Above: Nope, I'm not driving in Britain. The Florida Turnpike (right) and I-95 (left) run side-by-side for many miles in South Florida.CAN YOU WRITE
A LITTLE BIT BIGGER, PLEASE?
My preceptor at my Family Medicine Rotation
(Relax: It might be April 1st, but no pranks here. But this might help.)
I'll admit to you that I was thrown into culture shock as I got settled down in my apartment here in Miami. My apartment isn't exactly in the best of areas (although the accommodations are pretty nice and I'm staying with a friend from high school), and some of the neighborhoods where I'll be driving through were quite sketchy (I wouldn't walk outside here at night). At a point, I started feeling like I wasn't admitting things to myself. I had to finally admit to myself:
I'm a suburban kid who might be afraid of the "big city" concept other than in my hometown of Chicago.
I was scared because of the rumors that I've heard about the horrible drivers, the high crime rates, and the not exactly country-friendly people in Miami. And my doubts about Miami were further hastened when I was assigned for my first two weeks to a private clinic in an area that didn't exactly get "smiles" when I mentioned the place to anybody local. I did a test drive to find my site there, and the environment was different from anything I was used to: numerous black bars were on the windows, people talked through plexiglass at the surrounding gas stations, police cars were patrolling the area left and right, and sketchy-looking trailer homes with poorly-maintained landscaping were prominent. And the kicker: I was the only one assigned there for the first two weeks. On the first night, I took some time that night to remove the CD's, bags, and anything valuable out of the interior of my car.
However, as discouraging as all that sounds, I'll say the first week turned out to be the best mind-opening experience I had to date. What made the difference?
First, time. With each day, I found myself getting used to the area. I found out that driving in Miami takes patience, predicting, and communication. I also found appreciation in the lack of big stores along my route (I could probably call it the Pawn Shop Parade) in creating a community-driven economy. And not to mention, now experiencing an area first-hand that originally I would only want to see through pictures in magazines or newspapers is now something I am truly enjoying.
Second, the clinic & the patients. The clinic I'm working at isn't exactly the most modern up-to-date clinic on earth, but the nurses and the staff treat me well. For instance, as I was leaving today, one of them shouted out the window as they were backing out of the space, Have a good one! It made me smile as this friendly gesture went against my original assumptions of people here in the area. It also surprised me that I've seen my interesting share of cases in a primary care clinic. Folks, the material that's present in textbooks really happens. Last, but not least, the patients I have worked so far with have been extremely cooperative with me, and I'm thankful for them contributing to my learning.
Third, the experience. For the first two-weeks, my assignment was one-on-one to a doctor instead of a larger group of 3-5 students, as in my last rotation. What this provides is some awesome personal attention. As for my attending, she's awesome. She really trusts me, and is patient as I'm still trying to master the art of history taking and diagnosis making. I am able to make the clinic an effective learning environment as she is always accommodating my questions.
As one of the travel program hosts on PBS always suggests (I think its Rick Steves), travel with an open mind. It's true. It's that open mind that helped turn what I thought was going to be disaster into pure pleasure.
BTW - There's a fourth reason: The weather. But that's kinda expected in Florida, so for me, that doesn't count.
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