Week 6: Connecting with Others

This week, instead of just planning and researching, I started finalizing my list of patients that I’m going to reach out to. I spent time making sure the list is accurate and relevant, specifically focusing on patients who have both psoriasis and experience with GLP-1 medications, so that the information I gather will actually support my research in a meaningful way. Even though my group size is small, it is better than nothing!

I worked on figuring out exactly what I’m going to say when I call them. This was harder than I expected because I wanted to make sure I sounded professional, clear, and respectful, while also asking questions that gave me useful insight. I’ve been drafting and refining how I introduce myself, explain my project, and guide the conversation so patients feel comfortable sharing their experiences. A big focus has been on asking about real-life impact, like changes in their symptoms, quality of life, and overall satisfaction with their treatment. While I have been at the office, I have noticed all different severities of psoriasis, so I see how challenging they can be.

I also continued scribing and shadowing, which is still one of the most rewarding parts of this experience. Being in the room for so many different patient visits is helping everything click a lot more. I’m getting faster at scribing and more familiar with how providers think through cases, especially with psoriasis and other chronic conditions.

One of the most exciting updates this week is that I’ve decided to incorporate a documentary into my project. I’ve been talking with my mentor and starting to brainstorm ideas for what that could look like: how to tell a story, what perspectives to include, and how to make it both informative and engaging.  The last thing I would want to do is have a boring and meaningless video. I’m still in the early stages, but I think this could be a really cool way to bring my project to life beyond just research and data. I feel that videos grab your audience’s attention more if made properly.