Abby Walke-Interning as a Medical Scribe

            There have been so many amazing things that I’ve seen so far at this internship! Thankfully I haven’t seen anything that has ended badly yet. The doctors where I intern at are fantastic at their job. There have been a few trauma patients that I’ve seen and all of them have survived because of the actions of the doctors and nurses. When these patients come in, the room always fills with ten to twenty people. I usually get a couple of weird looks from people who don’t know that I’m a scribe. There has been a few times where I’ve been mistaken for a nurse too.

            Whenever the doctor gets an alert about a trauma patient, they get to the designated trauma room and begin to prepare for their arrival. The trauma patient is usually brought in from an ambulance and then rushed directly to that room. The doctors then ask for the story from the EMS personnel and if the patient is conscious, they will begin to ask them questions about the incident that led to them being brought in. While listening to the patient’s answers, the nurses will remove the clothing of the patient while the doctor begins to assess the situation. Technicians from x-ray will come to the room, if necessary, and begin taking x-rays of the patient with a portable machine.

            The few patients I’ve seen in trauma have all been brought in for various reasons. One person was brought in because their foot was run over by a car. The car hit them slightly in the hip as the person was walking in a crosswalk. The doctor that I usually scribe for works with one or two other doctors when dealing with a trauma patient, and when the patient is stable, the doctor I’m with usually goes back to working with the other patients in the emergency department. So I don’t really get to see everything dealing with the patients, but I get to see the doctor bring them back to a stable condition and learn about some of their ailments. For example, one patient we saw fell headfirst through a car window. When they brought the patient in, their head was covered in blood. The patient seemed completely unfazed and just kept talking to the doctors as they worked. They found out that an artery near his temple was cut and they had to stitch it up before the patient bled out. After they stitched it up, the doctor I’m scribing for left and let the others take over because by then the bleeding had stopped. That was definitely an interesting patient to see! Well that’s all for now! I’ll keep posting some of my other experiences during my internship.

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Abby Walke-Interning as a Medical Scribe

Hi everyone! I’m currently interning as a medical scribe at a local hospital. To start this internship, I had to go through a couple weeks of training that involved learning medical terminology, abbreviations for that terminology, and how to write and structure a patient’s history. When I started my internship in early February, I was really nervous. I was assigned in the emergency department so there was no way of knowing what I’d see.

            I follow the doctor around from patient to patient. When they enter a room and introduce themselves, I go directly to a computer in the room and type up what the patient says about their injury or illness and any of their answers to the doctor’s questions. I highlight any symptoms they mentioned and lastly, I fill in any information the doctor might add about their physical exam. When we finished visiting that patient, I go to another computer and finish up my note so I could share it with the doctor I was assigned to.

            So far, I love this internship! It has given me the opportunity to learn more about the inner workings of a hospital and see a variety of patients. I’ll post more details about my internship soon so stay tuned! 🙂

Give Yourself A Boost!

Give Yourself A Boost!

There are some people on this planet that exude confidence.  Whenever they’re faced with a challenge, they smile and take it on full force.  They never seem to doubt themselves.  That’s a great characteristic to have! However, for the vast majority of people around the world, confidence doesn’t necessarily come as easily.  That’s why I think it’s important that everyone take a moment to read this wonderful article written by Christina DesMarais, a writer for Inc.com and Forbes.  Building confidence can take many years and lots of various experiences, but there are six quick things anyone can do to give them an instant confidence boost whenever it’s needed:

1. Don’t slouch.  Slouching is a big nonverbal tip off that you lack confidence in yourself.
2. Understand most people aren’t thinking about you.  It’s normal to believe “oh no, everyone heard me stumble through that last slide!” when most likely the people listening were more focused on what they would order the next time they head to the coffee shop.
3. Stop with the negative self-talk! Telling yourself “I’m going to do the best job I can possibly do” will certainly give you more faith in yourself than “I know I can’t do this.”
4. Lighten up.  Make it a point to smile more.
5. Handle mistakes with grace.  They happen to everyone.  Just look at the big picture and decide “will this really matter in six months?”
6. Be open to feedback. Don’t be afraid to approach professors and classmates for feedback after a presentation.  Make a point to attend campus events that will connect you with alumni and other professionals.  These opportunities will further develop your communication skills and in turn, feel more confident interacting with others.

