The Goals I Sets for Myself as a Clinical Extern

The goals that I have for myself as a clinical intern include improving myself. I aim to improve myself in not just accelerating my medical skills, but in a variety of things. I aim to further my social skills, as it is something I struggle with, engaging in formal conversation with strangers, which is a necessary tool in everyday life, not just the medical workplace. This can also help in furthering my connections with individuals, and forcing myself to put myself in unfamiliar territory, and allow for self-growth.

I will also aim to further practice and perfect proper communication with patients, specifically with children, as this is a specialized pediatric institute. This will help me to gain insight on interacting with children and performing proper bedside manner. It will allow me to practice forming relationships with patients, which is healthy for not only the patient but the healthcare provider. It establishes mutual trust, furthering positive results. During this time, I will also learn how an actual clinical setting operates.

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There are many components to a medical facility that allows it to function, all of which I would like to observe, which will help me in the future to determine whether this is a field of work that I would like to further my career in. I also aim to gain experience to apply to future settings, and not just medical ones, but also personal. This time will allow me to understand just some of what it takes to work as a medical professional, including real patients, stories, procedures, and paperwork.

Discuss your eventual career goal and your plan to get there. Include schooling and work (no computer printouts).

My eventual career goal is to gain my doctorate and become a neurologist. A neurologist is a specialist in the diseases of the brain and nervous system who studies the branch of medicine that deals with the study and treatment of people with diseases of the brain and nervous system. To indulge in neurology with a degree in medicine includes taking steps to be recognized by the General Medical Council (GMC). This usually takes a minimum of five years to complete, although if I already have a degree in a subject other than medicine, I can apply for a four-year accelerated medical graduate entry program (GEP).

The medical degree is followed by two years of foundation training, where I will work in a hospital as a junior doctor on a rotational basis in different departments, which may include neurology. Once I complete this, I will be awarded a Foundation Program Certificate of Completion (FPCC). I must now complete general medical training, which consists of either a two-year core medical training (CMT) program or a three-year acute care common stem (ACCS) program. As well as general medical rotations, this will include a six-month research project. Before applying to do a medical degree, I should develop work experience, either paid or voluntary, in areas relevant to medicine. This could be through work experience at a local hospital, nursing home or through work-shadowing a doctor. This experience shows my commitment to becoming a doctor and provides insight into the physical and emotional demands of working in medicine. Once I’m a medical student I could consider becoming an undergraduate member of the Royal College of Physicians and Association of British Neurologists (ABN).

What skills and characteristics will you need to be successful in your chosen career?

To become a neurologist, I will require specific traits to be able to perform my job in the best setting possible. This includes excellent knowledge of anatomy, physiology, the central nervous system and other body systems; good diagnostic skills to determine the type of disease, its severity and extent; excellent problem-solving and clinical decision-making skills; the ability to work alone or in teams; good time management and organizational skills; the ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with patients and staff from a wide range of backgrounds; familiarity with research methods and a willingness to keep up to date with advances in treatments leadership ability; possess empathy to be able to form relationships with my patients built on trust; and be able to understand treatment from a patient’s point of view.

How will your externship help you achieve those goals?

My externship will allow me to develop these essential skills, which includes working in a setting where I am forced interact with patients and their family daily, allowing me to learn how to develop healthy relationships with patients formed on a foundation of trust. I can also continually test my ability to work under stressful, real-life conditions, which tests my ability for problem-solving. To work in a setting without controlled conditions will allow me to develop these necessary skills, while practicing and learning. It will also aid me in becoming to more sociable to be able to communicate directly with other staff workers and patients, which will allow me to develop beneficial connections with people and elevate my ability to perform any given job or every-day life, not just in a medical setting. This externship will also provide me with clinical experience, allowing me to further my education and knowledge, allowing me to apply to future settings. I will also be able to continually test my struggle areas, and hopefully overcome, or somewhat develop them.

Where do you see yourself in ten years (career, family, economically)?

In ten years, I hope to see myself in a career that I enjoy and look forward to doing every-day; one in which I am able to help people and care for them. I want to be able to be in a mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy state, including possibly starting or expanding a family. I would also look forward to being financially stable and in a place where I am able to prioritize the care of my patients and my family first. Although, the future is still unpredictable.

Why did you choose the clinical facility that you chose?

I chose the clinical facility that I did to perform my externship due to a multitude of factors. One was the availability. It was quite difficult to find a facility that met all the requirements that was necessary for me to be able to perform this externship and also gain my interest. The facility I chose is of a pediatric endocrinologist’s, which deals which the diseases of treatments of the endocrine system, specifically in children. Another factor was the proximity to school; It was necessary for me to find a facility close to school to allow me to time to drive back and forth. This facility is also specifically a teaching facility. This means that many other individuals come here specifically to learn how to work in this environment, meaning that the doctors and instructors there know how to teach techniques and how the facility runs efficiently. It is meant for trial and error, exactly what I require to fulfill my goals as an extern. And lastly, this facility was easier for me to acquire as I had been referred by a patient of theirs, which made the process less arduous for me.

What do you consider to be your strongest trait in the work environment? Give examples of how you have displayed that trait in the past.

The strongest trait in the work environment that I possess is empathy. I am able to apply myself in the more emotional settings that come with being in a medical facility. I am capable of connecting with patients and providing a more comforting face and setting for the contrasting harsh setting and situation that a patient may be experiencing. I have conveyed this in the past by being able to talk with patients who were alone, and quite frankly had no one else to talk to, which allowed them to be provided with a sense of comfort and a piece of mind.

What do you consider to be your weakest trait in the work environment? Give examples of how you have displayed that trait in the past.

The thing that I consider my weakest trait in the workplace is sociability, more specifically in difficult scenarios. I am quite a shy and introverted person, and it is quite difficult for to often express or speak to someone, more specifically a stranger. I would rather not engage in social interactions, especially if it includes being in an altercation or disagreeing with someone. I display this weak trait not only in the workplace, but in everyday life, as I lean towards a more submissive nature. I hope to develop this trait and sociability skills, in writing as well as verbally, as I perform my externship.