The AAMC team recently sat down with Dr. Jen to learn more about her work. Learn more about Family Medicine below.
Can you give a description of your work?
I am an associate professor at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine in southern New Jersey where I see patients and precept residents. I am also the clerkship director for the third-year Family Medicine clerkship.
What attracted you to Family Medicine?
I was one of those students that wasn’t sure what she wanted to do! I loved every rotation I went on. From this, I came to realize that I loved the diversity of all my rotations. I liked constantly changing rotations because I was always learning about and experiencing something new. I realized that I wanted to be a generalist, because I wanted to treat and deal with a lot of different cases.
For me, one of the biggest things that pushed me into Family Medicine was that I liked knowing what happened to patients. When I did my rotation in the ER, I really liked it, but it was hard not knowing what happened to my patients after I treated them. I had the same issue with internal medicine; I wasn’t able to track patients’ recovery after treatment.
What I also liked about Family Medicine was that we have both sick and well patients. I really enjoyed practicing and teaching preventative care to patients who are healthy.
How would you describe a typical workweek?
Every day is different for me. On Mondays and Tuesdays, I’m in my office seeing patients. Wednesdays and Thursdays I do media work, like podcasts, television segments, or creating my own content for social. Fridays I do a lot of clerkship work. But I really do a little bit of everything each day of the week. So even when I’m not in the office, I’m still dealing with patient medication refills. Or when I’m in the office, I still make videos and social content. So my week can vary!
What parts of your job do you find most challenging? What parts do you find most rewarding?
The most challenging aspect of my job is dealing with how much medicine has changed. An example of this is trying to get a medication approved for a patient that we know could benefit from it, but the insurance company is making it difficult for us to get it. Another challenging aspect is trying to see patients during the day while also dealing with the non-patient related care aspects of our job, like calling insurance companies and billings.
The most rewarding part of my job is how much I love what I do. I love knowing my patients for years and going through life with them. It’s a blessing and a privilege to be a part of someone’s life like I get to be. I’ve been in practice now for 16 years and being a family physician is even better than I thought it would be.
What’s one thing you wish someone would’ve told you before going into Family Medicine?
I have certainly been surprised at how much I’ve loved being a family physician, more than I even imagined. I grew up wanting to be a doctor, but I never could have imagined how amazing it could be! I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world to have this job.
How would you describe someone who would excel in a career in Family Medicine?
Someone who would excel in Family Medicine wants continuity of care, relationships with their patients, and to see people over time. Someone who wants to talk to their patients, and I mean that literally! There are some specialties where physicians do not speak with patients, like radiologists and pathologists. The intimacy of communication you find in Family Medicine is not universal across specialties. An interest in diversity of cases and seeing lots of different medical issues is also important. You should also be interested in prevention, which is a huge part of Family Medicine.
Can you share a case you found especially rewarding?
Honestly, there are too many to name! I would say that cases where a patient is struggling and I’m able to help guide them to a place where they’re better is the most rewarding. I know that sounds very general, but that’s what family physicians do.
What previous experiences have helped you most as a family physician?
When I was a premed, I had mentors who were very supportive of me. They were a big part of my journey through college and encouraged me when I felt discouraged. Finding mentors early was highly beneficial in helping me land in Family Medicine.
Is there any advice you’d share with premeds?
Stay focused and try not to get distracted by noise. Don’t psyche yourself out, don’t compare yourself to others, work your hardest, and don’t get discouraged. You can do this!
To learn more about Dr. Jen and her work, follow her on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. You can also visit her website for more information.