EMR: Electronic Medical Records or Extraordinarily Malicious Requirements?

It was with a heavy heart that I left the Notre Dame campus just a short while ago. The feeling was rather absurd because I have just this afternoon returned but I know I will experience the same feelings at the end of June. Why have I returned to Notre Dame, you ask? To play in the dirt, of course! I am thrilled to spend the next three weeks working on the Bailey Homestead excavation here in northern Indiana. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let me fill you in on what has been going on for the past month.

I was lucky enough to shadow my own primary care physician a few days a week these past four weeks. In just a short time, I have learned so much about medicine and the life of a physician. I also discovered three dreaded letters: E-M-R better known as electronic medical records. My first day on the job just happened to coincide with the second day of launching eClinicalWorks, one of many EMR programs.

Now, the common consensus states that EMR is the way of the future and will make everything easier on physicians. In the long run, sure, I can see it speeding up appointments and keeping things organized. However, on the short term, every single patient is a new patient. Even if they have been seeing the same doctor for thirty years, they are required to give their entire family history during their visit. Couple that with staff who were not raised with computers and it tends to cause a large headache.

Some physicians won't have too much difficulty with this because they have only a few patients who return every few weeks. But for family medicine physicians, some patients only have to come in every six months! This means that the transition will last for over six months, providing that all patients keep their appointments. It seems a big hassle now, but I still bear a shred of hope.

Even so, there are other issues with EMR. Doctors are some of the highest employing bosses. They need lab technicians, diagnoses coders, medical record keepers and more. With the advent of EMR, most of these roles are becoming automated. A nurse will not need to call down to medical records for a chart when a few clicks will pull it up. Nurses won't be needed to call patients with lab results when they are securely posted online and emailed.

I'm not sure about ObamaCare...it may benefit us in the end but from the evidence I've seen, I don't like it.

Same Space, Different Feel

As some of you know, last semester I got involved with a group called TransPose. TransPose is a contemporary dance company that is completely student run and student choreographed. Now, some of you may be asking yourself, what is contemporary dance? Lord knows that I had no idea when I joined. The style of contemporary dance draws from different types of dance and innovates them, adding something new. You have probably heard of ballet, (I would hope) so let me start there. Ballet is characterized by leading movements with your feet or your hands and is very focused on flow. There are few sharp or abrupt movements in ballet. (Disclaimer: This is only my basic understanding. Please don't throw rotten food at me if I make a mistake!)

At its basic level, contemporary dance explores movement led by other parts of the body. Say, an elbow. Making your body follow your elbow out to the side and back over your shoulder opens up your torso for another movement while also changing the direction your are facing. These types of movements embody contemporary dance.

Most dance performances happen on stage. At Notre Dame, they can be in Washington Hall or on one of the stages in DPAC. A unique thing about this group, TransPose, is that they strive to never perform on an actual stage. Last semester, our show took place in the ballroom of the LaFortune Student Center and this semester in the Jordan Hall of Science. Not only are we performing in unique places but we are doing it in unique ways.

In the fall, the opening number took place with the audience eagerly crouched in the center of the ballroom while the dancers of the first piece, including myself, danced in a circle around them, rotating the circle as the dance progressed. Despite a brief and uncomfortable encounter with a pillar during a jump turn, it was thrilling as a dancer. From the reactions of the audience, I think they enjoyed it too. In Jordan, the audience entered from the north entrance and with each dance moved further down the grand galleria until the finale in the reading room on the opposite side of the building.

Dancing in these places has changed how I view them. Excluding the fact that this post is essentially a shameless plug for TransPose, this aspect of the group in particular has affected me personally. When I walk into Jordan, barely awake for chemistry at 8:30 in the morning, I walk over a spot where I performed. I trudge toward class remembering how I jumped and twirled for an audience not three feet away. I think it is wonderful that the University allows groups like TransPose to use these spaces because it gives it that little something extra. When I attend a lecture in the LaFortune Ballroom, the pieces I performed there run through my head. When I show people the fancy Jordan Hall of Science, I can speak not only of the hours of classes and labs that I attended there but also of the dance and emotion that flowed through an otherwise academically devoted building.

