Fourth-year student Anna Zhou, recalls her latest rotation experience. And as she notes, sometimes "rural" in Colorado, is an upscale ski town.
The anticoagulation clinic at Vail is a great rotation experience, and I would recommend it to any student looking to fulfill their underserved rotation requirement. You will be traveling between Vail, Edwards, and Eagle (all within 15-30 minutes of each other) and seeing Coumadin patients on your own. You will be in charge of taking vitals and adjusting the patient's Coumadin dose based on point of care INR testing. You will work with nurses, pharmacists, and healthcare techs and you will really get to know the patients on a personal level. The autonomy granted on this rotation is unparalleled and you're a crucial part of the team as the staff depend on you to see the Coumadin patients daily. You are also able to call in refill authorizations into pharmacies.
I have learned a lot on this rotation and it has been very enjoyable. There is time to also check out the city of Vail and experience its beauty and culture by running outside, hiking, skiing, and enjoying the beautiful snowy mountain. The housing provided there is also nice because you either stay with host families (whose houses are in the mountains and are gorgeous) or you stay at the Tarnes employee housing, which are clean apartments that are furnished right below Beaver Creek. It's a great experience to get away from city life and get time to yourself and experience something different.