Medicine 110

I had a great time in my medicine rotation. It went by incredibly quickly, and at the end, I felt that there was still a lot to learn. Coming off of surgery, I found medicine to be flexible; I had so much time to read UpToDate, to attend case conferences, and to get to know my patients. Moffitt was a fun hospital for me. The cases I saw were complicated, unsolved, and rare. I definitely did not get the ideal caseload for a third year clerkship, but I didn't mind. I never saw some of the bread and butter we were supposed to learn; I never took care of a garden variety pneumonia or COPD exacerbation or asthma attack. Instead, I learned about cystic fibrosis with multiple complications. It was fun; I loved it. I think the clerkship objectives are too basic anyway, and I learn all the fundamental things as I try to tease out the complexities of my patients.

I loved my teams. My residents and interns were by far the best I had worked with. They really appreciated medical students and understood our roles and responsibilities. The attendings all had their particular niche; I worked with experts in cardiac stress testing, end of life care, patient satisfaction, and AIDS. That was really educational since their passion for their particular field of interest inspired them to teach well.

So far, medicine has been my most enjoyable rotation. I went in thinking I'd like it and I wasn't disappointed. The focus on medical student teaching was a highlight of the rotation and I was well treated by all members of the team. I learned a lot from my patients and contributed positively to their care. I think I could have had more independence and taken more patients, but that will come in time.