Better Physicians—One Student at a Time

Morral and Dr. Ostrov applied for and were accepted to participate in the ACR REF/Abbott Medical Student Clinical Preceptorship program. While Morral worked with Dr. Ostrov on the pseudoporphyria research project, she also shadowed Dr. Ostrov while she saw patients—a cross-section representing a mix of both adult and pediatric cases—as part of her preceptorship.

“This was my first clinical experience,” recalls Morral. “Dr. Ostrov was amazing at dealing with her patients, striking a great balance between friend and physician with them. I really learned a lot about successful patient-physician interaction. I also gained a great deal of confidence in my own emerging bedside manner. As the summer progressed, Dr. Ostrov let me see some of her patients on my own, without her initially being in the room.”

Another highlight of Morral’s summer experience came when she got to spend a few days with Dr. Ostrov at a pediatric rheumatology summer camp for children and teens. “That was such an illuminating experience,” Morral says. “To see kids who are dealing with rheumatic diseases getting to be kids and finding out that they aren’t alone, that there are other kids out there with the same conditions, made the work that I was doing on the research and during the clinical rounds all the more meaningful.”

Though the clinical rounds portion of her preceptorship experience is now complete, Morral will be attending the 2006 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting in Washington, D.C., as the final part of the program. Morral and Dr. Ostrov talk or e-mail weekly, and Morral considers Dr. Ostrov one of her most trusted advisors.

Morral believes her preceptorship experience will have a lasting effect on her medical career, though she’s not yet sure the direction her career will take. “The summer clinical preceptorship was an amazing experience, and I learned so much about rheumatology and how I might build a career for myself in this subspecialty. It’s definitely at the top of my list of possibilities, but there are a few other areas I want to explore before deciding on my path,” admits Morral.

Though she’s not quite ready to commit to a rheumatology career, Morral says, “I now understand that rheumatic diseases literally affect nearly every part of the body. Diagnosing these diseases can be challenging, often involving many differentials, and successful treatment can be equally complex. Yet, the opportunity to provide chronic care for these patients seems so rewarding to the rheumatologists I’ve encountered. What I learned from them about diagnosis, treatment, and bedside manner will make me a better physician, no matter what subspecialty I decide to pursue.”