in the morning made the word ‘boring’ a foreign entity.

Turning around in the exam room, I grab the Doppler. A very pregnant female patient lies quietly on the exam table as cool jell is smeared on her abdomen. Placing the microphone in just the right spot, we listen carefully. Thump, thump, thump, things sound good. 140 beats a minute. Smiling at the mother, I am confident that we will be seeing this mother again with her new babe under much different circumstances. The little birthing room in the back of this family practice clinic has seen many such babies take their first breaths of life. Prenatal care, helping this mother through labor and being there for the delivery was exhilarating and fulfilling. Continuity of care comes around full circle. Getting to know the patients, helping them with their challenges and piecing their stories together gave me an incredible sense of completeness, effectiveness and satisfaction. This is one of the jewels of family practice. Very few specialties allow one to follow a patient throughout his or her life. History and shared experiences establishes a special and unique relationship between patient and physician. Trust and mutual respect are gained. This is an important quality to the practice of Family medicine that makes it stand out amongst the myriad of specialties in the medical field.

One of the many things I have learned this summer is that understanding the individual uniqueness of a patient is a significant part of doctoring. Every person has a different “normal” and a different perceived need. Understanding these things about a patient is much of the battle and often one of the keys to improving their health. This became very clear in one particular case. Dr. DeLine walked into the exam room warmly greeting the patient in the chair while assessing her quickly with a critical eye. He knew her, knew her history, knew her story, knew her struggles, and knew that something was not right. The jovial, woman greeted him with a smile and quickly began chatting with the physician that she knew so well. As Dr. DeLine began to sharpen his questions, it became obvious to me that he was heading in a specific direction with this seemingly small talk chatter. The woman appeared slightly confused and soon the reason behind the nagging sense that something had gone astray became clear. This woman had not been taking her medications properly. The only outward sign was the look of her face and hands, a look that familiarity with the patient helped detect. I played the role of an observer during this encounter, but I learned a powerful lesson. A doctor’s astute observations as well as familiarity with his patient can be directly instrumental in successful diagnosis. Continuity of care can play a vital role.

To my surprise, my summer externship experience went beyond Wisconsin. I smile as I turn and let the breeze from the Pacific Ocean blow past me. I never dreamed that my summer externship bring me to Tijuana, Mexico. With the window of time between my externship and the onset of my fall studies, I went home to visit my family in California. Though I was technically on vacation, my experiences at the clinic left me with questions and curiosity. I wanted to visit the Mexican clinic our Amish patients so often would elect to go to for surgery. What I found was quite interesting. In fact I quickly understood why these patients would make the long journey by train to this foreign country. The private compound, resort-like service and ocean side beach condos built specifically with the Amish in mind made me realize that some of the doctors in Tijuana had tapped into a very select group of people. I arranged for a tour of the clinic and hospital which brought a lot of insight when I reported back my findings to the doctors in Wisconsin. It is not unusual for the physicians that I worked with in Wisconsin this summer to take out stitches from various surgeries that some of our patients have done in Mexico. I think it is helpful to have a better understanding of the full picture of our patients’ treatment and care when trying to piece together the puzzle of their experience once they return. I love that my externship experience did not end when I left the state, or even the country.

“Country roads, take me home, to the place where I belong…” Those words ring true in my ears. I was given an invaluable experience and enjoyed it immensely. My externship in La Farge, Wisconsin was one of the single most amazing learning opportunities I have had. The world of family medicine has been opened wide for me. I have fallen in love with so many aspects, from the continuity of care, to the variety, to being one of the first lines of help that a patient will seek. I have found this specialty in particular to be incredibly fulfilling and endlessly interesting. Every day brings about a new and unpredictable adventure. Everyday can leave you with the thrill that you have made a difference.

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Please note that the names of patients have been changed to protect their identities.

It echoed in my mind during Lillie’s appointment on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. Dr. Gavin supported her decision not to treat the aggressive lung cancer. There was no longer hope for a cure, so she joined Lillie in hope for a peaceful death. It resurfaced at 3 a.m. on the second floor of Memorial Hospital as shoulder dystocia in combination with a nuchal cord made the delivery of baby Caleb extremely traumatic. I watched in awe at Dr. Gavin’s ability to effectively communicate with the mother and keep her calm while reacting so quickly to help the baby to survive those terrifying moments. It resonated again in the exam room while watching Dr. Gavin talk to Gayle about her Morgellons disease. Gayle claimed that crawling bugs infested her whole body and small black fibers came out of her skin every time she itched. Although no bugs or fibers were physically present, Dr. Gavin still attentively listened to Gayle as she verbalized these interesting thoughts and feelings. I remembered it when Dr. Gavin delivered the unfortunate news that Jenny’s baby was found to have a neural tube defect. She was supportive and compassionate while the single mother cried in fear. What kept popping into my head was something very profound Dr. Gavin had said to me on my very first day in the Plymouth Family Practice Clinic: “Patients will always assume a strong medical background. What they are really looking for in a family physician is someone who makes them feel cared for and listened to.” I found more and more truth in these words as the summer went on. I watched as Dr. Gavin powerfully integrated science with compassion, and what a powerful combination this was in the primary care setting!

