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Reflect on the experiences you have had with your community mentor this year including theopportunities to interview and examine patients and the quality of the feedback you received on your oral presentations and notes. What things did you like about your community mentor that you will tryto incorporate into your practice? What things do you think you will try to do differently? Look back at your first portfolio assignment of the year and see if there are any additions or revisions you wouldlike to make to the type of doctor you aspire to be as you head into your 3 rd year.

I truly enjoyed the time I got to spend with my preceptor throughout year. Inaddition to the numerous learning opportunities, my preceptor taught me a great deal about respecting the art of medicine. My community mentor did a great joballowing me to work-up the majority of patients we encountered. He pushed me tobe thorough and efficient while treating my patients with respect. Seeing himinteract with patients showed me how to balance being a compassionate caregiverwhile handling a large patient load.

Among the many patients we saw, an elderly woman with severe hip painand bipolar disorder is a special memory. My community preceptor saw this patient after my work-up and noticed that she was a chronic smoker who had recently

experienced suicidal ideations. Smoking and suicide are some of the most awkwardconversation starters that I have witnessed. However, my preceptor handled thesituation with such a high level of directness and compassion. This was the first timeI had witnessed the pre-contemplation, contemplation, planning, and actionframework effectively used in a clinical setting. Most of the doctors that I haveshadowed casually tell the patient to stop smoking. Some simply jest at thelikelihood of a patient actually ceasing to smoke. My clinical mentor, however,sincerely assessed the patient s addiction status, consulted about their goals, andevaluated a realistic plan that the patient felt comfortable with in order to reducesmoking. It was very motivating to see an actual shift in attitude and behavior froma patient who has been a chronic smoker for over 20 years.

Secondly, the manner in which my preceptor handled the suicidal ideationswas very impressive. Although he was very direct in attempting to understandwhether this woman s suicidal ideations were manifesting in any plans to harmherself or anyone else, he exercised a high level of compassion and understanding.Without judging her or her situation he played the part of a caretaker and listener.Over the course of the interview he managed to help her better evaluate herdepression, schedule a follow up with her psychiatrist, and evaluate her lifestyle andbehavior. He also went on to recommend some life style modifications that thepatient was surprisingly optimistic about. Ranging from small environmentalimpacts such as uplifting music to personal religious beliefs, my mentor listenedcarefully and demonstrated interest in her wellbeing. As a result, that doctor sappointment became a very important event in this patient s life.

My mentor was exceptional. The only behavior that I would change in regardto myself relates to our personality differences. My preceptor is more of a soft-spoken and gentle figure then myself. I am much more extroverted and outspoken.As a result, I would not change my natural personality to mirror that of my mentor. Irespect his personality and medical practices immensely. However, I am naturallydifferent. I hope to practice medicine upholding the virtues I have learned from mymentor in a manner that is more keen to my personality.

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E arlier this year I wrote, I hope to become a doctor who lives a balanced lifeand strives to provide quality care to his patients... I have to come to realize theimportance of living a balanced life. I n medical school I t is through the support andlove offered by my family and fiance that I am best able to handle the rigors of medicalschool so that I may one day become an excellent caretaker in my medical practice.

Perhaps, no other time in my education has this view of medicine and medical school been more true. As I near the USMLE, I experience an exponential amount of stress andcan easily get overwhelmed. However, it is my belief that my wellbeing is directly tied tomy ability to earna medical degree and eventually take care of patients that keeps megrounded. I am constantly reminding myself to better handle stress and maintain balancein my life. I hope my journey in medicine teaches me to strive for balance between myhealth, family, and career. This is the mentality that I will be taking into my 3 rd year of medical school.