The Learning Lab

Good morning.

Before I get to today’s topic, I want to share some good news from last week. The Sanderson Farms Championship golf tournament was a resounding success, yet again. And if the weather was any indication, Mother Nature loves golf, Mississippi and children’s hospitals.

Thanks to everyone who played a part in the tournament - from the UMMC employees and students who volunteered over the course of the week, the School of Nursing staff who provided on-site care and Meredith Aldridge and the rest of the Development team for their engagement with the tournament sponsors and other friends of UMMC/Children’s who they entertained, many of whom felt moved to support the hospital. And several executives from Wayne Farms, the Georgia-based company that recently purchased Sanderson Farms, took a tour of our Children’s facilities. The best news came late on Sunday during the trophy presentation when Wayne-Sanderson CEO Clint Rivers talked about how much of an impression our facilities and our talented leaders made on him and the others in the group. He expressed that they understand and appreciate the importance of the tournament and the support it provides to Mississippi’s kids and that the tournament will continue for next year. Superb news!

Now, on to today’s topic.

University. It’s the first word in our name and indicates our primary mission – to educate the health science workforce for Mississippi and beyond. Seven schools on our campus lead those efforts but not all our student learning occurs within the walls of those education buildings. For many of our students there is also significant and meaningful learning going on right alongside the activities of one of our other missions – patient care. Today, I’m specifically talking about hospital-based care and the training going on in our hospitals for degree-seeking students.

Recently, one of our medical school graduates from this past May, Dr. Ty Higginbotham, sent an email to Dr. Mike McMullan, division director for cardiology and SOM associate dean of students, to say thanks for the clinical experiences he received while a medical student that made him well-prepared to enter residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. He specifically spoke about the education he received during hospital clinical rotations and how much of an advantage he feels compared to his peers because of what he takes with him from his time as an in-hospital learner at UMMC. He relayed that he feels his in-hospital experience was just better than that of his fellow residents.

Today, I want to share some thoughts from Dr. Higginbotham on this topic as well as two other students representing other professions. There is great work going on in our hospitals and much of it is due to the amazing faculty and staff in them. I hear all the time how much our students benefit from the experiences and work ethics they glean from time spent around hospital-based patient care. The words in the below accounts are a testament to each of you who ever play a part in the education, growth and future success of our students.

Dr. Ty Higginbotham, SOM Class of 2022
First-year Internal Medicine Resident at MUSC

After just 3 months into my Internal Medicine residency, I am so thankful for the clinical training I received at UMMC. While there are challenges in residency that no medical school could prepare you for completely, I cannot imagine how I could have been more prepared to start my post graduate training.

From the first day of residency, I felt adequately prepared to use my clinical skills such as history taking, physical exam, presentation, note writing and calling consultants efficiently and effectively. I had the pleasure of having both Dr. Calvin Thigpen and Dr. Zeb Henson as my attendings during medical school. They were both influential in helping me learn how to be an effective and efficient intern without losing the gentleness and compassion that truly defines a good doctor.

Again, I am so appreciative to the school of medicine, and am proud to tell my colleagues that I am a UMMC grad!

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Allison Gonzalez, SHRP Classes of 2021 and 2022
Radiological Technologist at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Leake (Carthage)

As a recent graduate from the Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences and Master of Science in Magnetic Resonance Imaging programs, I have come to realize just how much these programs prepared me for the real world. During both programs, we rotated through various clinical sites to practice our skills. This gave me ample opportunities to take what I learned in the classroom and apply that in clinic. This was a game changer for me because I am a visual and hands-on learner. I also was given the opportunity to work as a student technologist during both programs. Through my experience at Children’s of Mississippi, I worked alongside some wonderful technologists. I owe a huge “thank you” to Mary Frances Cannon and Sarah Davis, who both took the time to thoroughly explain procedures. They taught me many tricks and tips that I still use to this day in my current job. Not only did this allow me to gain knowledge, but also the confidence to perform procedures independently. Thanks to this experience, I was also able to network during my time there. As a result, I ended up receiving a few job offers after graduating. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be a student in the RS and MRI programs and encourage future students to learn as much as possible and make the most of their experience during clinicals!

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Jamyracle Jefferson, SON Class of 2022
Labor and Delivery Nurse at UMMC

In nursing school, we learned about more disease processes, chronic conditions, and acute illnesses than I can remember. The idea of having to take care of actual patients (and not just the mannequins in the simulation lab) with these conditions was nerve racking as a student, and I was sure it'd be just as scary as a new nurse. At UMMC, because we are uniquely equipped to care for so many patients with varying acuity that many of my early clinical experiences were with high-acuity patients. I was able to learn something in a lecture and then see it on the floor during clinical rotations. As a nursing student, I was able to round with the doctors, learn to give a thorough report to other nurses, figure out how to build rapport and trust with resistant patients and put my skills to the test. During my pediatrics rotation, my preceptor Baeily Dillon never allowed me to give into fear and forced me to grow my clinical skills. Rather than asking me if I wanted to do something, she’d tell me “This is what you’re going to do today.” She’d always be there to guide me through any task I needed her to, but she pushed me to be better even through my own hesitation. My final clinical rotation was in Labor and Delivery, and throughout my time there, my preceptor Chelcie Wilbanks taught me the importance of being able to trust my fellow nurses and knowing when to lean on my team. As a student and a new grad, I’ve often found myself feeling the need to prove that I can handle whatever is thrown at me. Chelcie helped me understand that as I learn to navigate my career as a new nurse, I can trust that I am surrounded by support and my team is there when I need them. As a new grad nurse, I still find myself overwhelmed with the weight of my new responsibilities but being confident that I have been well prepared by my experiences as a student to step into my new role as a primary nurse is always reassuring.

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I love hearing accounts like these from past students. We have graduates all over the state and the country reaching all levels of success because of the training and experience they gained as an UMMC student. This is what it is all about. Our state needs more health care professionals and these statements show that we are doing our part to train the next generation to take on the task of fostering A Healthier Mississippi.