Journal Entry #11

Amita Raj

Abney

6^th Period

Journal Entry #11: Monday, November 8^th and Tuesday, November 9^th, 2010

                I spent both Monday and Tuesday with my mentor at her clinic. I saw four patients and only one of them had received good news for the future. This was unorthodox. Normally, my mentor tells her patients that their conditions can never improve but can only be sustained, or have the deterioration period elongated and/or avoided. After reviewing the lab results, the doctor concluded that when the bloodwork was taken, the patient must not have been hydrated enough, therefore displaying high creatinine levels. The primary care physician saw this and immediately referred the patient to a sub-specialist (my mentor). I asked the doctor if this was a normal practice because if creatinine levels were only slightly higher (0.2 more for this patient) than normal, it would only make sense to do the bloodwork again. This led to a lengthy discussion about the health care system, the government, and the future of doctors and their salaries. Although the medicine field may be headed in the negative direction, I am not discouraged and I feel like I can still have the satisfaction of helping take care of others.