This is part of why I love it here at Notre Dame so very, very much. I would be nowhere else, but at Notre Dame.

The Test of Distance

As we get closer and closer to finals, the levels of stress seem to increase exponentially. Not only do we have exams to take, papers to write and projects to finish but for some of us, we have to say goodbye to our friends for a while.

I was selected to participate in Notre Dame's study abroad program in Puebla, Mexico this upcoming fall. Before you get all antsy on me, let me tell you that there is no travel warning in place for the state of Puebla nor any of the nearby states. Additionally, I went to India by myself and survived. I can handle Mexico with sixteen of my fellow Notre Dame students, an onsite coordinator and the international students branch of UPAEP, the university where I will be studying. Promise. As I picture in my head the hypothetical devil's advocate conversation, I have a well thought out and supported response for each point. Also, I speak the language! I do appreciate the concern though.

As excited as I am to go to Mexico, I do not want to leave Notre Dame. Several of my friends are studying abroad next spring in London, France and even Japan but after the last day of finals this semester, I will not see them until fall semester senior year! That's 1.3 years! 16 months! 70 weeks! 486 days!

Now, unlike when our parents went to school, we have cell phones, texting, Skype and even Facebook to keep in touch but it still feels as if half of my friends here at Notre Dame are going to vanish! It puts things in perspective. Who would have thought that time would become so precious so quickly? As I approach the halfway point in my time here at Notre Dame and see seniors that I've come to be great friends with prepare to leave our Home under the Dome, I can't help but stop and think. How will distance from Notre Dame and from our friends affect us? Which friendships will span the miles and stay strong and which will fade?

Seems like I have a lot to ponder while I'm "paying attention" during chemistry lecture. 

The Temptation of a Crunchy Leaf

Fall has definitely arrived here at Notre Dame. Despite the debut of the Starbucks red Christmas cups, I still feel like I'm just warming up to fall. Whether it is my obsession appreciation surrounding scarves or the satisfaction of that "Crunch!" sound as I step on a leaf, I have come to love fall.

There are so many different colors on this beautiful campus from the two evergreens that stand tall in the knoll behind my dorm to the bright red tree that I pass each morning as I walk to class. Especially on days like today where the sky is pure blue and it is a brisk 45 degrees outside, I have the intense desire to go sit in the sun -- after I grab a scarf or second jacket of course.

As far as scarves go, I feel that I may have a problem. That's the first step, right? Admitting you have an addiction to lovingly stitched, colorful scarves? In my dorm room at this very moment, I have eight. From off-white to hot pink to multicolored to a tasseled conglomerate, I have plenty of soft, fluffy variety. The guilty conscience in me is telling me to put at least one in the Project Warmth bin downstairs but I don't think I am quite secure enough in my scarf obsession to relinquish one. All in due time.

Some of you may ask, why on earth do I have so many scarves? There are several reasons. First of all, I knew that moving from the warm south to northern Indiana was going to be a big shocker to my system, therefore, I would need scarves in the winter. Once the collecting had begun, there was no stopping it. Once I was prepared with a  basic array of scarves--a few different kinds to blend with different types of outfits, of course-- I wanted more variety. If I am wearing a red blazer, I cannot wear my hot pink scarf.! Well, I could but...no. Therefore, I need to get a new scarf, otherwise, I won't be warm! Vain, I know, but there you have it. My scarf addiction was born.

Scarves aren't the only reason I adore fall up here. Stepping on a crunchy leaf is like a kind of mini-euphoric moment every time it happens. The administration recognizes the fantastic pastime of crunching leaves or--in better days--jumping into piles of crunchy leaves. In order to prevent crunch-seeking students, like myself, from jumping into the huge piles of leaves that are gathered each day around campus, if one is caught disturbing the tempting pile, you receive a ResLife (which is essentially a jacked-up demerit that goes on your permanent record and can prevent you from getting into graduate schools). Even with the threat of a ResLife, when the soft autumn sun sets on the tall piles of leaves dejectedly sitting out on the sidewalks whispering as the wind gently flows through them, merry crunching sounds can be heard by someone who knows what to listen for. (Not really, but wouldn't that be awesome?)

