First let me begin with some school logistics, because it is
pertinent to a point I’d like to get across today. I just started my elective
rotation in infectious disease. One of my favorite classes in undergrad was
microbiology, and I did research with the bacteria Pseudomonas. I remember that period of my education. I LOVED
learning. One of my favorite parts of the day was going to that class, studying
for it, going to do my research, or reading articles to prepare my research. I
chose an infectious disease rotation because of this, but sadly Monday morning
on my first day I wasn’t excited at all to go in.
PA school is a learning lover killer. It’s where people who
love to learn go to intellectually die. It basically takes 4 years of medical
school, does some condensing, but then essentially shoves it into 2 years and
then you’re expected to go off into the world after that time and take care of
people. It’s horrible. The classic analogy is trying to take a drink from a
fire hydrant. Anyways…lately I have thought and said, “I am really just tired
of learning.” Last month I was on OB/Gyn (Women’s Health), and although I
didn’t mind it, I only ‘minded it.’ That’s the point.
I just finished my first week on infectious disease and all
I can say is that my love for learning has been reawakened. We are all wired to
love different things, and I have been wired with a special affection for
microbes. I could eat, drink, live all things bacteria, viruses, and fungi. I
don’t know why, but I just love ‘em! And I am excited to come home and study
about them regardless that I just spent a long day at the hospital!
Microbes are so fascinating; but they are not the sole cause
of this love for learning re-awakening. So what has evoked this? My attending
physician overseeing me and the residents. This man takes so much extra time to
talk me through every single patient, asks questions to help me process through
their signs and symptoms, tests to be ordered, a diagnosis, and treatment plan.
It would be much faster and easier if he just told me what they have, why, and
what we’re going to do for them. When we go see patients, he introduces me to
every single one. I feel like I matter, that I am contributing, and that my
education is important to him. He includes me in discussions with other
physicians and asks what I think. He will do menial tasks like get me a pair of
gloves or showing me how to do a basic trick on the electronic medical record
software. He also takes so much time with each of the patients, explaining to
them what is going on, asks them about their families, asks them about their
lives, and is just so sincerely kind to them.
In the basic gist: he cares about people, a lot. He respects
and serves people, in big tasks like taking care of their life threatening
infections to showing me a trick on the computer to make the resident’s lives
easier. After an afternoon with him I have learned so much, not only because he
has a wealth of information to share but because I feel included and that what
I am contributing is important.
Some of you reading this may feel like your job or what you
do with your time isn’t important and that it makes no difference, but I am
telling you that it does. We have small interactions with lots of people on a
daily basis, and doing something as simple as fetching a pair of rubber gloves
from a cardboard box stuck to the wall for the PA student is hugely impactful
on the quality of her education. We can all be impactful in big ways with small
things, and it all starts with just caring about each other.
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