Externship is having an opportunity to utilize your hands on skills and bring you one step closer to your career. The Medical Assistant program at ECPI University prepared me well for Externship at UNC Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic and UNC Pulmonary Specialty Clinic in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In both clinic, my daily duties during my externship were as patients came in for appointments, I would prepare their chart. During my down time, I took the time out to fax papers such as prescriptions to pharmacies, nursing homes, lab results etc.
After the fax had a confirmation, I would staple the confirmation to the original and file the paper in alphabetical order, later the necessary files would be put in the patient’s chart. I also was in charge in making sure all the rooms were cleaned before rooming the patient. When I had the opportunity I was allowed to assist patients which means I was obligated to write down the reason of the visit ( chief complaint), and retain vital signs and making sure patient’s chart such as prescriptions, vaccinations are up to date. I would give shots such as Prolia shot and flu shot as needed.
In Pulmonary Clinic, when the provider comes out of room with a patient, the providers normally would tell me specimen test was ordered where I give nebulizer test to the patient with 3% and/or 7% saline solution depending on the order for the purpose of getting a sputum sample. There is an extra steps for a patients such as Cystic Fibrosis and C-diff, since the charges and questions for patients are different, in addition we have to use PPE. In Diabetes Clinic, glucose testing is done with every diabetes patient, with A1C if due. I didn’t have to be taught on skills as much since I knew all of this skills from school.
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I was glad ECPI University did such a good job on training the students on these skills. As for the clinical site, I had high expectation that I will be instructed properly, then reality hit me. My first day was at the Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic, my trainer was tough and I was taught pretty quickly, which was a do or die. There were a few times where I was screamed at for either incorrectly doing something or not knowing how to do it like using EPIC software, but my thought was “how do you expect me to just know if I wasn’t taught properly.
But, I would go over them during lunch time and after couple of days, I’ve gotten better. On the third day of working in Pulmonary Clinic, the computers were down except the ones at the nurses’ station. The nurse who trained me, checked-in a patient at the nurses station which the information included about patients. Patient was asked the name, DOB, chief complains, etc… in a hallway which is against HIPAA. I was surprised that the nurse would do such a thing but it was even more surprising to see no one stopping her. This experienced, would help me finding the right job for me.
Because, from what I’ve learned from this specialty clinic, I see the importance of training and a typical day. My experienced at Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic and Pulmonary Clinic was what I expected, and eye opener for a student like me who thought of everything was going to be easy and slightly hard with minimum fun. In school I was taught that in the field things will be professional, however, within my first experience I encountered unprofessional work such as how the staffs has lack of patient, and violation of HIPPA.
I would recommend this clinics for incoming student. But, I will say this can be a learning experience for incoming students because I learned how clinic offices work in reality. These skills that I did during my clinical were thoroughly taught at ECPI. However, I think there should be a class more focused on public speaking. During my clinical, there were times where I have to educate a patient. Although , towards the end of my clinical, I did it with confident, when I first started, I was having a hard time to do it because of English barrier and lack of confident on myself. I think if I had more experience on public speaking, it would’ve help me a lot.
I am really happy I made the choice to become a Medical Assistant. I thought it would be a good fit since I love working with people and I’ve always been interested in medicine, and the Medical Assistant program at ECPI University gave me the perfect opportunity to confirm that. I got lots of hands-on practice for the practical skills I learned in the classroom, through the labs at school and through a great externship, and I felt confident and prepared when I started my first job.
