On my second rotation, I showed the same enthusiasm as the first one. I was also determined to learn as much as I could, and even more because I want to know if there is any specialty I want to be at. In this site I was a lot more involved with patients and had more independent work. I was alone without any classmates or fellow PA students, but I could find company with fellow medical students.

• Exposure to new techniques or treatment strategies

In this site I was exposed to a lot more medical procedures, I was in surgery for cesarean section and D&E (dilation and evacuation). In these procedures I would have to be in a sterile environment (know where to stand, what to touch) and be scrubbed. I remember we learned this last year but one can easily forget when not doing it constantly. Thankfully the nurses were very nice and they were patient as I shadowed them. I was very happy that the doctor let me participate in the D&E, another doctor let me do the surgeon knot as she was teaching me her style. Having the visual experiences really enriched my learning.

• Skills or situations that are difficult for you

One of the most difficult skills I found was to do a pelvic exam. I personally do not like it and I feel terrible giving that discomfort to other women. I thought that I would just do a couple of them, but I actually did so many that I lost count. Every pelvic exam was different, some were easy to find the cervix, others were really challenging. From every mistake I made, I learned to perfect my pelvic exam technique so for the next patient I would do better. In the end, it really boosted my confidence and I was able to do pelvic exams faster and more effectively.

• How could the knowledge I’ve gained here be applicable in other rotations/disciplines?

I think I gained very important knowledge that will be applicable for all the other rotations, I gained knowledge about half of the population (female one). For emergency, family, or internal medicine, I could do pelvic exams, bimanual exams, transabdominal or transvaginal ultrasounds. I also learned do use the doppler ultrasound. When I get a female patient, I can make a gyn/ob differential diagnosis.

• What did you learn about yourself during this 5-week rotation?

During this 5-week rotation, I learned that I do not get sick while participating in surgeries. During the cesarean section, when cutting the body, I was more concentrated in identifying the fascias, muscles, arteries, and veins we were going through. Perhaps because I was constantly being questioned at every layer. During an elective termination of pregnancy, I also learned that I am capable of doing this and had no moral argument or judgement towards the patient. There was an instance where we retrieved a fetus intact and I was amazed at its anatomical features.

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