For my first site evaluation I presented 1 H&P and 5 drug cards. For this rotation, instead of being asked about certain drugs we had to present the drug cards. This format was one I wasn’t used to, however I enjoyed getting to explain the different drugs and add additional information that may not be asked. It was also interesting to further test my knowledge with additional questions I was asked about the different adverse effects and how you may identify them. For my H&P I presented about a man who had recently immigrated to the US from Mexico and had a cough for 3 weeks. I was able to get tips on how to improve my H&P and especially my differential in regard to considering new events in the patient’s life. We were also able to have a discussion about the pneumonia vaccines and how far apart they are typically given.

For my final site evaluation I presented an additional H&P, 5 drug cards and an article. For this H&P I chose to present one on a female who was complaining of abdominal pain. This patient had a history of osteoporosis and was on biphosphonate therapy so I was able to tie this H&P into my drug cards. We discussed the possibility for a more focused exam for some patients. I presented 5 drug cards where I attempted to pick drugs that are popular that might show up on exams to help me prep for EOR. For my journal article I chose to present on an article relating to osteoporosis and fractures that discussed whether treating pre-diabetes in pre-menopausal women can decrease the risk of future fractures.

Overall I enjoyed my site evaluations and I was able to get more insight on the geriatric population and how to specifically address them. I was also able to learn how a geriatric HPI differs from other HPIs and I feel a lot more comfortable writing H&Ps for geriatric aged patients.