Introduction
As part of preparing healthcare workers to be competent in their areas of specialization, institutions usually give students a chance to venture into their respective roles through a medical externship. Therefore, under this program, I went to train in medical duties at Rocky Vista Health Center (RVHC) alongside Chambers Road, Parker in the United States. The major role that I was undertaking there is medical administration where I was assigned to be at the medical reception point. In this area, I was able to interact with patients most of whom made me gain experience in the medical values required when working not only at RVHC but all other organizations offering clinical services.
The institution through my supervisors and management allowed me to weigh myself in terms of the capacity to deliver in my field of specialization. It was relevant to have the exposure as it helped me to gain an understanding of basic metrics that are encountered during healthcare administration. For example, I used to make schedules for patients with doctors and nurses as well as receive patients who were looking for clinical services. Thus, the externship was resourceful to my career thanks to the school for allowing me to take part in the program.
Externship Activities
As depicted in the introduction paragraph, my main duty was to operate as a medical receptionist. That means I was part of the direct link between clients and business. When one is at the reception area of any organization, one determines the experience that one will get while receiving the services one comes to seek. For example, if a patient feels like they need to be checked for various reasons, they first communicate with the front office and that is where they are given directives (Tan, 2017). Through my supervisor Dr. Tiffany Mahaso, who is shown in Figure 1, I gained skills on how to handle matters more that appeared to be pressing calling for extra mile thinking.
Administration
Administration activities means the roles that help run the organization through communication, implementation, and monitoring of issues that need thorough handling. While at RVHC, I was trained on how to maintain the business inventory such as checking the drug items available and which required requisition by the medical manager. I also played a key role when it comes to reimbursement processes which include receiving payments and clearing guests before they get discharged from the health center (Michalik et al., 2018). For example, at any point that a patient visits, I used to create a financial account (F.A.) when the person was checking in. During the treatment, all services offered to the patient including food and beverage, health fitness, consultation, and others would be posted in the health electronic records (HER) system used. Therefore, when the guest was leaving, we would check the open balances and request them to clear the bills through cash, swiping, or mobile payments. Additionally, it was part of my duties to ensure that patients are grouped according to the mode of payment as some were self-paying, others were covered by medical insurers and others received complimentary services from the company.
Intake
This means receiving guests from the time they step into the facility and guiding them until they start getting medical attention. As a professional medical receptionist, I realized that I am supposed to greet and welcome guests and show them courtesy as one way of showing business etiquette to them. Through this activity, I would classify different patients according to their required medical requests. For example, RVHC being an outpatient center ensured that all persons got immediate attention depending on the utility sought during the medical visit. Part of the intake included scheduling visits to the hospital when guests called from outside the health center.
Scheduling
This included having a concurrence with the nurses and doctors on the time they are supposed to attend to a given patient. Under scheduling, I ensured that I communicated any issue that is raised by a patient and also give feedback to the client before time lapsed. Part of scheduling included prescribing to the patient the time they are supposed to come for their services among other issues. While working at the healthcare center, I ensured that all records were updated and handed over to anyone who is on duty whenever I was off work. This was a phenomenal experience in my field, and it boosted my confidentiality about medical duties.
Answering Calls and Patient Questions
This was part of the main roles that were linked to the administration and other key duties. Guests would come with various questions, and I was set to answer them professionally and satisfactorily. For example, one of the guests had come to complain about a ‘surprise’ medical bill she received from the health center when she was having an emergency. Many inquiries were based on medical insurance, quality of services, and also the efficacy of drug prescription and administration.
Connection to MSBS Curriculum
The Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) program is developed and designed to train students in doctoral programs on interdisciplinary collaboration and correlation with basic science with clinical application. Through the program, students are assured of competency in the health sciences field, evidence-based medicine, and human anatomy. Therefore, my attachment was relevant and connected to the MSBS curriculum since I was offered skills on how to integrate the patient-to-doctor perspectives in ensuring there is patient satisfaction.
Additionally, my externship gave me a chance to observe how challenges encountered can be combatted. For example, the health insurance and reimbursement problems enlightened me about the solution. I realized that during clinical administration, it is required that a medical service provider offer consent to a patient before administering any service to them. That prevents struggles that come during the payment period which may lead to personal or individual liability. Working as a medical receptionist made me obtain specific skills on how to deal with critical issues such as emergencies or matters that put the risk to patients or the service provider. Generally, all these tasks are related to the requirements of the MSBS program.
Connections to the MSBS Project
The basis of my project is to research how to establish and inject holistic thinking into career goals. Natural remedies for dealing with diseases are the key background of the project with the integration of various aspects such as evidence-based clinical research and also a techno-centric provision of healthcare. While working at RVHC, I gained knowledge on how various diseases are treated and the mode in which they can be combatted by applying clinical information and power. For example, dyspnea is a common problem that is addressed by treating an underlying disease or condition (Michalik et al., 2018). In this case, I learned that when caused by pleural effusion, it is vital to drain fluid from the chest to reduce shortness of breath. Therefore, that was aligned with my project since it was the evidence-based implementation of clinical roles in a healthcare setting.
Career Goals
My interest is to become an osteopathic physician due to the skills I feel to possess and also the affinity to serving patients who may have health challenges. As seen in Figure 2, the specialization has few students and that gives an advantage in terms of competitiveness of the field. Therefore, through training at RVHC, I was advantaged because of the holistic approach the instruction has more so when it comes to the connection between patients and healthcare personnel. As a receptionist, I grasped various concepts such as understanding the different natures of people especially when it comes to mental illness. My career calls me to be a researcher so that I am always updated on the current trends in biomedicine. The healthcare center gave me a chance to explore what the future holds when it comes to evidence-based practice (EBP) in health fields. I want to be a physician who can solve medical issues without constraints. Therefore, the experience I had assisted me to stick to the problem-solving strategies which are important in anyone’s venture in work.
Conclusion
My externship at the RVHC gave me a chance to experience a raft of measures when it comes to medical care. Through my administrative duties, I became more aware of the holistic style of clinical delivery and also the EBPs that are essential during working times. As a person aspiring to be an osteopathic physician, I am confident about the strategies applicable in treating infectious diseases, mental problems, and preventive measures health-wise.
References
Michalik, I., Kańtoch, A., & Petiurenko, A. (2018). Perspective modification of medical education in the sphere of telemedicine in Ukraine based on experience gained during professional internships in Poland. Bio-Algorithms And Med-Systems, 14(3), 9.
Tan, K. (2017). Progress in obstetrics and gynecology – evidence-based practices and practice-based evidence reviews. Singapore Medical Journal, 58(6), 283-284.