Just when I thought I beat this topic dead, I find myself in the same predicament that I was in last year at this time. I have no preceptor for next semester.
Well, that’s not entirely true- I have my specialty practice set up, and that will be great- I’m ready to go with that for January. I need another primary care setting. Presently, I am in the prison system- and that is great, but I really need some experience working in a civilian primary care setting. There aren’t many little old ladies or men in the prison setting. What is considered “old” in prison is frighteningly close to my own age.
At last night’s class, a representative from the School of Nursing nudged those of us who still didn’t have anything yet to get going. At the same time, she told us that other nursing schools, like Yale & Quinnipiac, were calling her to get ideas for clinical placement sites. She offered suggestions to us, like bringing fresh baked muffins to doctor’s offices along with our resume. My first reaction was, man I don’t have time to bake for my own family, and I am not as well financed as a drug rep who brings Panera Bread lunches to the offices. What am I to do?
This has been eating at me for a few weeks now, and I don’t have the time or energy during the day to pursue this. I received a “no” from one physician that I have a good rapport with, as his office is converting to EMS next year. Another “no” I got from another physician I have a good rapport with- he said he is just too busy and cannot slow down to teach someone, and that he has refused medical students as well.
I pulled up my bootstraps this morning and returned to what worked for me last year. There is a large, fairly new physician group (the one that my two “no’s” belong to), staffed by well established local physicians which is owned by our community hospital. I emailed the office manager to see if she can set me up with something, she said she will get back to me. I also have another physician that just occurred to me this morning whose wife is the office manager, and I have a good rapport with her (as well as the physician). She is the “dragon at the door” of this office, and she doesn’t get along with most people. This may be the office I bring the baked goods to.
My final approach may be to just stay at the prison for as long as I can get away with- I may wear out my preceptor’s patience before long though!
Sigh, wish me luck!
