The rotation at Statcare urgent care offered a very hands-on form of learning. I would generally see each patient and present their history to the provider. The provider and I would then discuss the likely diagnosis and appropriate treatment, before going to see the patient together. I found it very helpful that I was able to see the patients on my own. With graduation soon approaching, I have been trying to change my mindset from student to provider. The independence at the urgent care allowed me to challenge what I know about patient care so that I can strengthen my weaker areas. In addition to gaining independence, this rotation taught me the importance of having patience regardless of the patient. Throughout a 12-hour shift, we often saw 40+ patients, some of them significantly more difficult to deal with than others. Regardless, we had to treat each patient with the best possible medical care. There was one specific patient that stuck with me. She came in with a chief complaint of ankle pain after a fall. From the moment she came, in she was upset and complaining about one thing or another. Nothing we did was good enough. It turned out that her foot was fractured, and we ended up having to splint it. The visit turned out to be very long and unpleasant. In the medical profession, we don’t quite to pick who we treat, and learning to put feeling aside when treating these patients is a very valuable skill that I was able to gain. Overall, this rotation helped me finesse my medical knowledge regarding common conditions as well as the intricacies of the patient-provider relationship. I can truly say that I left this rotation a better provider.

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