University of Kansas Medical Center



Reflection on Rural Summer ProgramRyan HoangThe first two years of medical school is full of grinding and sticking our nose in textbooks learning about anatomy and physiology. Sometimes all these studying makes us forget why we chose this profession in the first place. Without any patient interactions or clinical exposures, we end up losing our humanity and our passion to help others. At least that how I felt. To me, I needed to take a break from studying, and put myself somewhere where I can find myself again, and the Rural Program allowed me to do just that.In addition to honing my interviewing and physical examination skills, I observed procedures that I wouldn’t normally see in family practice in Kansas City. There were times where I spent the whole day watching colonoscopies and other days where I participated in incising and draining abscesses. I was also taught the basics of interpreting X-rays, EKG’s, and CT scans.Another great thing about this program was I that I learned and solidified a lot of physiology. In class, we are required to memorize a list of disease and their mechanisms. Being able to talk to a patient and trying to figure out what’s wrong gives me motivation to learn about that disease. Being able to put a diagnosis to a patient that I have seen helps me remember it better. With that, it will help me get a higher score on the board exams.Being born and raised in Kansas City, I have never been anywhere more west than Wichita. I decided that going rural not only will allow me to have some clinical exposures, it will also open my eye to how people live in a rural city, as well as the benefits and struggles that they face. I remember there was a patient that came 30 minutes late to his appointment. The nurse asked why he was late and he replied with “I had to chase my cattle back into my land.” The nurse (and the doctor) said that was a reasonable excuse to be late. I just had a “what?” face the whole time. That was the day I learned that cows ain’t cheap. Another incident I’ve encountered was a day where the whole clinic was listening to the radio for an update on the rain storm that was coming. I’ve have never felt so much relief and happiness that rain was coming. They told me that they needed rain because they had been in a drought and it would affect their farms and products. Stories like this made me realize that even though Clay Center was a couple hours away from Kansas City, I still had a major culture shock living there.This summer I have seen countless patients with my preceptor, interacted and got to know many of them. Even some patients confided and shared their life stories with me. Even though we may be composed of the same organs and cells, it is what we experience in our lifetime that makes us unique. I have no regrets about participating in the Rural Program. It helped me remember that patients come in putting their trust on my ability to treat them and help them get better. It helped me remember even though these first 2 years will be a struggle learning all the physiology, pathology, and treatment of every disease, I am doing this so that I can help others. But most of all, it helped me remember my passion and the reason why I chose to become a physician. Thank you again for picking me to do this program, I am extremely grateful for that. ................
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