Week of 1/21/19

Although I kept the same mentor this semester, my first day back was different than what I am
used to. It was a very busy day and the visits were more complicated than usual. I did see the
typical check up visits, but there were also patients with different infections and ailments. We
also had a patient that was new to UTMB, so I was able to see how the initial process of adding
someone to the system works. This semester, I hope to gain further insight into pediatrics.
Because I am keeping the same mentor, I think I can develop a more comfortable, yet still
professional relationship. I hope to learn even more this mentorship.

Week of 1/28/19
This semester, I plan on doing a project on ADHD and its treatment. I have kept the same
mentor as last semester and I saw many patients with ADHD before, so I thought this would be
a topic I could explore in depth and have a lot of firsthand experience with. My mentor is a
pediatrician so she has had a great deal of experience with this and I think she can help guide
my research and the creation of final presentation. My project is different from last semester
(infant development) because it focuses on older age groups and is more concentrated on the
psychological aspect of childhood wellness

Week of 2/4/19
I have the same mentor as last semester and I was able to see what the most common visits
were. ADHD visits comprised a good portion of the patient visits we saw, so I thought it would
be a good idea to further research the topic, as I get so much exposure to it when I go to my
mentorship. This week, I went to my mentorship for two days. On Monday, I was able to see
some infant check-ups, which were interesting because all the children were different ages but
were still classified under the category of "infant". On Tuesday, Dr. Sierra was running behind
on patients, but we were able to catch up. I saw many well-child visits and some flu visits, as it
is flu season.

Week of 2/11/19
My mentorship experience this week consisted of many unique cases. I was able to see many
infant check ups in which Dr. Sierra had to perform some procedures that I had not seen before. I
saw her check psychological, genital, and height development. I also saw many more referrals to
specialists than I am used to because there were more special cases. I saw patients with ADHD,
which is what my project topic is about this semester. I also saw a patient with lumps in his chest
area, which is apparently very common in teenage boys going through puberty. I was able to
learn a lot through these different patients and their problems, as they were different from what I
normally see. The clinic was very busy during my mentorship this week. I normally go on
Tuesdays, which is the busiest day of the week. This allows me to see many cases and observe
many procedures. I normally go into the room with Dr. Sierra and Scarlett, the scribe, and
observe the visit quietly. If I have questions about what we see, I can ask after the visit as we
usually discuss the cases while the doctor and scribe chart.
Week of 2/18/19
I would say I put in the required amount of effort for my mid-term presentation, not too much or
too little. I used my powerpoint from last semester to make it easier for myself, as I did not want
to have to format an entire new presentation. Because of this, I was able to simply change the
information on the slides and add the new topic for this semester. I also had to change the clip art
because my topic is new, so the pictures had to be changed for relevancy. For the most part,
however, I really just changed the content on the slides and kept the same format. This was
because I like to follow the adage “work smarter not harder”; there did not seem much reason to
create a new presentation when this one was already created. I did not get much input from my
mentor because most of the information was from classwork and other assignments that did not
really involve her. As the semester goes on, I will be asking her to look over my topic and
research to ensure I am going in the right direction. By the end of the semester, there will
definitely be more information from my mentor.

Week of 2/25/19
I find psychology and the brain very interesting, so the project topic of ADHD has given me a
way to connect these interests to my mentorship. I enjoy pediatrics more than I expected to
mostly because of the patients. I am in awe of some of the children that come into the clinic and
their outlooks on not only being ill, but life. There is something refreshing about working with
such optimistic beings. This nine weeks, I have learned a lot about ADHD because we see many
patients with it. I have learned about different treatment options and the pros and cons of
different types. Each patient is unique and needs to be treated based on what works for them, as
we can see by the many kids who need to change prescriptions several times before settling on
one. I have also learned about the importance of explaining procedures and diagnoses in a
child-friendly way, as many children want to know what it occuring. More generally I have
learned about working in a clinic and the schedule that is followed. Usually, patients are
scheduled before and after the lunch break and the doctor charts in between visits and after clinic
hours. Overall, I have had a good experience mentoring at the clinic.

Week of 3/18/19
My greatest current strength is that I actively research ADHD and I have been very interested in
the topic outside of our required classwork. I think this will help me to have a more
informational and fleshed out final presentation. I look up articles on ADHD and look out for
news and studies on it. Just last week, I saw an article on CNN about ADHD medications and its
links to psychosis, which I think will be an interesting addition to my project. I think my biggest
weakness is that I procrastinate a lot and that can at times prevent me from completing work to
the best of my ability. I think since this is a topic I care about, it will be easier for me to motivate
myself to do the work and put effort into it. I will be setting short term and long term goals for
myself as the deadline gets closer so I know exactly what I need to be doing and will not have to
scramble to get everything done at once. I think in terms of mentorship experience, things have
been going well and I enjoy it, so I am not worried about that aspect of the semester project.

