How do I make my internship more enjoyable

[CrazyboyMD]

Hello all.

I recently started an internship shadowing an RN at the Oncology Unit at my Hospital. I aspire to go into Oncology...The first day I began shadowing was not what I expected, lol. Let me emphasize that I was EXPECTING the Oncology unit to be toned down, and nothing compared to the ER.

The Nurse I was shadowing was very monotone and what they actually did on the unit was really not that exciting...(All she did was give glucose to someone and start antibiotics)

Now, I want to learn as much as I can, so of course, I took the initiative to ask as many questions as I could.

You see the thing is, my other friend who is shadowing on the unit got the Nurse that was teaching more, and boy did he have fun!

The Nurse did paperwork half that time I was there (I understand they have a ton on their hands)

So, how do I make this internship more enjoyable? Can you tell me what you did to get the most out of your shadowing experience?

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[longhaul3]

You should take your medicine (no pun intended) and ingratiate yourself to the staff so that they like you early on. Then you can start asking for more exposure and more excitement.

At the same time though you should realize that you are not going to learn much medicine as a high-schooler shadowing a nurse in oncology. What you can expect to learn through shadowing is how sick people look, talk, and smell, and how doctors interact with them. A good doctor will walk you through his/her thought process on some simple cases if time allows. Nurses do the more common minor procedures like starting IVs, placing catheters, etc., so you may get your kicks (if you're into that) that way.

 

[CrazyboyMD]

@longhaul3 Thank you for the advice!

 

[Icositetrachoron]

Following on the same lines as longhaul, the shadowing experience is about gaining insight on everything you see in a medical environment. Sometimes you don't see things that are particularly fun, and sometimes you do. Ultimately, this is the reality of the medical profession - it's not a fun job all the time. What I would do is ask yourself, "What do I gain from this experience?" You mentioned that you see a lot of paperwork being done - tie that into your knowledge. If you get interviewed about your experience by an adcom later on, mention the vast amounts of paperwork and explain how they seem to detract from the care provided by medical professionals. The debate over increasing amounts of paperwork is a big topic nowadays.

In any case, whenever you see interactions with a patient, you should absorb the experience. A patient is not a statistic - he/she is a living person with a unique personality. Every action that is taken will influence the patient's life, along with the lives of those associated with the patient. You should attempt to widen your perspective as much as possible and consider what it would be like to be in the patient's position - this is a humbling experience that will ultimately make you a more mature individual (and interview candidate). Little actions like giving glucose might seem small from a technical perspective, but for the patient and his/her family, it means quite a bit.

The big takeaway from shadowing is not necessarily the scientific/medical knowledge gained - it is the understanding that medicine is just as much a practice of the humanities as it is the sciences.

 

[CrazyboyMD]

@Icositetrachoron Thank you for the wonderful advice!