On a lighter note, in our non-traditional class we were talking about long-term care facilities and how it feels to be a resident in a facility like this. Our professor had us put on these old sunglasses with cellophane wrapped around them so we couldn't see that well, put cotton in our ears to hear as well and tape a couple of our fingers together so that we really couldn't write that well or have other use of our hands. She then passed around empty aspirin bottles in order for us to try and see if we could open them with all of our sense blocking items on. She also had the lights turned down during this, and then proceeded to ask us questions and we had to write down our answers on a piece of paper and then rip that piece off and put it in a pile. These questions were asking us what is our favorite material possession, something we are proud of, someone we care about, etc. We then had to choose one that we would give up, and continued to do this until we had nothing left in our pile. This really made us think about how much people have lost and how difficult it is for them to be in a facility like that. I think that a lot of us probably didn't think about it and it really made us realize what they are going through at that time in their lives.

Well, that's all for now, until I return from the AHIMA Convention in Seattle. My friends and I are flying out around 7 a.m. on Saturday in order to get there a little early and have time for some sightseeing. I'm very excited and will have a full update when I return.

On Wednesday Pitt had the largest job fair in its history. I believe there were more than 300 companies there to recruit upcoming graduates. Most of my classmates attended and I think that we were primarily focusing on the same companies, one specifically. I went up with one of my friends and we talked to the company we were most interested in. To our surprise we were invited to an applicant dinner that evening with other candidates. However, our joy was thwarted when we found out that several other classmates had interviews scheduled for the following day. We made the best of it, went to dinner and socialized and we are supposed to have a phone interview after a few weeks.

This past week we had our clinical at a consulting company in the area. They specialize in specialty pharmacies and they have their own software program which they can tailor distinctly for each of their clients. Our facilitator was an alumnus of our program and she gave us a background of how she got a job at the company and the different jobs she's had since being there.

This week is going to be extremely important. On Monday I have a phone interview for an externship at a company in NY. Three of my classmates have also interviewed for this company and we are hoping that all four of us are able to go. This week is also the job fair and it is the largest in Pitt's history. It's a bit overwhelming but I know that there are some great companies coming and I need to get my resume to them. So on Wednesday I will have my resume perfectly printed and suit up to hopefully impress some great companies.

This upcoming week our student association is having a bake sale in order to raise some more money for Seattle so that we can be reimbursed the most money after we get back.  I think that we already have enough to cover everyone's registration fees plus a little extra.  I definitely hope that we can keep going with our fundraisers in order to get the most money back for everyone.  I can't believe that the convention is only 3 weeks away!  I am really looking forward to it and feel blessed that so many of my classmates are also able to go.

Also, there is some exciting news about my internship for the spring. Myself and three other classmates are trying to go to the same site for our internships in the spring, and there is a possibility that all four of us may be able to go. We are all in the process of perfecting our resumes and sending them out in order to see if we would be able to go. I know it would be an incredible experience that I would really enjoy and be able to learn a lot from so I am very anxious to hear about our fate in this matter.

I am also slightly nervous of graduating and being thrown into the "real world." Almost every day there is talk of sending resumes to employers and we are all on Web sites looking around at positions. In our HIM in Non-Traditional Settings class we had one of our program's alumnus come in and talk about her position at Cerner and how it was after graduation. I think that it made all of us feel a little better about the whole job search because she said that she absolutely felt prepared for her job after she graduated.

This semester, our Clinical Education 3 (CE3) is coordinated with our Non-Traditional class so we are able to see many different possibilities that will be available for us after graduation. This past Thursday I went to the UPMC Health System Information Services Division Decision Support Systems where we discussed all of the different systems they use in order to collect and analyze data. I was amazed that they are able to collect so much data for so many different facilities and they are able to have systems that coordinate with each other in order to be able to make the data to useable information. Our facilitator at this site also took time to talk to us about our job search and then she gave us some resume and interviewing tips that she felt confident in sharing with us in order to help us.

This upcoming week I believe that we are having someone from Career Services coming to our HR class in order to go over resumes and cover letters and then go over the upcoming career fairs with us.