Week of 3/25/19
In the past two weeks, the research assignment helped me to learn a lot about ADHD. I was able
to research symptoms, treatment, and different opinions on ADHD, specifically in children. I
learned that there are three categories for ADHD symptoms: inattentiveness, impulsivity, and
hyperactivity. For each category, children must have six symptoms present for a minimum of six
months. The process for diagnosis is as uniform and universal as possible based on the American
Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. The presentation of ADHD can also change over time, as
symptoms can show in different ways. In terms of treatment, there are a multitude of options.
The two types of medications are stimulants and non-stimulants. Examples of stimulants are
Ritalin and Adderall. An example of non-stimulants is Stattera. Health professionals recommend
using prescription drugs in combination with non-medicinal treatments such as behavior therapy.
My research sources also gave me multiple points of view on the topic. This will be helpful in
creating my final project because it gave me both a good foundation of information and a wide
scope so I can look at the different issues from different lenses. I also find the topic interesting
and might find it useful in medical school and my profession.

Week of 4/1/19
Overall, I have had an enjoyable experience with ISM. I feel like I have learned a lot about
pediatrics and medicine in general. Being able to see the clinic setting first hand has been
valuable as I hope to become a doctor. Participating “behind the scenes” has given me greater
insight into the process of the doctor’s office, which is helpful more generally for any time I or
my friends and family are sick or visit the doctor. Since I am so interested in medicine, the whole
mentorship experience has been very interesting for me and I have enjoyed it. I especially enjoy
the special cases that we see, such as those that require further testing or referrals as those are
typically unique and interesting to see. I don’t always like having to see well child check ups
because they get slightly repetitive after a while. Since it is a primary care clinic, these and flu or
cold visits are the majority of what we see in a day. I still like getting to see the process and how
it differs based on age. The pros outweigh the cons by a lot and overall I feel like I have learned
a lot through my ISM experience, including many lessons that I think I can use in my career.

Week of 4/8/19
During my most recent mentorship experience, I was able to observe the usual visits that we see
in the clinic. I saw a few well child check ups and flu and cold visits. The clinic was fairly slow
when I went on Tuesday, which is very strange as that is normally a very busy day and we are
running around from patient to patient. The atmosphere was much calmer on Tuesday and an
interesting change of pace as I was able to see what the staff does when there is more free time.
They were able to get charting done and some of them were able to leave on time for the first day
that week. I think that I will easily have my presentation and project done by the due date, as I
have been trying to keep my presentation updated as we have finished assignments. I have also
kept my Weebly fairly well up to date, so I do not think there will be an issue there. In regards of
my product, I still need to create the schedule, but I have done a good amount of research and I
already have some ideas. At this point, I am most focused on getting the rest of my artifacts,
which I plan on doing when I go to ISM this week.

Week of 4/15/19
In my most recent mentorship experience, I was able to observe as I normally do. There were
more patients than the week before, so we went around different rooms fairly rapidly and saw
many patients in the time that I was at the clinic. There were two cases of poison ivy, much more
than the usual amount. One patient had poison ivy on his face and the other had it on his legs.
Both came into contact with the poison ivy after spending the day outside with their fathers. We
also saw our usual check ups and well child visits for children ranging in ages from infants to
teenagers. I learned more about doctor-patient interaction and about how to talk with patients. In
order to be a pediatrician, a person has to be able to communicate with children who are a variety
of ages, as they deal with such a large and various age group. I also learned about the differences
in doctors’ and nurses’ responsibilities; doctors deal more with the problem at hand and nurses
take care of all the information needed to diagnose. It is interesting to see how they work
together and observe the workplace dynamic, as it must be good to ensure the day runs smoothly.

Week of 4/22/19
During my most recent mentorship experience, I was able to observe the usual well child visits
and check ups, along with some physicals. I also observed the charting method for different
methods with and without a scribe, as the scribe had to leave. Overall, I feel pleased with my
mentorship experience this semester. I not only learned about the medical side of the profession,
but also the “behind the scenes” work, such as records and appointment scheduling. Because I
kept the same mentor throughout the year, I feel that I was able to build a good relationship with
Dr. Sierra and the nurses and scribe who work in the office. This was a valuable lesson in
professional conduct and relationships. This school year has solidified my aspirations of
becoming a doctor. While I am not sure if I will be pursuing the route of a pediatrician, I am
even more fascinated by the medical sciences. I was also able to get a feel for a certain clinic
setting, which I do not think I would want to be in, as I prefer a little more variance in my day to
day activities. My experience was valuable as it gave me insight into both what I want and do not
in terms of my future career.