Five Hamilton seniors, Tim Currier, Alex Hodgens, Amy Rumack, Ben Saccomano and Jake Schneck, participated in a medical internship through the St. Elizabeth Health Experience Learning Program (HELP) during winter recess. From Jan. 12-16 the students shadowed doctors at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Utica, N.Y.
Each day, the students were assigned to residents participating in different specialties in order to observe and learn about different aspects of clinical medicine including family practice medicine, ob/gyn, internal medicine, surgery and pediatrics. From 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., the students attended morning report in which residents and attending physicians presented information on a variety of current topics in medicine. The interns were then able to observe the residents in both hospital and clinic settings.
The students chose to participate in the program in order to increase their understanding of healthcare professions. When asked about his reasons for participating in the internship, Alex Hodgens responded, "I wanted to gain experience in clinical settings, specifically hospital settings, to help me determine where I want to work within the field of health care and if I really want to work in health care."
The students were permitted to make clinical observations while shadowing residents, which Amy Rumack found to be interesting and highly instructive for students interested in the health profession. "The physicians at St. Elizabeth's must be prepared to interact with an incredibly diverse group of people," she noted. "The clinical observations truly emphasized to me the importance of establishing a good doctor/patient relationship. In order for a doctor to help a patient he /she must be able to tailor the treatment to the needs of that particular patient."
The students also greatly appreciated the opportunity to talk to the residents about their experiences with medicine. "One of the most beneficial points about this internship is learning and hearing from the experiences of the residents. Getting to know their story of how they arrived at St. Elizabeth's Hospital was very helpful in allowing me to understand what was to come and what I should prepare for in the future," explained Ben Saccomano.
Participating students met with the program director of the St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency Program, William A Jorgenson, to discuss their intended career paths and other issues surrounding medicine. Dr. Jorgenson discussed family practice medicine and osteopathic medicine with the HELP students and even performed an osteopathic exam as a demonstration.
St. Elizabeth Medical Center offers a Family Practice Residency Program for post-graduate learners and medical students.
-- by Amy Rumack '09
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