Trust me, I'm (almost) a doctor!

This past week I started my first official sub-I. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a clinical clerkship you do as a fourth year medical student where you basically work like you're an intern (aka: first year resident) and try to "show-off" your awesome skills and talent as a future physician. They are also referred to as "showcase rotations" for that reason. And hopefully the physicians, residents, and residency director like you enough so that when you apply and later interview at their program, they remembered how great you were during your sub-I that they want you to work for them.

So as I said, this is my first of a couple sub-I's that I'll be doing in Family Medicine. And I have to say I am having a blast! As much as I loved having time off this summer, I forgot how much I missed seeing patients. More specifically, the feeling I get coming home and knowing that I did something to better a person's quality of life. This week has been amazing. I got to see such a wide variety of patients from pregnant women to children to college folks to the elderly. And I got to do basically everything! Joint injections, some osteopathic manipulation, PAP smears, and even counseling an anorexic patient. That's what's so great about being a family practitioner. You literally get to experience the whole spectrum of medicine.

I have to say, though, I've also realized this week how much becoming a mother has changed how I practice and the level at which I can relate to my patients. The handful of OB patients I had, I felt like because I've been in their shoes that I could better explain to them what to expect and care for them with a different kind of empathy than others. I also had a couple women come in for post-partum visits, where I either gave them options and advice on contraception and family planning, talked to them about post-partum depression, and just chatted about how much life has changed being a mom. All things I could talk about before, but having gone through it all myself I feel like I can build a better relationship with my patients. It's one of those "you're not alone" things.

I know it's only been a week, but I can already tell that I made the right decision deciding to going into family practice. I feel like I just fit. Like putting on the perfect pair of shoes that are not only stylish but comfortable. I can see my future and I love it!