By Biniam Abraham, PA-S, James Madison University
I’m a physician assistant (PA) student from the James Madison University (JMU) Physician Assistant Program. As part of my clinical rotation I have been shadowing with and learning from the OB/GYN providers for the past four weeks.
It’s hard to believe it has been four weeks and my time to leave has come. I enjoyed my time here. My encounter with the providers and supporting staff has been a heartwarming experience. It was a privilege to see the dedication of the doctors and the midwife. They care about not only about the physical concerns of the patient, but about the spiritual and mental wellbeing as well. The practice serves patients from different cultural and religious backgrounds and among them are the less fortunate in our community.
Often, we would come across patients who had been or felt they had been blown off by other practices or doctors. On the other hand, the Tepeyac providers took time to listen and address patients’ concerns. It was a gratifying experience to witness the happiness on the patients’ faces, for they felt they had been heard and valued and they were able to return home with dignity.
The doctors went out of their way to maximize my learning and they often reviewed cases we haven’t seen but that I ought to know as a student. When they learned that I’m gravitating towards emergency medicine as a career, they were kind enough to tailor the learning process to conditions that would commonly present in emergency situations and how I should assess and facilitate their treatment.
Finally, I would like to take time to thank Dr. Anderson, Dr. Bruchalski, Dr. Cvetkovich Dr. Fisk, & Dr. Pereira for welcoming me to the practice and for sharing their passion and wealth of knowledge with me. I appreciated the medical guidance and transition to practice advice that Nurse Midwife Kim Terhune provided. I also would like to thank the medical assistants Alyssa, Gia, Liz, and Samantha, U/S technicians, nurses and the supporting staff for making me feel welcome, helping me when I had questions and sharing their office space. Finally, I would like to thank Mrs. Chang for the discussions on coffee, Indian food and more we shared in the break room and for giving me this opportunity to offer my thanks in writing.
Biniam’s appreciation for us couldn’t possibly exceed ours for him! Throughout his stay with us, he was attentive, appreciative, and an eager learner—a pleasure to have as part of the team.