In modern medicine today, we see how technology plays a huge force in healthcare. Automatic blood pressure cuffs, thermometers, oxygen readings…you name it. Almost everything is automated or electronic in medicine, down to the programs with patient records and charts. It’s important to become familiar with different medical technology instruments early on because technology is constantly changing, and more of the tools we use on a daily basis are becoming technologically advanced. I once had a professor who I shadowed in a hospital, and one of his main words of advice to us was to become familiar with different charting programs because each hospital and clinic has their own programs they use. Take each rotation seriously in immersing yourself with everything they have to offer, including their forms of medical technology.
On the flip side of all of this, there are still places in the U.S., and even abroad, that do not have the current medical technology that we are accustomed to. There are still places that have handwritten patient charts and manual blood pressure cuffs. As important as it is to become familiar with the ever-changing medical technology, it’s just as important to know and understand the basics that we learn in our early years of medical school. You never know where you will end up, and what kind of technology the hospital or clinic will have. Therefore, it’s extremely important to be familiar with both ends of the spectrum.
