Needing clinical experience to help her prepare for the 2023 Match, Humna discovered virtual rotations. Although the 2023 Match is still a number of months away, Humna has already found her virtual rotation benefiting her USMLE preparation. Read more about her virtual rotation in internal medicine below:
A Winning Bet
I took a gamble, and I really hit the jackpot with this one. There’s plenty that makes my virtual rotation with AMO unique.
The fact that it was virtual, for one. The fact that it was peak pandemic season, Jan 2021 to be exact. Travel halted, borders closed. The world was at a standstill. I was in Saudi Arabia at the time anxious Match 2023 applicant, preparing for her finals. This was the year to gain some valuable US clinical experience and it looked like it was going to be an uneventful one. That was until I came across AMO’s virtual rotation opportunities.
I was connected with two AMO coaches. The first guided me through the reservation process and answered any questions I had regarding the rotation
who I’d be rotating with, what app we’d be using and the timings. My Coach then made sure I had everything situated, document-wise. With everything in place, I anxiously waited for January.
That one rotation has given me so much clinical knowledge, SOAP note writing technique and mastery, learning how to navigate the EMR system, and observing Dr. F. and the nurse practitioners interact masterfully with patients. Not only did I get an insider perspective on the American healthcare system, but I also played an active role. It helped me greatly with my USMLE Step 1 prep. I was in the clinic every day (virtually), working from 9 to 5 in Dr. F.’s tech-rich clinic. I saw how the world coped with COVID, how the system adapted and evolved, and how healthcare persisted and persevered. Almost all appointments were shifted online, with patients visiting in person only for physical exams or specimen collection.
When I look back, I’m struck by how far we’ve come in the healthcare world. Only 12 months ago, we had patients coming in every day with COVID symptoms or exposure. During that one month, we witnessed guidelines change, read about advancements in the medical management of COVID, and discussed the vaccines under development. My partner and I compiled and presented various COVID management guidelines, including those by the NHS, CDC, and UpToDate. What really stands out is my interaction with a patient, critically ill with COVID, who was participating in an experimental COVID drug trial. The fact that I was there, through AMO, watching medical history being made is nothing short of AWESOME.
