Clinical experience is precious to the practice of medical professionals because it provides an opportunity to immerse myself in my future profession fully. Thus, going through this stage was especially valuable for me, as I learned a lot and increased my efficiency and effectiveness as a professional. During my clinical internship, I had to perform various tasks and assist in treating and providing care to patients. Therefore, I was involved in performing practices such as conducting diagnostic tests. This is of particular value because it enables me to understand how to analyze the patient’s medical situation and determine the correct course of treatment.
In addition, it was my responsibility to help patients with minor injuries of all kinds. Critical in this process is proper communication to give peace of mind and comfort to the individuals. Moreover, as part of my clinical practice, I interacted with and worked with people with chronic health issues and mental concerns. In the latter case, it is essential to circumvent the possibility of stigma about mental issues, as “public knowledge about physical diseases is usually seen as beneficial, knowledge about it is often disregarded” (Mannarini & Rossi, 2019, p. 1). It is also worth noting that biased opinions and personal judgments must be avoided when providing medical care.
During my clinical experience, I encountered several problems and challenges. This allowed me to improve my problem-solving skills and to work collaboratively with other professionals. For example, I often consulted with other doctors and nurses when I had problems with diagnoses in order to understand my situation better and to prescribe the most effective treatment. In addition, I worked with different age groups, which gave me an understanding of the unique characteristics and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults. I realized that each group needs to be approached differently depending on their developmental characteristics, both mental and physical.
Reference
Mannarini, S., & Rossi, A. (2019). Assessing mental illness stigma: a complex issue. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2722. Web.