family medicine

5 Reasons to Get Involved

Posted on August 9, 2017Leave a comment

AAFP, ACOFP, SNMA, GAFP, GOMA, AOA, AMA, ABCDEFG (<— ok, just kidding on that last one). As you can see, so many acronyms of various medical professional organizations can turn into alphabet soup at times. However, being a member of these groups, whether premed, med student, resident, and beyond, affords countless opportunities.

A couple of weeks ago I attended the American Academy of Family Physicians National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Student in Kansas City, MO. I serve on the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors and represented the state at the national conference. Overall it was a memorable experience and I’m grateful that I attended.

I encourage you to become active members of professional organizations. Even if you are not in the medical field, the following 5 reasons to get involved applies to every profession:

Information: Gain information about your specialty, techniques, procedures, policies, and get the latest updates in your field. There’s such breadth of things to learn while attending conferences.
Motivation: Hear from powerful speakers, experts, and accomplished individuals in your field who have encouraging and uplifting words after overcoming insurmountable odds. For instance, at the AAFP conference, I was inspired to become more of an advocate for my patients by listening to some amazing speakers who have taken a personal stance in Washington, DC for certain health policies.
Representation: Serve in leadership roles on behalf of your school, residency program, hospital, etc. While at the conference, I noticed that minority representation in leadership roles was lacking. If you want organizations to take notice of the needs of people who look like you or share the same values, it is vital to become a leader. Remember, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”
Socialization (networking): Meet like-minded individuals and also catch up with old friends. Remember, it’s not always what you know, it’s often who you know. For example, the AAFP conference invited residency programs and hospitals to exhibition booths, which was a great way to connect with future employers. I also met some awesome medical students who were interested in my residency program, and I was able to exchange contact info with them.
Vacation: Take a few days to get away from the stress of school/work and recharge. I am currently dabbling in photography, so my camera goes everywhere I go. At the AAFP conference, I was able to explore the city and get some good photos along the way…and did I mention eat some great food?

Random selfies from mini vacays between KCMO and North GA, while “getting involved” 🙂

Whatever your occupation and/or professional interests are, I challenge you to seek out and join organizations that best fit your professional needs. I’d love to hear from you. Comment below and let me know what organization(s) you are apart of.

-thedoctorjb

It’s Been a Long Time, I Shouldn’t Have Left You…

Posted on July 5, 2017Leave a comment

Hey yall! Peep that Aaliyah and Timbaland reference. It’s been WAAAYYYY too long since my last blog post. So much has happened since my last post in January. First off, I’ve finished my first year of residency and I am officially a 2nd year resident! One down, two more to go! Woooo-hooooo!

I’ve learned to manage my clinic patients’ high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes (the trinity for family medicine). I’ve done numerous ultrasound-guided knee injections in the clinic, and also used ultrasound to confirm intrauterine pregnancy on my preggo patients. I’ve followed my first OB continuity patient throughout her pregnancy and delivered her sweet baby. I’ve biopsied and excised skin cancers. I’ve laughed and also cried with patients. I even had a patient and his wife bring me bags of fresh kale from their garden (good southern hospitality). From school sports physicals to nursing home visits, I’ve had a blast.

My experience in the hospital has also been interesting and busy, to say the least. I’ve worked up patients for multiple myeloma and tuberculosis. I have treated kiddos with Henoch-Schonlein purpora, Hirschsprung’s disease and even Kawasaki disease. I’ve worked up my share of pneumonia, COPD, and congestive heart failure exacerbations. And don’t get me started on flu season. There was a flu outbreak back in March and our hospital was swamped.

First year of residency hasn’t been without its challenges. Those days of back to back 12-14 hour days without much sleep are no fun, but every step has been worth it. Trying to exude compassion and empathy when a patient has no respect for your profession is sometimes frustrating, but is often outweighed by that one simple “thank you” from a patient who knows you care. I’ve had to learn how to balance personal life and work, which I am still working on, but I’m getting better.

I could go on and on about the things I’ve learned and experienced in one short year; however, that would take forever. Overall, this year has been challenging, yet very rewarding. I’ve formed meaningful relationships with my colleagues, attendings, and my patients. It feels great to know that I am walking in the calling that God has set for my life. As I always say, “God is faithful to those who trust in Him.” He has carried me through year one of residency, and I have no doubt He’ll continue to guide me through this second year.

-thedoctorjb

P.S. I promise it won’t be another 6 months before my next blog post. Stay tuned…great things to come.

Photo credit: http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7655052/aaliyah-greatest-hits-pulled-from-apple-music-itunes

Why I Chose Family Medicine

Posted on April 28, 20163 Comments

There’s an old saying, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” Well, I had my whole career planned out by the time I was in high school, at least that’s what I thought. What did I know back then anyway? I now laugh at myself for thinking that way.

