Finished with internal med

Posted by Amanda at Sunday, October 30, 2011

For the last two weeks of my general med/internal med rotation I got to experience what it would be like to not go on rounds with a medical team. For the week I followed the patients for 5 attending physicians, my case load was about 40 patients. I would arrive at the hospital in the morning, and I would spend all morning working reviewing patient charts. In the afternoon I would meet with physicians to discuss medication issues/problems. I felt like a valued member of the health care team when I spoke with physicians because they actually listened to my suggestions.

One of the attendings had pulmonary patients so I got to learn about how to dose antibiotics for cystic fibrosis patients. I learned a lot about cystic fibrosis patients and the importance a lung transplant can have on the quality of their lives.

I returned to rounds my final week of rotation. I rounded with two medical teams by myself -- that is, without the company of a pharmacy preceptor. I carried a laptop and used it a few times to help answer questions from the medical team. In short, I got to experience what it would be like to be a hospital-based general pharmacist, which is what most pharmacists do in a hospital if they choose not to specialize.