Keri Baumberger on her time in Sturgis
Week One:
Our first week in Sturgis was quite the learning experience. We were able to meet with various departments to learn about their responsibilities as well as ask them questions. It was nice to learn about a different side of healthcare that we do not get instruction on in school. I was also given the opportunity to follow the MDs and PAs in both the ER and Inpatient hospital setting. I never knew a facility this size would have the variety that they do. Learning a ton of different things!
Week Two:
Week two of the reps program was great, I was able to spend time in the clinic following a physician assistant as well as a whole day following physical therapy and occupational therapy. So far, I have loved being in a small town facility because I have seen such a wide variety of ailments. Not only have I learned about my own profession, but I’ve learned about others as well. I feel like this will help me so much in the future. This is a great program 🙂
Week Three:
Week 3 was very good for what I need to be learning at this point. I got to spend more time with the PA and do rural family Medicine Clinic. I learned a lot about the management of diabetes as well as some effects of Strokes as well as how to rehab them back to normal daily tasks. All this information will be extremely helpful after I graduate in a few months. I’ve liked this experience because it has allowed me to focus on my weak areas and strengthen those areas by learning from different people. I’m having a great time 🙂
Week Four:
Just like our previous weeks, week four was filled with many different activities. I was able to follow the diabetic educator as well as a PA that does the majority of the diabetic management in the area. It was really great for me to focus on this area because of the prevalence in today’s society. It will definitely help me after I graduate. We also were able to hike bear Butte, I would highly recommend it, but take your sunscreen :-). Finally, one of the other events that stands out of this week was a code blue that came into the ER. I have done ACLs training in the past but I feel like it was very beneficial for me to see it happen in real life as well as be able to help out the staff. The whole week was a great ending to my Rehps experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is considering it :-).