“No other form of communication is as universally understood as touch. The compassionate touch of a hand or reassuring hug can take away our fears, sooth our anxieties, and fill the emptiness of being lonely.”
Randi G. Fine
This week marked the beginning of my OBGYN rotation. I was admittedly nervous at first. I’ve had minimal exposure to the operating room and surgery in general, though while shadowing I was able to observe a couple of cesarian sections from the pediatric team’s perspective. I exhaled a deep sigh of relief when I saw that my first four weeks are in various clinics, while my last two weeks are in Labor and Delivery at a neighboring hospital. Though I am learning an entirely new style of patient interview and working on my patient education skills, the clinic environment is at least familiar. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with my preceptor this week. She is very approachable and took the time right off the bat to get to know me and learn about my interests. When I mentioned I am considering pediatrics and love playing with ultrasound, she immediately set up an afternoon for me to spend working with one of the pediatric cardiologists who performs fetal echocardiograms. I literally cannot wait to see and learn all about them!
I love the unique perspective my preceptor brings to the table. She masterfully walks patients through each step of an exam and does an excellent job educating patients. She takes time to explain what lab tests are being checked and why, what to expect during each step of pregnancy, and always makes sure any questions are answered. I’ve learned a great deal already about preventative care, prenatal care and contraception and look forward to seeing how I grow throughout the rest of the rotation. I feel so much more in my element being back in the clinic setting. We get to see more patients and the time seems to go by so much faster, though I’m working longer than my psychiatry shifts. Unlike in psychiatry, where there are necessary boundaries between patient and provider, in OBGYN I’m allowed to shake my patient’s hand when I enter the room or hold their hand if they become anxious during a procedure. There is something truly magical about a reassuring presence and taking the opportunity to make that connection with a patient can make all the difference.
The ability to get to know my patients, hear their stories and develop relationships with them over time is something that I value in my future career. As a patient, my favorite docs have been those that I trust, that show they care about me as a person, and that listen to my concerns. A couple of weeks ago, my sister took my nephew to see the pediatric ENT who took care of me when I was little. Though it had been over a decade since I last saw him, according to my sister, he still remembered me and told her he wasn’t surprised I was in medical school. Over winter break, my pediatrician took me out to lunch to talk about school and pediatrics. Before we talked about anything else, she made a point to ask about how my whole family was doing. There are no words to describe the influence relationships such as these have had on me. I can only hope to one day make a positive impact on my patients’ lives like they have on mine.
The Music of Medicine 