First day of clinic: look, I match the wall!
I suppose that’s a good sign, right?
After leaving the clinical world in 2019 for a 2-year expensive and soul-searching sabbatical + 1 year of health issues + easing back into medicine after that year through teaching duties… here I am! Outpatient clinic every Thursday afternoon. May consider doing Tuesday afternoons too, if needed. But this is good for now.
Thankfully it was a light clinic day, with manageable patients. “It’s like riding a bike, it will come back to you… I hope you know how to ride a bike”, said my friends. Well, sort of. The physical examination and diagnostic skills are OK, but navigating how medical and therapeutic management is done in the Philippines (versus my entire clinical career in the USA) is the challenge nowadays. Grateful that the learning curve isn’t too steep.
What I think I did right:
- Wore a scrub top. Which incidentally matched the clinic’s wall.
- Remembered how to do a neuro-musculoskeletal exam.
- Brought a pen… paper charts here!
- Brought my name stamp to use on the generic prescription pads for medications and therapies.
- Said hello to the physical therapists and saw their gym
- Said hello to orthopedic surgeons sharing the clinic. Haven’t met any of the rheumatologists yet, but this is an orthopedics-rheumatology-rehabilitation medicine clinic.
- Got here in plenty of time (Metro Manila traffic can be crazy… have some allowance!)
What I need to do for next time:
- Bring my neurohammer and tuning fork. Did not really need them today, but who knows when I have to do a more thorough exam.
- Bring a nicer pen – the one with a thick barrel and a padded grip.
- Somehow be more efficient with patient instructions and writing my assessment and plan in the chart: for example, one of my friends uses carbon paper. She writes the instructions on the prescription pad, and has a carbon copy that she puts in the chart.
- Try to write faster while still remaining legible? Easier said than done.
- Wear scrubs that do not match the wall (I may or may not do this, hahaha).
So it’s true: going back to clinic is like riding a bike, but now with with different terrain. I’ll take it. Just need more practice!
Hi Dr. Yang, I truly enoyed reading your post. I am a new patient who has registered to see you on Oct 19. I was reffered to you by Dr. Dave Anthony Dizon.
I haven’t met you yet but I like you already. I love your outlook in life, though I have only seen or read but a 1% of it in your blog, I am now hoooked.
See you on Thursday!
Lourdes Castaneda
Hi po! Thanks for visiting my blog. See you po in clinic!