Assignment 15: Interview

So this week, I was supposed to interview one of my many mentors I have at the hospital and ask them a few questions, like how they got into the field, why did they do it, how much schooling, why do they enjoy etc. And the following is the conversation I had with my mentor, Ms. Jessica the day I did the interview. In parenthesis afterwards is my reflection on the question and answer.
Me:Ok so what made you go into physical therapy?

Jessica: Well, I knew I wanted to go into the medical field, but after my first four years, I realized I did not have the stamina to go through medical school and so instead I went to graduate school for physical therapy.
(Ok, I have now noticed there are many paths to medical school, i have met lab techs, nurses, physical therapists and people who have just gone straight to med school to become doctors.)
Me: What did you major in to begin with?

Jessica: I majored in exercise science and then went to PT School.
(I have never heard of that major before but I had to look into it, it is apparently popular for PT's, OT's, athletic trainers and others who deal with lots of physical activities with patients or sports players.)
Me: Are there many people or not many people who go from PT to medical school?"

Jessica: Not many, but some do, Darrin, you met him, he is one of the aides, he is leaving in a few months, because he has been accepted into medical school.
(Ok so once again, not many but it is one of many routes to medical school.)
Me: What is the hardest part of this job do you think?

Jessica: Seeing the people who are not fully there mentally, its rough it makes me think about what would happen if I lost that. Physically is bad but you can work on physical strength much easier than mental strength.
(I personally would hate to lose my ability to think like I do now, I would much rather be bed confined and able to think than the other way around. Because my thinking is a big part of me.)
Me: What is your favorite part of the job?

Jessica: Seeing people being discharged because they have recuperated. Unfortunately though they do not always recuperate as much as you hope.
(So there are ups and downs but the ups make the job worth the downs and the fact that even with the downs you are still making a difference in someone's life.)
Me: If you had to do it over again, would you still go into physical therapy?

Jessica: Yes, 100%.
(Most of the people whom I have met in rehabilitation love it and that is good, you want someone taking care of you who loves and cares about their job.)
Me: What do you think is the best way to improve the hospital function?

Jessica: I am not sure, I would say either digitize everything or keep it all paper right now its in between and it can be confusing.
(So right now, there is a lot of confusion due to the multiple mediums of information but if everything were to be digitized it would be a lot more accessible and efficient but it would probably be hard to do all at once which is why I think Northside is in that transition phase from paper to electronic.)
Me:If you were to digitize everything what could be some consequences you can think of?

Jessica: The only one I can really think of is if power goes out, but the hospital has back up generators in case of emergencies so if during an ice storm and the power goes out, the hospital can still function.
(So there are not many repercussions to digitizing, and the ones that would be most commonly thought of there is already a solution because the rest of the hospital still has to be able to run if power were to go out, so they have those back up generators which power the whole hospital.)
Me: So you think if they digitized it all that would be preferable and more efficient?

Jessica: Yes I think so.
(Most people who I have talked to have mentioned they believe digitizing everything would be very helpful and would promote better patient care.)
Me: Why did you come to work at Northside compared to other hospitals?

Jessica: Well I worked at other hospitals before but then I moved here and Northside is one of the best I have worked out, the people I work with are very capable and very friendly.
(everything I am seeing working and talking to people at Northside, patients and employees both I have come to realize how lucky we are to have it in our backyard.)