M2- WEEK TWENTY ONE

I think it's time for a school update post:

CORE MATERIAL
The majority of our lectures this week focused on the eyes. We reviewed the normal anatomy and how to do a thorough examination. Then we got to the fun stuff- what can go wrong. The lectures were presented to us as if we are going to be primary care physicians in the future so the lecturers emphasized the conditions that threatened vision as opposed to things that you cannot fix or that heal on their own. We learned when to quickly flush the eyes with water (dilution is the solution to  pollution!) and when to cover the eye with a shield and refer to an ophthalmologist.

My experience with occular trauma lol

After the lectures, I got to practice my skills looking into the eye with a sweet mannequin. UNMC has a load of awesome models and robots that we can use to learn new skills. They were able to change the back of the eye to mimic macular degeneration, hypertension, diabetes, etc. I enjoy the models because they give you the chance to get comfortable in a skill - taking as much time as you need - without worrying if you are bothering a patient :)

NEUROLOGY
Our next topic to study is the brain. This is one of our classes that is always taught very well. Our professor makes the lectures interactive and enjoyable. For example, on Friday we had a patient come sit in front of the lecture hall and we (as a class) were able to ask him questions and watch a physical exam to identify his medical condition- MS in this case. These lectures are very refreshing compared to the normal way-too-many-slides-with-way-too-much-text-all-crammed-into-one-hour type that we normally get.

AUTOPSY- ORGAN RECITAL
This week was also the last section of my requirement to view an autopsy. This portion of the autopsy allowed us to view all the major organs removed from the body to see if the findings matched the proposed cause of death. There aren't many times in life that you get to look closely at a human heart and brain! So this ranks high in my list of awesome experiences. Being able to view the changes that this patients chronic conditions had on their body was also pretty neat. You have to sort of play detective- looking for signs that support your hypothesis. The only weird part of the experience was that the morgue sits pretty close to the cafeteria... So it smelled like fried chicken in there that day. blah.

RURAL ROAD TRIP
Finally, Saturday was like the best day ever. I responded to an email to be part of a "Rural Road Trip." I wasn't quite sure what I was agreeing to.. but it. was. awesome!

We were picked up in a limo and snacked on breakfast treats while we traveled the 1.5 hours to David City. When we arrived, we picked up the hospital CEO who showed us around town. He showed us the local schools, housing, parks, lakes, etc. Then we went back to their renovated hospital and he gave us a detailed tour there as well. The hospital is gorgeous! In my opinion, they have really used their money well. The design, layout, and equipment all makes a lot of sense. They have a beautiful fitness center with some equipment that I hadn't seen before open to the community. I loved how much natural light was used in the hospital. What a lucky city!

After our tours, we had a delicious lasagna lunch. The hospital CEO shared with us some tips on job hunting in the future (ex: if we use a headhunter, the hospital is charged at least $30,000. So then they have less $ to give you as a signing bonus/moving expenses/loan repayment/whatever.) Then, one of the local physicians spoke to us about the scope of his practice. He is a family physician who includes a tons of procedures into his practice (including surgeries and OB). In my opinion, his style of medicine is a huge asset to the community. I am very passionate about promoting primary care so I was onboard with everything he shared.

After that, the fun stuff began! We went to the local auditorium and learned & practiced some new skills! We started by suturing skills (hand and instrument tying using pigs feet and ears). Then we started IVs on each other, practiced a vaginal birth, worked with casting material, talked through joint injections and central line placement and practiced intubations.

We were completely spoiled all day. The limo and auditorium were packed with snacks and drinks. We were also treated to dinner at Granite City when we got home from the trip. Oh! And we received a $100 stipend as well! The perks of being a student interested in primary care! It was one of those experiences that was so cool that I almost don't want to tell people about it so that I can do more of them!

That was the highlights from school this week. I hope you had an exciting one as well!