Last week was rough finding time for all of my passion projects… as in I didn’t find as much as I needed. I officially started as a fourth-year naturopathic medical student, which means I began my internship. Unlike medical doctors who get four years of medical training and then multiple years of residency (the first of which is known as their internship year), we get three years of medical training and then a year of internship, all within the context of our four-year doctorate level of education.
The intern year for naturopaths is where we get to see patients and work under licensed naturopathic doctors and learn through hands-on experience. It’s also known as our clinical year, which is meant to prepare us for working as independent, licensed naturopathic doctors within a year and a half’s time.
This week began with an online orientation on Monday and the clinic opening on Wednesday. That meant I had three of four shifts to prepare for! I actually had multiple patients amongst these shifts and really struggled with using our electronic medical records (EMR) system. I know I’m preaching to the choir of any teaching institution in complaints about learning EMRs! IT IS A PAIN! It takes away from the other learning that needs to happen, but I understand this is a necessary evil before the real fun begins…
Week starting May 10, 2021…
✨Spring cleaning really clears my head and my mind. There is something about dusting every corner, refolding all your clothes and getting rid of things that no longer serve you that really make you feel like you've hit a reset button. I feel lighter. The space feels so yummy.
📝I have to use a pen and paper to make my lists in order to feel good about myself. No matter how much I want to save paper, be more efficient, get with the technology, I just can't seem to find a system that works better for me. Listing allows me to get sh*t done and actually feel good about myself. Because I'm sick of constantly feeling like I haven't done anything in a day.
I posted my first reel on Thursday, May 13th just before the start of my first official shift! Folks can now direct book 3 of my 4 shifts in my linktree on Instagram or someone can direct message me for more info about the FREE community clinic I work in on Saturdays for those in the Scarborough area! My complete schedule is as follows:
Tuesday morning- 9am-1pm- This is my mental health focus shift where I work under Dr. Jonathan Prousky.
Thursday evenings- 4pm-8pm- This is a general shift for a clinic serving the Brampton East community. We are located in the Urgent Care Clinic, and I work under Dr. Pilar Villegas.
Friday evenings- 3pm-7pm- This is a general shift at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. I work under Dr. Poonam Patel for this shift.
Saturday mid-day- 11am-3pm- This is a FREE community health clinic serving Scarborough catchment area where I work under Dr. Ehab Mohammad. We are currently seeing and treating our patients at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic due to COVID19 changes.
💊It’s hard to find vegan supplements sometimes! Now that I’m in a position to be taking more supplements and also learning about supplements to prescribe, I’m more and more aware of how hard it can be to meet health needs and stay compliant with my belief system. I actually found myself at one point considering taking a supplement from a gelatin cap at the expense of my belief system. It was causing distress! I decided to dig a little harder and wait a little longer for something that meets my needs. I realize how important it is to not overlook these details when working with someone AND also realize how difficult and impossible that might be for providers to manage this issue in an efficient way. I look forward to coming up with a system to make this easier for both my future patients and me.
Vegan Supplements
Finding the right ones can be tricky and costly.
One of my dear friends also shared with me his struggles to find supplements for vegan patients. Since I am plugged into the vegan community, it feels that there is a plethora of options for folks, but when you start considering price, accessibility, and desired action/dose, it does become more challenging. I look forward to creating a comprehensive supplement list to share with colleagues and patients throughout my career. The good news is more and more companies are paying attention to this and more options are emerging on the market all the time.
That’s it for this week! I didn’t post every day, and I’m not beating myself up about it. If you found something particularly interesting, comment below or ask me a question! Also please follow this blog for more awesome tips and thoughts.
