My 6th rotation was Pediatrics located at Dr. Nicasio Arana’s office in Jamaica, Queens. This was a unique experience because the majority of patients that came to see this provider were Spanish- speaking. Therefore, not only was I trying to accustom myself to a new rotation and a new demographic of patients, but I was also trying to do so in a different language—it wasn’t easy! But I quickly learned some basic phrases that would help me interview patients, and I also utilized Google translate to help me communicate with the patients I saw.
Working in this office was a very hands-on experience. I would be the first person the patients saw before they saw the provider. My responsibilities included taking the patient’s vitals and conducting a patient history while simultaneously writing up a note. If they had an acute complaint, I would often do a physical exam of the patient on my own, using the equipment provided to us by the program. I would then bring the patient to the doctor’s office and quickly present the patient to the doctor before he assessed them. If the patient required vaccines, I was able to prepare the vaccines and administer them as well (IM and SC). I also did many venipunctures and throat swabs—thus concluding all the procedures I was able to do at this rotation site. Overall, I felt that I did well in this rotation. I wish I had some more hands on experience in things such as splinting, since I had never done this procedure yet. I also wanted tried to be more involved in creating a treatment plan for the patients I saw, and would try to give the doctor my opinion on what should be done for the patient. This is a skill that I found helpful to me and hope to continue in my future rotations as well