However, there are some things I do not like about the fall season, although they have little to do with the weather. Because there are lots of people like me who enjoy planning everything extremely far in advance, applications for summer programs and even programs for fall 2012 as all due in the fall months. Applications for NDVision were due before fall break (super competitive), International Summer Service Learning Program applications were due the 30th of October (waiting on a response!) and study abroad applications for Fall 2012 are due on November 15th! (Yikes! I haven't started that one yet!)

Do not forget about Operation Midterm: Round 3. Don't even get me started about the two exams I have next week and organic chemistry the following week. I cannot even think about finals yet.

So much to do and so little time! I think I'll go read a book on the knoll with one of my scarves. La ti da. 

Who me? I'm with Timmy.

Written on 10/18/11 while I was in Quito, Ecuador:

After two days of clinic here in Quito, I think our routine has been established. Wake up at 6:30am, shower, eat one piece of fresh crusty bread and one hard boiled egg for breakfast then off to clinic. in the evenings we have different cultural events scheduled to teach us more about Ecuador.

Last night, a little bit of the Schlitt family competitiveness surrounding card games made its appearance. Emily, an RN living in Ecuador who is our brigade coordinator, taught all 18 of us students how to play Cuarenta or forty, for the non-Spanish folk. Barely reminiscent of family pinochle games, Cuarenta was at the same time extremely intense and lighthearted when I we got the rules wrong. Spectacularly, my partner and I advanced to the finals in the brigade tournament but after our previous grand victories, our luck ran out and we were demolished. There will be a rematch...someway, somehow. [Edit: The rematch didn't occur in Quito but will be arranged on campus this fall.] It is in my blood not to go down in a card game without a fight.

Earlier yesterday I worked as a translator for the vitals and laboratory station. I can't remember how many times I explained la machine sue tomaría su presión de range. (blood pressure machine) While nervous at first because we were working with patients who could not speak a word of English, by the end of the day, the Spanish came more naturally to my lips. I even made a cameo translating for a doctor during a patient consult which was terrifyingly fantastic. Today I did not speak as much Spanish because I was working in the farmacía as a translator for the pharmacist and as a regular student worker. It was actually very useful because I learned a lot about different types of drugs and which names went with which illnesses. There were also long spans of time spent count in pills and sorting them into proper dosages. I think I can honestly say that I never want to count pills again! We spent enough time doing it that I will be counting dosages of 75 pills in my sleep!

This evening we went on a cultural adventure. Through a connection to Quito Eternál, an organization in Quito dedicated to preserving its historic center, we were able to snag a nighttime tour of the center of Quito. The art, the church façades, the guide's costume, the sights and all the stories made La Ruta de las Leyendas, the Route of Legends, one of the best tours I have ever been on! The art was particularly interesting because it was much more raw and realistic than art in most European Catholic churches. From the donated hair to the pillar of skulls (from top to bottom: skull with: pope hat, crown, cowboy hat cardinal hat, bishop hat and no hat) the artistry was less restrained and really added to the experience.

This trip has been worth every cent thus far and I cannot wait to go to clinic tomorrow and help the people in this area by making a real difference in their health care!

Fairytales and Daydreams

 Have you ever wanted your life to be like a fairy tale? Have you ever wanted to be swept off your feet by that guy who you initially hated but grew to love throughout your far-fetched encounters? Have you ever wished for Prince Charming to show up with one of your favorite shoes and slide it onto your foot as he professed his love? A fantasy of almost every girl who has ever picked up a Disney movie or a romantic comedy is to have a movie moment in her own life. Why else do romantic comedies make so much money? It is off of the girls who dream about them coming true!

