STUDENT INTERNSHIP & EXTERNSHIP REFLECTIONS
PEDIATRIC EXTERNSHIP
O
AUTHOR Tyler Mattingly
n the first day of my pediatric ex-
ternship, shadowing already-doc-
tors at Norton Children’s Hospital,
I was excited and nervous. I had
been assigned to work with the
Hospitalist team on the fifth floor
and at the time, I hardly knew what
hospitalists were, let alone what was expected
of them. I did enjoy working with children and I knew I wanted to
be a physician, so I tried to go in with an open mind.
I had spent what felt like all hours of the day with my face buried
in a book or my laptop. This can make it easier to forget the pa-
tients who embody the facts we learn. This externship showed me
the empathy in medicine. I saw attendings and residents navigate
stressful and uncomfortable situations with respect and grace. I
was able to see firsthand what contributes to creating a successful
physician-patient/parent relationship. These experiences are few
and far between early on in the medical school curriculum, so the
ability to experience this daily was invaluable.
Throughout my first week I tried to absorb as much as I possibly
could, but it felt like every other word flew right over my head. I felt
frustrated - I wanted to contribute and I didn’t like feeling so out of
the loop. Every day I was increasingly impressed by the knowledge
shown by my attending and resident MDs. I was amazed by what
they knew and how they learned it all. It reinforced the rigorous
process and the dedication that it takes to become a physician. The
road to doctoring is long and challenging, but not without reason.
Some things take time to learn and they only come with experience.
As someone who just finished the first year of medical school, I
often found myself lost. But I learned that it isn’t a bad thing not
to know something. What is important is that you make the effort
to learn and improve. Lastly, this externship put the role of a physician into perspective
for me. There is no doubt that physicians serve a vital role. In the
hospital setting however, at all times they are still part of a larger
team. The members of this team all have a similar goal and that is to
provide the best care possible. My experiences this summer taught
me how important communication and teamwork are to achieve
that common goal. No single person has the answer 100 percent of
the time, nor can they shoulder the load alone. It is often necessary
to lean on your colleagues for information or share tasks amongst
yourselves. When everyone is on the same page, the quality of care
is maximized. I am grateful for the time I spent at Norton Children’s
and for the opportunity to learn from some amazing doctors. This
externship was my first real glimpse into my future as a physician -
and I couldn’t be more excited!
In addition to the fantastic learning experience, it also served to
remind me of the people we serve. As a first-year medical student, Tyler Mattingly is a second-year medical student at the University of Louisville
School of Medicine.
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LOUISVILLE MEDICINE