Safiyyah Khan

• Under the direction of my mentor Dr. Safeera Khan, I was educated in research methodology.
• I am currently working on getting my systematic review published in a peer reviewed high impact journal.

• At Loretto Hospital, I worked under Dr. Bhagavan in a combined inpatient and outpatient setting
• The team and I took care of 15-30 inpatients including those in the critical care unit and also managed around 25 patients in the clinic, held twice a week
• I actively counselled several patients from an underprivileged community who were experiencing homelessness and substance abuse
• I managed several critical cases such as congestive heart failure with acute exacerbation and community acquired pneumonia with respiratory failure
• Through rounding with my preceptor, I refined and honed my clinical skills and educated myself on the common issues faced by an underserved population and how to tackle them with empathy and a firm resolve
• I learnt to use the EMR at Loretto, Meditech which proved challenging but rewarding
• I remain very grateful to my preceptor and this community for this fulfilling experience.

• As an extern at Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center, my responsibilities were varied and included both inpatient and outpatient duties
• I was responsible for admitting upto 5 patients a day and seeing 8-15 patients in the clinic everyday
• This hospital catered to an underserved population and it was my first time managing some of the cases I saw such as victims of domestic violence
• The nature of this work helped me refine my interpersonal skills as well as to develop a greater degree of empathy for the community I worked for, which further helped my patients open up to me
• The work I did was extremely rewarding and even though it was difficult at times, I would do it again given the chance.

I rotated under Dr. Ayman Jabr in a combined inpatient as well as outpatient setting, alternating in between a busy family practice at Ascension Saint Mary Medical Center and Saint Mary Hospital. Under the guidance and supervision provided by Dr. Ayman Jabr, I attended to about 15 patients everyday and performed the required physical assessments as well as conducted detailed patient interviews. I familiarised myself with the EMR used at the clinic, updated patient notes, ordered medication and actively counselled patients on practising safe sex, adhering to their medication and receiving their vaccinations on time and maintaining optimal health for their age, while taking into account their medical conditions. On this rotation I saw several underprivileged patients and made sure they were switched over to medication they could afford so as to maintain an ideal health equilibrium.

As a part of the healthcare team, I was responsible for managing about 10 patients everyday in an outpatient setting. I worked under the supervision of Dr. Silvio Quaglia, who was an excellent mentor. He held several didactics sessions throughout the week and also taught us the EMR system used in the center. Under Dr. Quaglia's supervision I was able to conduct several patient education programs, where I counselled patients on the importance of vaccination and adherence to medication. I also advised patients with regards to weight loss, moderation of salt and sugar intake, adequate exercise recommendations according to the American Heart Association as well as the World Health Organisation. Under his supervision and guidance I also performed several procedures such as cryotherapy, laceration repair, and biopsies.

I worked under the supervision of Dr. Rajat Bhatt, a board certified rheumatologist. I would take detailed patient histories and present them to Dr. Bhatt after which we would discuss possible diagnoses and I would propose a preferred treatment plan. Dr. Bhatt would give me feedback on my interview techniques as well as my differentials which I would rectify. I also delivered a presentation on Osteoarthritis to the team of interns and medical students.

I rotated under Dr. Imran Ali Sayed, a board certified critical care pediatrician.

Under Dr. Sayed's guidance, I took thorough and systematic histories and conducted detailed physical assessments of pediatric patients and counseled their parents/guardians. I was tasked with seeing 15 patient's a day at the clinic and accompanied Dr. Sayed on rounds at the Children's Hospital.