Suddenly, all of the tedious days in the library and the long nights of cramming Biochemistry and Neuroscience during the first year of medical school seemed to be more than worth it. I couldn’t help but imagine myself switching chairs with Dr. Gavin, being the one on the stool and reaching out to patients. I would give anything to someday be such an influential and intricate part of patient’s lives and their care. Could I ever learn all of what she knew and become so unbelievably good at communicating this scientific information? How could I become accomplished to connect with patients like she did and have them place so much trust in my care? How could I learn to be so sincere, gentle, patient, humble, effective, accommodating, undistracted and insightful all at the same time with every single patient? I longed for her ability to successfully thrive in the challenging area of family medicine and to possess the wide knowledge base that allowed her to help everyone from newborns to the elderly. I found myself staying late every day just to absorb a bit more of Dr. Gavin’s insight as she talked to patients and their families over the phone, I cancelled weekend plans to go into work with her, and somehow my 8-week experience turned into a much longer time period because I just couldn’t quite say goodbye to this incredible learning environment. I knew this was a once in a lifetime experience. In fact, I learned something valuable in every single patient encounter, whether it was about a disease, a treatment, or about the human aspect of the doctor-patient relationship. This summer presented a daily reminder of the inestimable amounts of education, personal growth, and dedication that lay ahead. The journey will not be easy, but I am eager to meet these challenges.

I realized that being an effective family physician requires the ability to put patients at ease while forming trusting relationships that allow you to guide them. Dr. Gavin called herself the “bus driver,” and she surely was the first line of defense for her patients. She was the one who knew the patients well, organized their care, facilitated a plan that patients felt comfortable with, and made the appropriate referrals. I gained a deeper appreciation for the importance of considering the big picture in family medicine. In order to effectively treat each patient, she made sure that to be aware of his or her support systems and family influences. Dr. Gavin listened carefully to her patient’s stories and concerns while helping them to deal with the challenges of their problems and illnesses. She helped Diana make it through anxiety attacks as her husband was leaving her and her 15-year-old daughter kept running away from home. She helped Susan manage the complicated care of her twin daughters with severe mental retardation due to a chromosomal defect in order to ensure that they were comfortable, yet not over-medicated. She helped 94-year old Jerry to manage his diabetes, yet respected his decision not to aggressively monitor his blood sugars. Dr. Gavin treated not only physical symptoms of disease, but its psychological and emotional agonies, as well. And when modern medicine had nothing left to offer, she put away her medical background and treatment options to provide simple companionship.

By the end of the summer, I had gotten to know several of Dr. Gavin’s patients very well. I remember tears filling my eyes as the first baby I helped to deliver came into the office for his six-week checkup as a healthy, thriving little boy. His mother gave me a big hug and was so proud to give me a picture they had taken of me holding the beautiful boy that had been only minutes old. I was always excited to see Helen’s name on the schedule, knowing that she would come in being her delightful self even though the horrible lung disease was markedly decreasing her quality of life. This continuity of care in family medicine was something that really attracted me to the field. Dr. Gavin knew her patients so well that she was able to notice any subtle changes and knew precisely how she could most effectively treat each individual patient. She implemented slight variations from patient to patient in everything from removing moles to discussing abnormal pap smears, depending on her preexisting strong relationships with her patients and her knowledge of their personalities and preferences.

I was fortunate because Dr. Gavin not only took me under her wing in her office, but also into her home. This allowed me to truly see the lifestyle of a family physician. There were several times she knocked on my door in the middle of the night to rush to the hospital. She never stopped challenging me and sharing her knowledge, even on these van rides in the dark of the night when not a single other soul was on the road. Her level of commitment to her patients was unreal. After difficult patient presentations during the day, she contemplated in her head at night whether or not she missed anything or what else she could possibly do to help her patients that were struggling with life’s events and challenges. We spent several nights sleeping in hospital beds just in case an induced mother-to-be progressed quicker than expected. She altered her weekend plans knowing that she had an extremely sick patient or an expecting mother very close to delivering. Again, deep and longstanding relationships with her patients gave her great confidence that she could accommodate their needs more thoroughly than a doctor on call that had never met them. Her level of commitment to her work was inspiring and it was obvious that she loved what she did.

Every interaction, every office procedure, and every disease I was exposed to deepened my interest in family medicine. Little did I know that this small, rural clinic in Plymouth, WI would have such a profound impact on my life. What an extreme privilege and honor it was to be a part of such an incredible program and to learn from this exceptional physician whose guidance and example I will always carry with me. I clearly saw that being a family physician is not about prestige or finances. It’s about passion, deep motivation, and witnessing the result of one’s efforts in human terms. Above all, it’s about patients like Lillie and Jerry. I know medical school will continue to teach me the details of health and disease, and I expect medicine will also fill my life with hands-on knowledge, discoveries, and meaningful interactions. But above all, I hope to develop meaningful interactions that allow my patients to feel cared for and truly listened to.

As I take the next step forward, my experiences from this externship motivate me to keep learning and keep growing as a person and a professional. The amount I learned this summer is unfathomable, both about science and how to effectively care for human beings. I learned about blood disorders, the physical exam, APGAR scores, how to perform pap smears, how to stitch wounds, and how to fix nursemaid’s elbow. More importantly, I got to experience first-hand the challenges and rewards of practicing rural family medicine and how incredible this career can be. When a family physician cherishes every single interaction and values being each patient’s “bus driver” as a great privilege, amazing things come about.

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