Today was a half day for me. In the morning, I rode to the Children’s Health Center with Matt, the bone marrow transport driver, and then walked up to 5100, the hematology wing of the main hospital. I followed Dr. Sun, the hematology attending, during her rounds. With us were three medical interns, a fellow, and a few other nurses. We were definitely quite the crowd! There were 8 or 9 patients that we visited and before each visit, I was able to hear one of the three interns present the patient. I realized that through this process, the interns were able to learn in the best way– through the first-hand experience. Dr. Sun would often ask them questions about the case, on how to best treat the patient or on circumstantial occurrences. Unlike the outpatient clinic, these doctors had more downtime and had fewer patients.
After rounds, I was able to visit the ICU. There, we followed up on a patient who had just gotten a transplant. We then headed over to the Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic and talked with some of the residents who were working. I learned about the difference between residents, fellows, and attendings. However, the residents told me that even though there are differences in positions, they all work as if they are the same level.
