Week 5: Same Setting, New Perspective

At first glance, this week looked a lot like the last: same clinic, same systems, same routine. But the more time I spend here, the more I realize that no two days are actually the same. What felt repetitive at the beginning is starting to feel like real immersion, where I’m not just observing anymore, I’m understanding.

I continued identifying patients with both psoriasis and GLP-1 experience, but this time it felt more intentional. Instead of just searching through charts, I started recognizing patterns: how psoriasis presents differently depending on the patient, what treatments tend to be paired together, and even how frequently metabolic conditions show up alongside skin disease. It made everything I’ve been reading in research articles feel a lot more real.

I also refined the questions I plan to ask patients, focusing not just on clinical improvements, but on how they actually feel. It’s one thing for a study to report a drop in a severity score, but it’s another to hear whether someone feels more confident, more comfortable, or more in control of their condition. That shift in perspective made me realize that my project isn’t just about data, it’s about people.

Scribing continues to be one of the fastest-paced and most eye-opening parts of my experience. I’m getting quicker, more accurate, and more comfortable with medical terminology, but more importantly, I’m starting to anticipate how visits will go. I can follow the flow of a patient encounter, from initial concern to diagnosis to treatment plan, and understand the reasoning behind each step. Watching a wide range of cases unfold in real time has made me appreciate how much decision-making goes into even a single appointment.

Even though the structure of my week hasn’t changed much, my mindset definitely has. What once felt like repetition now feels like depth. I’m not just doing the same things; I’m getting better at them, noticing more, and starting to connect everything. And honestly, that’s where it starts to get really interesting.