In the last post I wrote, I had discussed preparing for Part 1 Boards and cramming for final exams. Juggling both felt intense, but somehow, I ended that trimester academically well… This trimester already weighs down as a different form of stress…the kind where one realizes very rapidly that cramming last minute will not be acceptable. This is the trimester where we combine everything we have studied and learn how to apply them. It doesn’t do one justice to study last minute. This curriculum will be critical for our future practice. We are being trained to be primary portal physicians. As such, we are taking a phlebotomy course, where we are learning how to draw blood. In a different course taught, we are learning how to read blood work values and how to order specific tests.

This trimester is much more hands-on than any other trimester. In Dr Young’s “Advanced Manual Therapy” course, we are learning how to do a proper S.O.A.P. note by assessing restrictions and muscular irregularities/hypertonicity on each other and then administering effective treatment procedures. We’ll be learning integrative methods to treat the spine that include blocking, drop table, and instrument assisted adjusting as well.

Dr Wieland is teaching us a “Clinical Encounter” class, which focuses on the practical aspects of proper doctor-patient communication, effective medical record keeping, and understanding the role of integrative medicine in therapeutic clinical decision-making. We were introduced to standardized patients last trimester, and that method of examination will continue to better help us enforce concepts learned and relay them in mock patient encounters. I find it’s a valuable exam tool as it encourages us to dive into the Dr. role and learn how to appropriately interact with a patient, improve our professionalism, and become comfortable in that environment.

Each course builds on material learned in different trimesters and it’s important to refresh ourselves on those subjects and improve our understanding. The curriculum blends smoothly together this trimester to enable us to have cohesive and interactive experiences with future patients. I know Open Lab will be extra useful this trimester for us to practice orthopedic exams and manipulation procedures!