I know men will go see them--even pay for them-- to appease the woman they are with, but the movies are not designed for a male audience. They are for our girlish dreams. Dreams that we one day hope to come true and see us with the love of our life and a castle and a tiara and rainbows and unicorns and--stop me whenever you feel like it. While that might not be every girl's dream, we all have something along the same lines that we wistfully daydream for.

Not only do we witness these fantastically cheese-filled perfect endings while we are at the theater, or curled up on the couch with a blanket, pillow and box of tissues in the case of the Notebook, but we also see them on Facebook. I particularly remember the phase where everyone was taking "quizzes" on Facebook. One that struck me in particular was the "Which famous movie kiss are you?" quiz.

If you take a second to logically evaluate that question, you can see that it is preposterous. How could I, a three dimensional, living, breathing human being, transform into a two dimensional lip-lock? It is just not feasible. Even so, anyone flipping through the results of that quiz (Yes, I took it, no I will not tell you which movie I got unless you have food for bribes) can catch a glimpse into the desires of most women to reach that kind of picturesque, iconic romance in their own lives.

Is it unrealistic to daydream about these kinds of these? Maybe, but where would we be without them? Where would we be if Cinderella never dreamed to go to the ball to meet her Prince Charming? If Simba did not fall in love with Nala? If Captain Shang never forgave Mulan? If Catherine Heigl never decided to act in rom-coms? In my opinion, it would be a sad, sad world and I am more than happy to indulge in my daydreams, even if only to write a blog post about them. Happy dreaming!

Always Remember, Never Forget

Five thousand students gathered in memory: 

9/11/2011

Never forget.

Photo available for purchase through photos.nd.edu

Life Sans Internet

Note to readers: This is less about India and more about transitioning. It is less of an update and more a self-reflection.

The past few days have been busy! I was rather sick after the Sirohi trip but sleeping almost the whole afternoon after school the next day really helped. The fact that the power (and my A/C) and the water pipes went out that morning didn’t help any. I guess I should know better than to set my room to cold when I know it isn’t helping me adjust especially since I have the only A/C in the entire building. A girl’s got to have the little things, doesn’t she? The lack of cool air coupled with my inability to shower really frustrated my day. On the bright side, that was the first day where we finally got Skype to work and I got to see my mother. Even though it was only fifteen minutes before the internet shut down, it was a welcome fifteen minutes; it was also remarkably cheaper (i.e. Free) than the $0.50 each text messages. Phone companies can be annoying, can’t they? 

I never realized how much I depended on the internet to be there for me. With everything being done online through social media sites, email, shopping, and leisure websites there are few things left to do. (Mind you, I was not cognizant before the advent of the internet so I’ve never had to live without it.) It seems like everything I go to do in my downtime involves the internet! I can go learn new songs for guitar - nope, chords are on the internet. Oh! I can go write on facebook - nope, that needs internet. Well…I can’t go on dearblankpleaseblank, or givesmehope to waste time. Nor can I use stumbleupon. I can’t Skype my friends or family. What is there for me to do?

I find that I am writing. Whether it be this blog, a novel that I started but never finished, or a meager (and I mean meager) attempt at songwriting, I am just going at it. All I can think of to do is to write. I have many books with me (three print books with the rest on my kindle) but only three are new books and the others, while all good, can’t hold my attention. The kindle’s whispernet doesn’t quite reach out here, despite what Amazon would claim, so I have no new books from that avenue. (Edit: I was able to purchase four new books when I was at school and download them to my Mac there.) 

Here is a picture of a small class singing at the prayer service that started the school year.

I guess this is more of a ‘rant’ post than an update on India. Don’t get me wrong, I am really happy to be here and am enjoying it a lot; it is very eye opening yet there are things at home that I particularly miss. That is to say, the first thing I am doing when I get back to the US is to take an extremely hot (<-- very important since there is no heated water here) shower and sink into a big bathtub filled with bath salts and bubbles with a big bowl of Macaroni and Cheese in my hands. You have been warned. 

Have a happy Fourth of July and light off a few fireworks for me! I will be wearing as much red, white, and blue clothing that I am physically capable of!