Rotation: Outpatient (Private Practice) Neurology

Name/Location of Clinical Rotation

Private Practice Neurology

What did I like most about this specialty?

These people really needed help. The office I was in was great. I’d get to see every patient and interview them by myself, then present to my attending before we’d go see them together. My attending did his own EMGs in the office and read his own results, which he taught me while I was there.

What did I like least about this specialty?

Quite often, I didn’t feel like we really did much to help the patient, other than just listen. We might up the dosage on the medication, or read over the MRI/CT brain scans, but I didn’t feel like we fixed much of the problem.

Did this clinical rotation give me a good sense of what practice in this specialty would be like?

I felt like I got a comprehensive experience in Neurology on this clerkship. I was on a consult and stroke unit while on inpatient, had call in the ED, and then got two weeks of private practice up til Christmas. It was a good experience.

Did my interests, values, kills and personality fit with this specialty? If yes, how did they fit? If not, why might they not be compatible?

Neurology just wasn’t what I was looking for in a specialty. It was so sad. A lot of the time, there were just no answers or nothing we could do to change what was going on with the patient. I didn’t like the feeling that everything I did didn’t really matter. What felt like the most help to the patient was just sitting and talking to them in the office.

What are the possible practice settings exist for this specialty? Do any of them interest me and do I know enough about them?

This was the first time I had been in a private practice office. I think I liked it better than the inpatient setting for this specialty.

What info do I still need?

None. I saw enough to know that this specialty is not for me, but I am glad someone has a passion for it.

Has my perception of this specialty changed? If yes, how?

I actually thought I might like Neurology given my family’s history with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, but I didn’t connect with it as much as I thought I would. I still tried to give it my best and learn as much as I could.

Did my clinical rotation experience influence the likelihood of choosing this specialty?

Yes it did–it moved it farther down the list of possibilities for me (still above surgery, though).

Right now, how interested am I in this specialty?

Not very. It was just too sad for me. I am looking for a specialty where I can feel like I actually fix things.

What information do I still need to evaluate this specialty? Any other comments or reflections?