Video-taped Interview

Today was our video-taped interview with a standardized patient. The patient was purposefully an easy patient, so that we didn't have to worry about the medicine part of the interview and could concentrate on our interviewing skills. Before entering the room, we were provided with some vitals (blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate and temperature) and then we were sent into our respective rooms (there were 16 of us interviewing various patients at a time). We had no idea who would be sitting behind those exam room doors nor did we know what sort of medical issue we would encounter.

I suppose that's one of the exciting things about medicine...depending on your specialty, you may not have any idea about what you'll experience on a daily basis and medicine stays fresh and exciting because of that. You are always on your toes and always learning. The further along I get in my education, I realize how much I truly just love learning. I feel very blessed to be able to learn for the rest of my life!

But back to my patient. The interview actually only lasted about 5 minutes. Immediately afterward our patients critiqued our interview skills. The gentlemen that played my patient was a kind, retired gentlemen with a sweet sense of humor. He has been a standardized patient for 9 years at UNMC! I hope that someday I will be able to be a standardized patient...except I doubt the students will describe me as a kind old lady...I will be quite the trouble maker, I'm sure! :)

He said that I built a good rapport with the patient very easily and that if the patient had something more serious than a cold, he would feel more than comfortable with bringing it up with me. It was really great to hear that! Obviously knowing a patient's anatomy is important, but it's just as important to be able to talk with them. If nothing else, this interview was a nice confidence booster that yes I am, in fact, in the right profession. After a short patient interaction break, I'm off to hit the books to review the cardiac plexus and the peritoneum.

I didn't even have a rough day, but tonight I had plenty of laughter! Megan and I went to see the movie "Pitch Perfect" and I laughed incessantly! It was hilarious (mildly inappropriate) and adorable. It's about a women's a capella group and is also a sappy romantic comedy complete with singing and dancing...so basically I was bound to love it!