Duke Family Medicine Center is a place of learning. This fact is evident by the smiling pictures of family medicine residents that line the hallway, the warm introductions of new rotation students, the sound of educational programs from the conference room, and the voices of attendings and preceptors mentoring their students and residents on procedures and treatments.
Learning is essential in health care. In pharmacy, there is always a new study published or a new drug that was just approved by the FDA; lifelong learning comes with the territory.
Albert Einstein once said, “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”
I think this statement is true, especially in the health care setting. The more we learn, the more we grow, and the better we are at our jobs. We provide better care when we push ourselves to stay relevant and learn from the experience of others.
I feel truly blessed to be a part of the Duke Family Medicine team, in its first year partnering with Campbell University for a PGY2 pharmacy resident. Being the first and helping to develop a new program can be challenging at times; however, I would not change my time here at all. I have enjoyed learning from everyone around me and collaborating with various providers on different health initiatives.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller
Teamwork is an essential aspect of health care. Everyone has a different role to play and it is only when we come together that we can provide the best care for patients. As a pharmacist, my job could not be accomplished without others — we communicate with providers and patients regarding medications, and call pharmacies on behalf of patients to resolve medication-related concerns. Teamwork is a vital part of making sure that each patient is on the most effective and safest therapy, that they have access to the medications, and that they know how to use or take them. It is my hope that we never forget to utilize each other’s strengths to help our patient improve their health.
With my year more than halfway over I want to thank everyone at Duke Family Medicine Center and the patients for making this year truly remarkable. I encourage everyone involved in health care to continue to grow, learn and work together.
Sarah Palacio is a second-year pharmacy resident with Duke Family Medicine. Email sarah.leonall@duke.edu with questions.
Editor’s note: Duke Family Medicine residents guest blog every month. Blogs represent the opinion of the author, not the Duke Family Medicine Residency Program, the Department of Community and Family Medicine or Duke University.