I am an aspiring physician with an interest in the specialty field of cardiology. Due to my participation in the AnnieRuth Foundation, I was able to become an award recipient of the program. This allowed me to undergo a summer internship experience.
To start off the internship, I shadowed under Dr. Deborah Price, a nephrologist who works at various local hospitals and clinics around the Jacksonville area. After spending three days with Dr. Price, I learned a lot about the science behind renal function and how blood pressure and medicine affect the role our kidneys play in our cardiovascular system. Seeing how the doctor interacted with patient after patient was very insightful because it demonstrated the day-to-day of a physician’s work life. As an aspiring medical professional, it was encouraging to affirm to myself that the tasks and dynamic of the field- writing up patient case files, educating the patient about their symptoms, and utilizing educationalized knowledge to prescribe medication- are very compatible to my own interests and personality.
The next stop in my internship was at the Gilmour Cardiovascular Institute. I worked with the Physician Assistant, Mrs. Kathryn Degoursey. I am so grateful for our time together; I learned so much about the real work that goes on in a cardiology office. Mrs. Degoursey allowed me to ask as many questions as I wanted, which was very helpful! She let fill in some of the basic patient information into her notes on my own, taught me how to take blood pressure in-person, and walked me through each of her diagnoses. My three days with her were a great experience mainly because of her amazing support and expressive education about her work and career.
The final place I visited was the neurology department of Baptist Hospital. The environment truly submerged me in a healthcare atmosphere, which was an incredible opportunity. On the first day, I received time to talk with two gentlemen doing research during their fellowships in the department. They explained the nature of neurology and the science behind the most common surgeries and diseases of patients that come to see the neurologists. After our Q&A session, I was privileged to go witness a thrombectomy in-person, in the operating room itself. Just being able to see how the surgeon functions in action and the process of how he was treating the patient was a wonderful chance. The next day, after spending more time talking with the fellows about the research going on in the world of healthcare and the practicality of how to go about entering the medical field, they let me use a catheter stimulator. They taught me each step and let me, in the end, autonomously perform surgery on a virtual patient. These two days were a very sweet experience for me as a student.
My internship experience taught me so much about the medical field but also about the skills and work ethic that come with entering the occupation. I am very grateful for the time I spent with each doctor or other individual in the field, and I am glad God gave me the opportunity to see a peak into what the future may look like along the path He has for my life.