Today on White Coat Wednesday, we sit down with Dr Anna Suessman aka “Dr Suess”, the UQ-Ochsner Pediatrics Clerkship Director for our third and fourth-year medical students.
Interviewed by fourth-year student Monique Salazar, we discuss the clerkship which is one of the required ones in third year. This opportunity is there for students to solidify their learning, meet smaller size patients and decide whether their interest matches the real-life setting.
We dive into the changes made to the clerkship this year, all made with the mindset of keeping up with the way our students learn and we discover Fridactics!
Dr Suess explains that Fridays are now for ‘playing house’, teamwork and working out differentials.
“The formalities are now kept to a minimum which transforms the day into an opportunity for students to come with their own objectives for learning.
“We are already seeing the impact with students able to take more control of their learning, their motivation increase and we know knowledge is easier to retain in this environment.
“Although the minimal requirements for all students are the same with time spent in nursery, in-patient care, emergency and community pediatrics, the students now have the option to make a choice, within the clerkship.
“They can choose a track based on their interest and further their knowledge and experience, bringing once again the opportunity for an active learning experience.”
Dr Suessman is excited to see the interest in this speciality increase, through the Ochsner Medical Student Pediatric Interest Group and other learning opportunities.
Her tips to the students:
- Keep an open mind (whether you are interested in peds or not)
- Enjoy it (the clerkship actually goes really fast)
- Set goals (and get even more out of it)
- And for the students who already know pediatrics is for them, find a mentor who will help you reach your full potential, and beyond.