Tiara Willis American University of Dubai Study Abroad

Among the top things to do in Dubai, this is probably number 1. This is me skydiving with the view of a man made Island called the Palm Island. The island has resorts, hotels and residences. The amount of money this country has is unfathomable. It is completely normal for a student to move here from another country and live in a mansion by herself. !!!!!! I have difficulty figuring out how I am going to afford food and they have their own chiefs! haha! Its interesting. But the people out here have such kind hearts. Everyone here is so kind. This is a place I can see myself living. Maybe I will come back. 😉
I’ve taken advantage of many opportunities here, volunteering, going to lectures, doing extra projects, going to cultural events, etc. There’s so much opportunity here. Also, the school I am attending is like for royal people. Everyone here is royal. EVERYONE! Americans are the poorest things here ironically. Lots of motivation!! haha!
Well I’m off to a kings house, just kidding! 😉

Salad and Bread Crumbs and Etiquette, Oh My!

Every week, our good friends at the Culture and Manners Institute send us an email with an etiquette tip.  This week, it was especially appropriate since we’re launching our promotions for Bring Your Own Briefcase, an event for seniors to network, get tips on professional clothing, and take part in an etiquette dinner.  Lo and behold, the etiquette tip revolved around food falling off the plate at dinner!  Read their insight, below, to feel better prepared for your next meal with an employer or at a networking event. If you’d like more tips from the Culture and Manners Institute, check them out at http://www.cultureandmanners.com/. 

 

“When I give a dining tutorial, a frequent question is, “What if something falls off my plate?” This is usually asked during a salad course.  Because salads are tricky.  They are made up of items of wacky shapes and textures that don’t fit together like Legos.  Cherry tomatoes roll.  Croutons bounce.  Leaf lettuce flaps this way and that. Dressing just greases the skids. Of course, it’s piled high onto a tiny plate.

If a piece of lettuce lands on the table, leave it (no pun intended.)  When you are finished with your salad, put the leaf back on the plate before the plate is removed.

Do you ever feel self-conscious about bread crumbs left behind?  It’s probably because you are imagining everyone else at the table looking at your crumbs on the dark table cloth and thinking, “Did any of the bread make it into his/her mouth?”  Don’t sweat the bread crumbs. Into all our lives a few crumbs must fall.  In some fine dining venues, a wait person will come to your rescue by scooping up the crumbs with a magic wand called a crumber.”

 

Albright Seniors, don’t forget to pre-register for Bring Your Own Briefcase by April 20- the event is April 30^th at 6pm in the South Lounge.

Interview Time? Better Be Prepared!

Interview Time? Better Be Prepared!

This week, our office is running an event called Interview Palooza.  This is an opportunity for students to prepare for the job or internship search by doing a mock interview with a member of the career services team.  Students are required to submit a resume and job posting and must come to the appointment dressed professionally.  Many of the students who participate in this event have never done a formal interview before, and they leave feeling more confident about upcoming interviews because of one simple thing- they feel more prepared.  In a perfect world, everyone would have an opportunity to have a mock interview before their first professional interview, but unfortunately, timing doesn’t always allow for that.  So, here are some tips thanks to our friends at Careerealism, that can help ease your nerves.

 Research – It shows your knowledge and helps you feel that you’ve already established a connection
1. Research the company

2. Research the interviewer and the hiring manager

Look good – Who doesn’t get a confidence boost when they look in the mirror and know they can rock professional wear?

3. Dress one level up from the interviewer

4. Make a memorable appearance

5. Don’t overdo the cologne or perfume

Don’t forget the little things – because they really do add up in the eyes of an interviewer

6. Ditch the gum

7. Ditch the cell phone

8. Practice smiling

9. Have a proper handshake ready

Know the basics, and have questions ready for them – The ultimate sign of preparation!

10. Google “interview questions and answers” or use our handy Interview Guide (link below) to get a feeling for what they may ask you.  Be prepared to answer with examples and the ability to demonstrate how you’ll be a stellar employee.  Then, have questions ready to ask them. This will show you’re truly interested in them and want to learn as much as you possibly can.

http://www.albright.edu/elcdc/cd/pdf/You-Got-The-Interview-Now-What.pdf