FEATURE
Dillon Stanfield
As one of the thousands of individuals in pursuit of a Doctor of Medicine degree , I know that life to date has been constantly an audition . All of one ’ s actions play a role in determining future opportunities , relationships , successes and failures . This burden of expectations produces anxiety and an unrealistic seeking of perfection , placing a weight upon our shoulders . Every letter grade , extracurricular activity , service event and athletic or artistic accomplishment during undergraduate school is an audition to open the eyes of medical admission committees .
Once admitted , the first year of medical school serves as a tryout to see if you can handle the exponentially accumulating academic workload . Thereafter , the combination of second year and Step 1 , functions as the tryout to make the varsity team . Furthermore , as I have witnessed over the few short weeks working alongside a phenomenal group of third year medical students , once that grueling academic audition concludes , the next one begins : the clinical one .
All of this is not to complain about the sacrifices and woes of medical students . These tests and intense curriculums are in place to harden neither our minds nor our hearts , but rather to mold and solidify our work ethic . I am simply acknowledging the fact that for as long as I can remember , a spotlight has been shining in my eyes . This spotlight is so bright and powerful , I feel translucent to the judges and superiors that stand in the shadows behind the beam . I often feel as though my actions , responses to questions , demeanor , and preparation are recorded at every turn to be compiled in a grand evaluation that will eventually inform me if yes , I can become a doctor , or no , better luck next time . Regardless of how absurd or far from the truth this is , this idea no doubt resides in the minds of all medical students , as an occasional intermittent worry or a daily fear .
This over-examination of the psyche of medical students should provide the evidence to validate why the University of Louisville School of Medicine Pediatric Summer Externship is so beneficial and important to the development of young medical clinicians . Simply stated , the spotlight is off . While expectations of tact and professionalism remain high , the anxiety in performance is reduced significantly . For those selected to the externship , this produces an atmosphere of unrestricted learning . Without the physiological and pathological knowledge , yet to be obtained during second year , every patient ’ s differential diagnosis becomes a learning opportunity . Each opportunity matches observable symptoms , physical exam findings , and most importantly , a face , with a disease process that is new in our eyes . This unfamiliar and invigorating excitement in discovery can only be attributed to the system this externship has in place . For me , it has ignited a desire to take my medical studies beyond the clinic and beyond the classroom to become a habit I enjoy on my own time .
The hospitalist department incorporated me into their team from day one , reassuring me that I was an integral part of their group in addition to having the freedom to choose the level of responsibility I wanted to bear given my current level of education . I was able to participate in all group discussions , article reviews , patient encounters , electronic medical record training , billing , presentations and note critiques . As a result of this privilege and the generosity of all the attendings , residents and students I worked beside , I also learned a thing or two along the way . With the discovery of Kawasaki disease to iatrogenic hyponatremia and bullous impetigo to hypoplastic left heart syndrome , I felt like a kid walking into a candy store every day .
With the addition of morning report , question of the day , “ Jeopardy ,” and “ Family Feud ,” I could count on having fun each day . I will always be grateful for the opportunity to have been taught , advised , and instructed in such a welcoming environment . Thank you to those who made it possible to take a break from the grand audition .