The Administrative Mix

Posted by Matt at Monday, November 07, 2011

Once again my last rotation ended right as I was getting comfortable. My last few weeks rounding with the Infectious Diseases team at U of M were action packed. We had cases ranging from infective endocarditis caused by a dental procedure to rash and fever that turned out to be Still’s disease, a non-infective autoimmune condition. The rotation was highly specialized and we spent most of our time focusing on infections and the associated antibiotic regimens. This was a big difference from my internal medicine rotation where we looked at all of the medications and problems. The rotation gave me a good idea of what life would be like as a specialist.

I am currently on an administrative rotation at St. John Providence in Southfield, MI. After graduation I plan on pursuing an administrative residency so this rotation was highly anticipated. I have been learning a great deal about the responsibilities associated with administration, including operations management, human resources, and the metrics associated with tracking workflow. I have sat in on several meetings disc using the implementation of new technologies and policies in the hospital. I have also participated in interviewing several technicians. We are not exposed to these situations during school so I find this training highly valuable. If you plan on pursuing an administrative position after graduation seek out leadership activities during school. These experiences will help form a foundation from which you can build your career.

The goal of my rotation is to finish a project to help maximize efficiency in the pharmacy order verification workflow. Some of the stat medication orders that come into the pharmacy have already been verified and are requested a second time for invalid reasons. I have been tracking these requests and we are planning on visiting stations around the hospital and educating staff about appropriate use of the stat order process. This should cut down on the number of stat medication requests, freeing up technicians to fill regular orders.