One of my favorite aspects of healthcare is the opportunity for direct patient interaction and chance to learn about each patient’s unique story. However, through my rotations, I’ve learned that the depth of these interactions depends significantly on the size of the hospital I am working at. 

At the smaller hospitals, I was able to spend more time with each patient and get to know them. By the time I had finished caring for the patient, I was able to understand the patient well through the side conversations we had. 

For example, when I was at the Pre-Operation department, I spent about an hour with just one patient. This time allowed me to make sure they were comfortable and adequately prepared for their surgery but also allowed us to have genuine conversations. By the time the patient was ready for surgery, I had developed a strong bond with them and they even allowed me to watch their surgery.

In contrast, I’ve noticed that at the bigger hospital I am at currently, I spend less time with each patient. Initially, I thought I would prefer working at a bigger hospital because of the fast paced environment that allowed me to be exposed to a variety of cases and learn new information with each patient I encounter. However, I quickly realized that this came at the expense of truly getting to know my patients.

In the Pre-Operation department at the larger hospital, I was seeing a new patient every 10 minutes. This left little time for side conversation beyond gathering their essential medical information. While I appreciated being exposed to a lot of different cases, I found myself missing the deeper connections I made at the smaller hospital. 

The variety of hospital settings I’ve worked in have shown me that beyond the job itself, the environment I work in is just as important. These experiences have given me a clearer understanding of the type of setting I would prefer in my future career as a healthcare professional.