May 28, 2019
For the next couple of days, I will be shadowing Dr. Mark Graham at his clinic Waverly Hematology-Oncology.
I arrived at Waverly Hematology-Oncology and was greeted by one of Dr. Graham’s Physician Assistants named Susan Blumenthal. Dr. Graham was exceptionally busy today because of Memorial Day Weekend so I didn’t get to shadow him, however, I was able to shadow Ms. Susan. First, she took me on a tour around the clinic and introduced me to all of the staff. She told me about her responsibilities as a Physician Assistant and how she assists Dr. Graham with his patients both in his clinic and at WakeMed Hospital. Ms. Susan told me that Dr. Graham has 4 Physician Assistants (3 for the clinic and 1 for hospital) and 2 Scribes, all of whom are there to help this very busy man. Ms. Susan has been under Dr. Graham for almost 10 years so she is able to work independently to handle the patients.
In the mornings, Ms. Susan normally meets with patients that are about to start or are currently undergoing cancer treatment. She reads through their reports and checks in with them to see how they’re doing. It was nice meeting all of these patients who were all so friendly and cheerful. One of the patients was a very kind old man who was very social and had a great sense of humor. I really enjoyed talking to him about his experience at Dr. Graham’s clinic. After meeting all of her patients, she and I ate lunch in the breakroom and she told me about her journey to becoming a Physician Assistant.
After lunch, Ms. Susan headed over to the Survivor Clinic where she meets with patients who have successfully undergone cancer treatment and are here for a regular check-up. I got to meet many more patients, who very all so sweet. Ms. Susan told me that she had been seeing these patients for more than 10 years so she has a special bond with each of them. All of the patients loved Ms. Susan and I could really see the special bond they had forged over the years.
Overall, I was very impressed by Ms. Susan and how she manages her responsibilities as a Physician Assistant and it was great meeting the entire staff of the clinic.
Looking forward to tomorrow!
