| Medical students question their understanding of the health care system after listening to patients’ stories. |
“I felt that I had a pretty good grasp of the complex issues that plague our medical system in the US due to my many experiences working in health care…the UNITED experience gave me the opportunity to sit down with patients and ask the types of questions that rarely get asked in the ED. It allowed me to see the issues through a new lens.” “Access to care is usually inhibited by insurance and lack of transportation, but this was a woman who had both resources and still could not get the services that she needed in a timely manner.” “This patient had health coverage through Medi‐Cal but told us that she was unable to get into an office to establish care with anyone due to months‐long waits and inconsistent appointment availability. She used the ED for all health issues, emergent or otherwise.”
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| Focused patient interviews about the health care system provide a unique perspective of the patient experience not found elsewhere in the preclinical curriculum. |
“It was interesting to hear his long history of struggling with trying to get insurance, paying out of pocket for appointments, and having constant visits to the ED.” “She noted that in her experience, what [kind of insurance] you have gets you seen faster.” “It wasn't until she tried to kill herself that she got the services that she so desperately needed. Is this really the system we want?”
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| Discussing the realities of being a patient in the U.S. health care system is an emotional experience for students. |
“Despite any inconvenience, all these patients were still ecstatic about the health care they were receiving. There was nothing but high praise for the doctors in the ER and the level of care that they got. There is something pretty special that is happening in the ER.” “Towards the end of our discussion, it was depressing and felt like as a doctor, we too have to navigate a system to best serve our patient.” “Overall, this was a very valuable experience that enriched my understanding of health care systems, policies, insurance and that stimulated my attention towards critically approaching the health care system in order to make a progressive benefit for patients and the state of medicine in the future.” “Overall, I thought it was a great experience, especially seeing the nonclinical health care that our patients have to go through. I think that it would be great to continue this program.”
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