Knowledge is Power

During this past week in ISM, I have acquired an abundance of information pertaining to writing a mentor log, planning out mentor visit assessments, scheduling mentor visits, talking with professionals, and gaining an improved understanding of pediatrics. Currently, I feel as if my mentor visits have been teaching me a great amount of knowledge and especially the real world experience I will need when I become a pediatrician.

One thing I noticed with my mentor is the way she interacts with her patients. She has a specific process she goes through. There is the initial step which consists of questioning the patient, especially his/her parents. The questions may be related to the parents concerns, unrelated to the concerns, or have to do with another possible illness. Essentially, what is being done, is the pediatrician is attempting to comprehend what this illness could possibly be, considering causes and symptoms. Then, she usually interacts more with the patient and tries to make sure that they are comfortable and recognize who she is, so she will not have any difficulty in dealing with him/her. She continues to take the child’s vital signs and check the specific area of concern, while additionally, addressing a potential spot of concern that the parent may not have noticed. I have realized that this is quite a holistic process as Dr. Dickschat does not focus on just one portion of the check-up. Additionally, there is a connection that Dr. Dickschat must achieve with the parents as well as the patient in order to properly communicate the issues the patient may have.

From all of this, I have learned that it is crucial that the pediatrician listen to both the parents and patient. There are always two sides to the story that the doctor may not realize. In conclusion, I believe that my mentor visits and mentor assessments will continue to educate me over pediatrics and how to pursue my dreams.