Working with Veterans as a DC Intern
Monday, October 29, 2012
National University DC
student Jason Rosenberg recently completed a four-week clinical
intern rotation at the Illiana Veteran's Administration Health Care
System in Danville, Illinois. There, he treated veterans under the
supervision of the staff DC clinician in the physical medicine
department. The rotation at Illiana is one of many
hospital rotations and clerkships offered to qualified students
at NUHS.
Jason worked with WWII, Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf War veterans,
and also veterans newly returned from Afghanistan and Iraq. "The
clinic saw from 20- 40 patients each day with two exam rooms and
four adjusting tables. I personally saw about 7-12 patients
each day. It was a great chance to learn how to handle a high
patient volume."
"The best thing about the rotation is the number of different
conditions you see in a short period of time. We treated both
outpatients and inpatients with everything from lumbar and cervical
disk problems, facet syndrome, degenerative joint disease,
degenerative disc disease, headache, migraine, rotator cuff, and
shoulder impingement. Most patients had multiple medical issues,
which provided a great learning experience."
"We were working in conjunction with physical therapists,
occupational therapists, and MDs, so it was a real
interdisciplinary setting. We were co-managing all of the patients,
as every patient came to the clinic from a referral from a primary
MD," says Jason. "We could instantly access a patient's files from
other physicians, as well as any diagnostic images."
National University offers six four-week rotations at Illiana
each year to qualified students in their tenth trimester. The staff
DC accepts only one intern at a time, "so there is lots of
one-on-one time with the clinician," says Jason.
"While I was in Danville, I lived in a house on the campus of
the facility with other rotating med students from different
professions," he says. "Danville is a typical American small town,
and it's an easy drive to Chicago, Indianapolis or Champaign, if
you're looking for more to do."
Jason recommends the Illiana rotation for anyone with the
ambition to see a wider range of health conditions and help a
deserving population. "Advancing the DC profession within the
Veterans Services system goes a long way in furthering the
acceptance of our profession." After graduation, Jason plans
on opening a general family practice in the greater Washington, DC
area, bringing with him all the skills he learned both at NUHS and
during his unique experience in Danville.
