At the close of each semester, we encourage you to use your journals to reflect on your academic, personal, and clinical experiences. We hope you will use your writing not only as a way to process what you have accomplished, but also give you ideas of how you want to move forward and insights on the clinician you want to be. We recommend answering at least 3 questions after each semester.

​

End of Semester Questions:

​

1) The toughest adjustment I’ve had so far has been _______________ and I have overcome this challenge by _____________________________.

​

2) I have found that the things that have kept me motivated since starting the PBPM program are _______.

 

3) One thing I don’t want to forget happened since starting the post bac program is ___________________.

​

4) I have noticed that I have trouble managing multiple priorities and have not completed assignments on time or have forgotten to do something I’ve been asked to do.  In order to turn this around for spring semester I am going to make the following changes ______________________________.

 

5) What makes it so difficult to “stay on my own mat”?  How can I develop confidence in my work/study/social habits so that I don’t compare myself to others so much?

 

6) I’m not being as successful with my studies as I would have expected so I have made the following adjustments _______________________________ and would consider these others if they do not help turn things around _____________________________.

​

Clinical Reflections: (Hint: these are good places to start as you begin writing your Personal Statement!)

​

7) What, if anything, have you seen during your recent shadowing/clinical experience that has given you reason to question whether or not this is the career path for you?  What helped you process this new information or maybe you should speak with someone about those concerns?

 

8) The most difficult situation I’ve had working with a patient has been ______________.  It was resolved by______________ or, in hindsight, I wish I/we had __________________.

​

9) I know doctors are vulnerable to burn out so what habits do I need to correct now before they lead me into burn out and/or what habits should I develop now in order to help prevent burn out?

​

10) One very important thing that I learned in US Healthcare class is ______________________________________.   Another important thing I want to remember as I go on to medical school or practicing medicine is _______________________________________________.

 

11) Here are examples of patient interactions I have had that illustrate

my empathy _______________________________,

listening skills _______________________________,

ability to engage in creative problem solving _________________________________, and

desire to continue learning more about medicine ____________________________________.

 

12) When I observe multiple health professionals interacting with one another to help a patient I believe the most important skill set to be effective is _______________________.  The next most important thing to be able to do is ________________________.

 

13) I’ve witnessed interactions between doctors and patients that were both effective and ineffective.  When reflecting on the effective interactions I observed the following _____________.  When reflecting on the ineffective interactions I noticed the following ____________.