So after a week of stressful exams and paper submissions the smoke has finally cleared and in its place is the official start of my summer vacation. I will be glad to get away from the classroom for a little while but will also be anxiously awaiting the beginning of my senior year. I know it is all going to go so fast and be such a blur that before I know it I will be on stage receiving my diploma.

As for summer, I plan to be working at a local hospital in an office that assists the residents in the facility. We actually just had orientation for our newest class and will be having our graduating class leave by the end of the month. I enjoy working here and I learn a lot of different aspects of the health care world through this job so it’s not only fun, but educational as well. Well,that’s where I will be spending most of my summer vacation … exciting I know. Perhaps an actual vacation thrown in there as well? It’s a nice thought.

This semester has been fun and rather short but we were still able to complete everything that we needed.  I had my final clinical sessions last week and I went around with a case manager one day and then a clinical documentation specialist the next.  It was really informative of how everything works on the back end.  The case manager is looking to see how the patient is progressing along and seeing if they are getting everything they need to progress towards a quick and healthy discharge.  Whereas the clinical documentation specialist is just looking at what's wrong with the patient and how it is documented.  They are basically just looking for a higher DRG, if possible per the documentation.  This could be stressful sometimes because the doctor may want to write something one way but it doesn't fit right with the DRG and it just has to be worded differently, while still giving the same diagnosis.  I'm sure they run into some struggling issues with that. 

Well, that's basically all that's going on for now and I'm probably going to be stressed for the next 5 days about studying, but I know it will all come together in the end.

So now back to the present at school.  We are in the middle of writing our epidemiology research proposals and just the amount that you have to read is astonishing.  I have been reading so many different articles and journals that my eyes are going to fall out, but I am excited to be in the process of completing mine.  I'm doing my proposal on children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy and the testing of their parents in order to see if they have a very mild course of the disease, and if so how it would be properly diagnosed.  It's a very interesting topic that pulled at my heartstrings when I stumbled upon it in probably the most unconventional way, by reading my favorite celebrity site, PerezHilton.  Well no matter how I found it, it just hit me that this is what my project should be on. 

In other areas, my clinical last week was at a local drug and rehab facility.  I went there with one other classmate for 2 days where we went over quality, utilization, and risk management.  It was a lot different than I thought.  It wasn't as fast paced as I thought it was and there wasn't a lot of chaos.  We were with the Director of Medical Records, Quality Improvement, Health & Safety, and Utilization Management.  She was wonderful in explaining all of the issues that come up in the facility and we were particularly interested in the legal cases she has to deal with.  Of course being that the facility deals with drug and alcohol rehabilitation, the records are under very strict regulations because of HIPAA.  It was amazing all of the cases that people would try to get the patients record and it would have nothing to do with their case.  These requests were of course denied and I'm sure there were a lot of angry attorneys out there.

As assignments and papers are piling up, my procrastination has kicked into full gear this past holiday weekend so needless to say I have a lot of work to still get done.  We have a paper due in our Human Relations class due next week and we also have to have the hypothesis, specific aims and significance sections of our epidemiologic research project done.  I will definitely be working on these all weekend after the "Lost" finale on Thursday and my clinical on Thursday and Friday.  As for my clinical, I get to go to a local drug and rehab facility to study quality management and risk management so I will have details about my experience next week.

Until next time- Travis

I would like to use this first entry in order to introduce myself and let everyone get a feel of what I'm about.  First, my name is Travis Bankhead and I am a HIM student at the University of Pittsburgh in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.  I am currently in the summer session of classes, which is the transition between our junior and senior years.  I am extremely excited to be that much closer to graduating and starting my career.  Currently, I am interesting in pursuing a career either in quality management or perhaps start out as a consultant for a software firm for an EHR company.  In all actuality, these are just my current preferences, and I still have my mind wide open to other possibilities.

As for me on a personal note, I am rather quirky and try to see the best of every situation.  I am pretty much addicted to TV, the internet, and Starbucks coffee, which probably sounds like every other college student.  With all of these distractions though and my skills in procrastination, I still manage to focus on my curriculum and look toward the future of having a prosperous career.  I hope that everyone enjoys this blog and I welcome and encourage all questions and comments.

Thanks,

Travis