Will There Be A Shift? My Industry Today vs Tomorrow

After all the time spent at Northwest OBGYN, one of the only “pain points” I have noticed at my mentor site is an increase in patient load when one of the doctors goes on leave/vacation. Due to it being a smaller private practice, there are limited options for re-allocating the doctors' patients for care. There is little to no AI use at my mentor site, therefore I feel that the “human” element of the job will remain incredibly relevant. Not only that, but interpersonal connections and sharing personal stories to help patients is near impossible to replace with AI. I could definitely see an increase in medical technology/equipment being used at my site, but I highly doubt that they will be introducing AI as part of their care any time soon. 

Graph showing employment trends with hospitals, corporations, and private practices

With that being said, I strongly feel that the staffing shortage is not something that will be handled with technology. This issue may not necessarily change due to it being a small practice with a tight knit community of doctors, nurses, and receptionists, and the owners of the practice may choose to keep it that way. 

While observing my mentor, I have seen her deal with an overflow of patients due to one doctor being out on maternity leave. While seeing how she handled her busy and stressful schedule, I realized the importance of preparing for a career in this field by teaching myself to stay on track and focused when I become overwhelmed, and to make sure I take time to myself in my free time. Also due to this, I have implemented the present goal of staying on task and not letting pressure or stress keep me from completing important tasks as I finish out my senior year. 

*Note that heavy/increased workload is within the top 3 stressors for healthcare professionals

During the past 2 weeks of mentoring, I have grown much more comfortable with my mentor and our interactions have become more laid back and natural. Due to it being a medical setting, I have been assisting with minor things around the office like retrieving swab kits, opening iodine, or putting swabs in their test tubes. I have become much more familiar with the routine procedures and services my mentor provides, and I have been able to ask more in depth questions to further my knowledge. Due to my limited time spent each week at my site, I have yet to experience a wide array of patients and appointments. However, me and my mentor agreed to pick up the frequency of our sessions, with three four-hour sessions a week. With that being said, please stay tuned for my next blog which will include much more detailed information!