4/5

Although today was not a good day for everyone else in the office, I found that I was very quick and efficient with the tasks assigned to me. Unfortunately, there has been talk about the dismissal of one of the PA assistants. Her absence hindered everyone’s schedule because there needed to be someone to take on her duties for the day. Apparently this has been a reoccurring issue with this individual but it occurred to me that this can happen to anyone. It is important that one stays committed in a professional firm with all issues set aside and that advantage is not taken of fellow coworkers by unexpectedly taking days off. At one point there were three other staff members compensating for this individual’s absence. This can be detrimental in a medical setting because scheduling is tight and the providers need all the help they can get. The other employees understand that they cannot afford to behave in this way and it will not continue to be tolerated. Overall, it was a frustrating day for everyone but it was a unique experience for me. Because I was able to finish charting early, I was able to shadow one of the PAs, Dave Freeman. Dave was excited to have me shadow him, probably too excited, because he was asking me to do things I was not trained or certified to do. However, I appreciated the hands on experience. He trusted me enough to remove one of his patient’s sutures and was going to have me carry out a trigger finger cortisone injection, but I was hesitant because I have only seen it done once before. He challenged me to do it next time but my time is now limited in the clinic and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to work with him again. My placement welcomed me to come any time during the summer to do further shadowing. This is something I am considering and hopefully more opportunities like this come.