First Impressions

The first day was OK. I don't care for first days, so it was nice to get itover with. One strange thing this rotation is the requirement that I keep a daily journal of my experiences in community medicine. I think it would be awesome to just turn in the URL for my blog, but that probably won't fly, especilly as I riff on other topics on occasion.

But, for today, I will include the text of my sanitized version that will be submitted at the end. I'm not sure that I will like diarizing twice a day.

The CHP is a friendly place, similar to the community health center that I rotated through in Libby, but also very different. They have six exam rooms, keeping two providers busy during the day, and they have a shifted schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays, staying open until 7 PM, to better serve working people. They also have an extensive adult education program that provides GED services, and child care for those working to educate themselves. In my experience, this role is filled by community colleges in Oregon, but here, the community health center has stepped up to the plate.

My first day was spent primarily in observation, but with some increased duties as the day concluded. It didn’t take long to come across something that could be major. My preceptor diagnosed molluscum contagiousum on the buttocks of a 3 year old. A common condition, but one that also raises concerns about possible abuse, warranting a call to CPS. The father was all in favor of it, and if I could figure out the tangled web of relationships that resulted in his three children, and their ongoing chain of custody, I would be Einstein.

The weather was typical Livingston...25 degrees, 45 mph winds, blowing the new snow sideways fast enough to keep it from accumulating.

Oh yeah...and no homework from a grumpy Korean doctor tonight!