Day 3 I was able to switch it up a bit. Instead of shadowing a doctor around all day, I was able to shadow a PA (Physicians Assistant) who dealt with all kinds of injuries. Rather than just seeing knee pain or shoulder pain like the other days, I was able to observe a various number of patients with injuries/pain all over their body. It was really cool to see all these patients and their different stories that they had to share. Later in the afternoon, I shadowed a PA’s assistant, who is in charge of things like getting the patients information written down and setting up x-rays for the patient. She was also in charge of taking off and putting on casts. I was able to observe her applying a leg cast on this tiny 8-year old boy and was fortunate enough to help with the process. The process took a lot longer than I expected. I was also really fortunate to observe a woman’s broken finger on an x-ray and help the PA decide whats best for the patient moving forward.
