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Brianne Cook
5/6/15
Field Experience Summary
I am very grateful to have been granted the opportunity to shadow physicians in hospitals
and clinics as part of the Field Experience course. In December, I had the chance to shadow
physicians in my hometown. I also had the opportunity later in January to shadow physicians at
Medical Associates and Mercy Hospital here in Dubuque. Taking the field experience course was
a great opportunity to meet and talk with physicians as well as learn more about working in
different fields of medicine. Furthermore, this course has had an impact on my considerations on
my future career path, and I believe that other students should take this course in the future to
gain first-hand insights into their career fields of interest.
It is difficult to put into words the full extent of what I learned from my shadowing
experiences and observations. Simply, it was an amazing opportunity. I loved having the chance
to directly observe interactions between the physicians and patients. During office visits, I found
it interesting to see how each of the doctors greeted their patients, discussed their conditions, and
addressed any further concerns. I loved seeing how the physicians (especially Dr. Michael
Weston, Dr. Mark Janes and Dr. Christian Schultheis) had developed relationships with their
patients, and often knew more about their patients than just their health conditions. I also found it
interesting to see how the physicians I followed handled difficult scenarios, such as one case I
observed with Dr. Jenny Butler (I wont go into any more detail because of concerns about
HIPAA regulations).
While shadowing, I also recognized the importance of time management. Physicians have
a limited amount of time to spend with each patient in order to accommodate all patient visits as
well as complete all of the associated documentation and paperwork. Sometimes, the doctors

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would spend more time with patients when necessary, and would occasionally make sure to allot
extra time for particular patients. I also observed several methods of documentation. When I
shadowed Dr. Michael Weston, it was interesting to see how a large quantity of paper was still
used, despite having an electronic records system.
As I was shadowing, I also noted some interesting aspects of the different fields of
medicine. Spending time in my hometown clinic and hospital, I enjoyed the close-knit
atmosphere of the office and community; physicians, nurses and patients often had personal
connections to one another and seemed to work well together, and communicate clearly and
effectively. When I shadowed in the ER (on a less busy night) with Dr. Jenny Butler, I liked how
she provided care to patients, treating a variety of conditions and injuries. In Dubuque, I enjoyed
shadowing Dr. Michael Fleege and Dr. Michael Riley in radiology. I loved the pure anatomy
component of the job, looking through images and being able to distinguish abnormal structure.
When looking at various scans and by asking questions, I learned to identify normal tissues and
organs as well as a few abnormalities. On the other hand, I did not particularly like the reduced
patient contact in radiology, as the physicians spent most of their day reading scans. I found
oncology and pulmonary medicine both very interesting, as in many cases, the physicians would
read the scans as well as discuss results with patients. I also observed how Dr. Janes and Dr.
Schultheis would use the latest research and collaborated with other doctors to develop the most
effective treatment options.
This Field Experience course, along with other past shadowing and healthcare
experience, has had a strong impact in my considerations of my future career path. I have found
that I would prefer to work in a field of medicine that involves direct patient contact. I could
relate to connections made between the physicians and patients because of my experience

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working as a CNA. I like how physicians can help improve the quality of life of patients by
treating their condition, and by offering medical advice as well as moral support through
conversation. Sometimes the simplest actions, such as being friendly and greeting patients, have
the greatest impact (and certainly influence the overall interactions and trust between physicians
and their patients).
This course has given me a broader perspective of working as a physician as well as the
overall health care industry, including both the positive and challenging aspects of the job. I
realized more fully the degree to which politics influences the medical field. All of the physicians
I followed referenced the impact of politics on how they practice medicine at least once. For
example, several of the physicians discussed how government regulations have led to an increase
in paperwork, and can complicate the process of providing necessary care to patients.
This experience has also prompted me to think more about the kind of lifestyle I want to
balance along with my future career. Although it depends on the medical specialty, most
physicians work long hours and often have to be on-call. Being younger and having fewer
obligations, these hours wouldnt be an issue now. However, this course has prompted me to
consider further the kind of lifestyle I would like have in balance with my future career, and how
that may stay the same or change over time.
While shadowing, I observed physician assistants working alongside the physicians in
each of the settings where I shadowing and saw how they complete many of the same tasks as
physicians. This summer I plan to shadow physician assistants either in Dubuque or at home, to
gain a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities. So far I have been in contact with
one clinic near my hometown.

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I would strongly recommend the Field Experience course to anyone who would like to
learn more about their career fields of interest, but especially those considering an occupation in
the field of medicine. Again, this course was a great chance to gain first-hand insights on the
different fields of medicine, and to recognize the benefits as well as challenges associated with
various careers. My best recommendation to those taking the course in the future is to just keep
calling, dont give up. It is difficult to shadow anywhere unless you have a personal connection,
and even then sometimes theres no guarantee on being able to shadow. In addition, I found that
medical offices seemed more inclined to schedule shadowing experiences when I mentioned I
was completing hours for a course. Furthermore, ask questions when shadowing: As an
undergraduate student, there was a lot of terminology and procedures that I did not recognize, but
the physicians and their staff were always willing to answer my questions.
I am very grateful to have had this great opportunity to be a part of the Field Experience
course, and have had the chance to shadow physicians working in several different fields of
medicine. This was an awesome learning experience and has influenced my considerations on
my future career path. I would certainly recommend this course to anyone interested in learning
more about different science-related careers, but particularly to those interested in medical
occupations.