Balancing the Long Days to Becoming a Doctor

In July 2019, a cohort of 11 third-year medical students from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) began their core clinical rotations at Bayhealth. Each medical student will complete 11 different rotations throughout a one-year journey. As a student, the third year of medical school entails shadowing physicians in different specialties to gain a better understanding of the different types of medicine to practice as well as to gain a better understanding of themselves personally and what best aligns with their interests.

One of PCOM’s third-year medical students, Dionandre King, has just completed a cardiology rotation at Bayhealth Cardiology Consultants on Bayhealth’s Kent Campus. King followed Roberto Scaffidi, MD, who specializes in interventional cardiology, for one month. During that month, King joined Dr. Scaffidi on multiple occasions in the cardiac catheterization lab to observe dye being placed in the heart. King explained that his cardiology rotation with Dr. Scaffidi helped reinforce knowledge he had learned previously by applying it to real patient cases.

While learning through core clinical rotations are vital for training to become a physician, a balance must be maintained between the professional and personal lives of medical students. King has turned to his love of running as a coping mechanism for the long days at the hospital that begin as early as 5:45 a.m.

“Being here in cardio and seeing the importance of exercise when it comes to the cardiovascular system, I try to run to maintain my overall physical and mental health,” King said of how he manages the stress of long days in the clinical setting.

King is just one of the 11 medical students learning in the clinical setting at Bayhealth. The students will complete the year at the end of June 2020. The hope is that Bayhealth will appeal to the students and encourage them to apply for a residency once the residency programs at Bayhealth begin in July 2021.