Today I had my first 'real' simulation experience. A doctor was in the next room acting as the voice of our dummy, as well, others were controlling the vitals and what the dummy was doing (ie changing breath sounds, heart beats, stomach distention, etc.) Let me tell you it was quite the experience to say the least. My role was to perform all physical examinations on the "patient". This didn't consist of much since it was a GI case. But, I felt like I just stood there whilst everybody else did work, thinking, etc. There are two people in my group that, honestly, I don't know how they know what they know! It has got to be previous clinical experience because, well, let's just say, my clinical thinking skills are not at that level yet.
It is quite frustrating to go into a room with a group of peers and then feel like they know more than I. I realize that this is my very first time attempting to apply the knowledge I have learned for my exams EVER, but it is still disheartening to think how much I still really don't know. This will come with time, but right now, this simulation learning experience was a tough one to swallow (partially because I was overwhelmed and partially because our patient coded, went unconscious, and stopped breathing....which subsequently caused all of the students to stop breathing in fear our 'patient' had died!) It is scary to think that one day that will be a real person in front of me coding, but, at that point, I certainly hope I know what the heck to do.
So, all in all, I have to learn how to think clinically and learn how to apply my book knowledge to medicine. It is unfortunate though, that reading the book, "How Doctors Think" doesn't really give you any idea how doctors really do think. I suppose some time I will figure this out.
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