Long before I went to medical school I knew I’d someday become a doctor, and I had decided that I wanted to become a pediatrician. Due to my quite phenomenal birth, I figured it was just meant for me to be a kid doctor.

My mother calls me her “miracle baby.” I was born prematurely, nearly 2 months early, and weighed in at only 1 pound and 15 ounces. By the grace of God, I had no major health complications and was sent home from the hospital about eight weeks after birth.

My grandma once told me, “You were an ugly little baby, but you grew out of it.” Old people are a trip aren’t they?

I was getting bigger, and so was my smile.

As you can see, I’ve come a long way. Whew, God is good!

When I got older and saw these pictures of how tiny I was, I was like hey, “I’m going to take care of little people like that.” Yep, I had it all planned out. I went on throughout high school and college telling everyone I was going to be a pediatrician when I grow up. This all changed when I got to my 3rd year clinical rotations in medical school.

My first pediatrics rotation was when I discovered that maybe pediatrics was not my thing. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the cute little smiles, the nasty little germ-infested hands, and trying to figure out which characteristic rash matched which virus. However, that enjoyment did not provide true fulfillment. I ended the month thinking to myself, “I like this, but there has to be something more.”

When it came time for me to do my OB/GYN rotation I thought I would hate it, but I ended up falling in love with everything from prenatal exams, well woman’s exams, surgical procedures including c-sections, vaginal births and more. I could really see myself doing this. But (there’s always a but), the lifestyle was very demanding and often unpredictable. I mean, if it’s 3:45 AM and a baby decides he’s ready to make a grand entrance into the world, then baby gets what baby wants.

Being a doctor is taxing, but some specialties prove more demanding than others and OB/GYN is one of those. I concluded that maybe I was stuck again. Stuck between enjoying another rotation, but feeling like there was something more.

Later on into my rotations I completed a month of geriatric medicine. I learned that many of the clinical presentations that applied to most people, did not apply to those of the older population. For example, take a 30 year old who comes in with fever and urinary frequency versus a 70 year old with altered mental status. While their presentations are different, both could have a urinary tract infection. That example was simplified, but the point is that I felt challenged by thinking outside of the norm when it comes to older patients. Did I still want to do pediatrics? Did I want to do OB/GYN? By now I was confused and undecided.

Moving right along to 4th year, I ended up doing one of my rural family medicine rotations with a family doc who did nursing home visits each week before seeing clinic patients. Many of the patients had comorbidities and again, I enjoyed the challenge. Another thing that I appreciated about the nursing home visits was seeing the interaction between my preceptor and the family members, nurses and auxiliary staff who all played a role in patients’ care. Not only was my preceptor a health provider, she became a liaison and ambassador, if you will, for her patients. All of this drew me in to geriatrics.

That month, I also had certain patients who tugged on my heart strings because they had no family and no visitors. It made me think of my own grandmothers, who are still living. Neither of them are in a nursing home, but if they were I would hate to think that they had nobody to come visit them. The short time that I was able to spend with those patients was amazing and most were welcoming of the company they received while I was there.

By now, I was strongly considering going into family medicine. That decision was solidified when I completed another rural family medicine rotation in a very underserved community. Most of these people looked like me; however some didn’t. I can clearly recall the day I walked into an exam room to see an older male patient with a confederate flag t-shirt on his redneck skin. The encounter was awkward initially, but in a few short minutes guards were taken down and we shared a nice conversation.

I saw many patients that month who didn’t have health insurance and many who didn’t even have access to healthcare due to lack of transportation. Growing up in a small town myself, I knew what it was like to have to travel to the next town over to go to doctor’s appointments. I could relate when patients would reveal information of family histories of hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol. I could relate to women who cooked their collard greens with neck bones and ham hocks. Having conversations with these patients was like talking to people from my home town. I felt like I knew them. When one patient told me that “they didn’t find no pollens” (referring to not finding polyps during her colonoscopy) I knew exactly what she meant, even if she said it incorrectly.

From that month on, I knew I wanted to practice family medicine in an underserved area. I would get to experience everything I loved about pediatrics, I could still provide women’s health, and I would definitely see my share of older patients. It was like getting the best of all three worlds.

I occasionally speak to my family physician from back home. He took care of me for years, still takes care of my parents, and knows my grandparents and other family members. Forming lasting relationships with patients of all ages, including their family members, while making them feel like I am the best doctor they ever had is what I hope to accomplish.

To my med school peeps, what specialty are you interested in? And to my doctor folks, what inspired you to choose your specialty? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Let me know in the comments below.

-thedoctorjb