Experience a day in the life of Emma Gargus, a former Feinberg student in the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). Join her as she shares a typical day during the final year of her medical school career.
Photos and video from this profile capture a day at Feinberg during the 2021-2022 academic year.
6:45 a.m.
My alarm goes off and I get up, shower, and make some coffee and breakfast before heading out the door. I usually eat yogurt with fruit and granola and enjoy a cup of coffee. As an MSTP student in my final year, I am doing rotations in the various core clerkships at Feinberg. Right now, I’m in my second and final week of my Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation clerkship at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. All Feinberg students rotate at the AbilityLab, which has been ranked the No. 1 rehabilitation hospital in America by the U.S. News & World Report since 1991.
7:20 a.m.
I jump on the 143 or 151 bus to Streeterville. The 143 is an express bus, so it only takes me 15 minutes to get from my apartment in Lincoln Park to campus in Streeterville, about three miles away. The 143 express bus also travels down Lake Shore Drive, so I get to enjoy beautiful views of the lake on my way to campus. The 151 is a little slower, but I’m still able to commute in about 30 minutes. As Feinberg students, we get a Ventra card (an unlimited public transportation pass for buses and the “L,” Chicago’s rapid transit system) as part of our student activities fee. If the weather is nice, sometimes I bike to campus, either using a Divvy bike (Chicago’s bike share program) or my own bike.
I often listen to a podcast on the way to the hospital – sometimes I listen to medical education podcasts, like Clinical Problem Solvers, but other times I listen to something more fun, like Who? Weekly, a pop culture podcast.
8:00 a.m.
I meet my team at the AbilityLab at 8:00 a.m., and get ready for rounds. I log into the computer and review my patients’ charts, recording any new labs or studies and reading notes left by other members of the patients’ care teams. Then, I go to “pre-round” on my patients, visiting them in their rooms to do a brief interview and physical exam.
During rounds, my team, which consists of an attending, a fellow, a resident and a medical student (me), walk around the hospital floor to visit each patient. Outside their room, we give an update on the patient and check in with their nurse, then go inside the patient room to interview and examine the patient together. Our patients at the AbilityLab are sometimes in the middle of physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy sessions during our rounds, so we also talk with the therapist to get an interdisciplinary view of the patient’s progress. Then, we decide on the plan for their medical care that day and communicate that to the patient and their families.
Once a week, patients at the AbilityLab are discussed in interdisciplinary conference, which is an opportunity to hear from all members of the patient’s care team – physicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and social workers. Each specialist provides an update of how the patient is progressing within their domain and if they are on track to meet their goals and planned discharge date. Interdisciplinary conference helps everyone to get on the same page and work synergistically to help the patient achieve their goals.
11:00 a.m.
Next, I catch up on note writing in the workroom. As an 8th year MSTP student, I got to watch the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab as it was built, and was so excited to work in it. The building is state-of-the-art and has gorgeous views of Lake Michigan. As someone interested in translational science, the coolest thing to me is the layout of the building where the research and therapy spaces are intertwined, allowing for interdisciplinary collaborations.
12:15 p.m.
Throughout the clerkship, we have lectures either in-person or on Zoom on important topics in PM&R. Today, we had a lecture on nutrition from a registered dietician, where we learned about the importance of nutrition when recovering from serious illness and injury and about different ways to provide nutrition to patients (parenteral nutrition, tube feeding, or oral diets).
1:30 p.m.
Our second lecture of the day is on wound care. Many of the patients at the AbilityLab have limited mobility or impaired sensation and are therefore at risk of developing pressure injuries. In this lecture we learned to identify and classify pressure injuries and how to take care of them and strategies to prevent them from developing.
In the afternoon, I head to the Women’s Health Rehabilitation Clinic. I meet with Sarah Hwang, MD, director of the Women’s Health Rehabilitation Program at the AbilityLab. In her practice, Dr. Hwang treats conditions such as pelvic floor dysfunction, pelvic pain, pain during intercourse, urinary and bowel incontinence, constipation, pregnancy-related pain and postpartum musculoskeletal issues.
I am applying for residency in obstetrics and gynecology, so I am likely to see and treat similar issues in my future career. Learning about strategies for treating these common conditions from a PM&R perspective is illuminating and will inform my future practice. I like that the PM&R clerkship offers the flexibility for us to choose clinics and other opportunities that are relevant to our future careers.
4:30 p.m.
After leaving the Women’s Health Rehabilitation Clinic, it’s time for me to wrap up any final patient care tasks on the floor before leaving my clerkship for the day. I write a few more notes, and then say goodbye to the team.
Today, rather than heading straight home, I spend a few hours in my research lab. During my PhD, I worked in the laboratory of Dr. Teresa Woodruff, where we developed in vitro models of ovarian physiology and pathophysiology. I am still wrapping up my final project (an in vitro model of polycystic ovary syndrome [PCOS]), which was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
7:00 p.m.
After finishing my research, I now get to head home; it’s been a long, fulfilling day! I walk to Michigan Avenue to catch the 151 bus back home. One of the things I love about my commute home is the route the bus takes – it’s like a mini-tour of Chicago. I love people watching and window shopping as we drive down Michigan Avenue and glimpsing at cool events or sports leagues as we drive through Lincoln Park.
7:30 p.m.
It’s time for dinner! My boyfriend and I like to cook together. Tonight we’re making a stir-fry with vegetables and chicken. In the summer, we get a big box of produce every week from the farmer’s market as part of a community supported agriculture (CSA) program. We enjoy trying unusual vegetables and testing out new recipes. We usually relax in the evenings by watching TV. Sometimes we meet our friends for trivia night or I play in a volleyball league.
We have two cats, Dieter and Tinnie, who are both so sweet and make us laugh and smile every day. Dieter (light orange) is the more outgoing of the two. Cats are the best medical school pets, because they’re very low maintenance and act as back-up alarm clocks, meowing for food early in the morning.
10:30 p.m.
And now, it is time for bed! As busy as today was, it was a great day, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Goodnight!