Reflection on Internal Rotation
During my internal medicine rotation at New York Presbyterian Queens Hospital from April 15 to May 17, 2024, I gained invaluable experience in managing acute medical conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, and infections. This exposure significantly enhanced my clinical reasoning skills, enabling me to differentiate between similar presentations and consider broad differential diagnoses. For instance, I became adept at distinguishing between various causes of chest pain, such as myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and musculoskeletal pain. By evaluating patient histories, physical exam findings, and diagnostic test results, I learned to prioritize the most likely and serious conditions first. This process deepened my appreciation of the subtleties of different diseases and their manifestations, ultimately enhancing my diagnostic accuracy and patient management strategies. Additionally, I improved my communication skills, learning to explain complex medical information to patients and their families in an understandable and compassionate manner.
Despite these advancements, I recognize areas where I need to improve. I sometimes struggle with breaking bad news and dealing with non-compliant patients. To address this, I will practice through role-playing exercises, seek feedback from preceptors, and attend meetings and workshops on patient communication and counseling techniques. My clinical documentation also requires enhancement in detail and clarity, which I will improve by reviewing exemplary notes from practicing PAs and physicians and using templates and checklists to ensure completeness. Additionally, I need to refine my presentation skills to present cases more clearly and confidently during rounds and meetings. This involves not only organizing my thoughts and information logically but also improving my public speaking skills to ensure clarity and confidence. I will practice my presentation skills by preparing and presenting cases to peers and preceptors for constructive feedback. Learning to navigate patient charts more efficiently and honing my patient interview techniques to gather comprehensive and relevant information are also priorities.
By focusing on these areas and adopting an active learning approach, I aim to continuously improve in future rotations. I plan to engage more deeply with each case, seek out additional information beyond what is immediately required, and regularly seek feedback from preceptors, and peers. Setting specific, measurable goals related to knowledge, skills, and professional behavior at the beginning of each rotation will help guide my learning. Additionally, implementing effective time management strategies, building a network of colleagues for guidance and support, will be essential in becoming a more competent, confident, and compassionate Physician Assistant.
This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
