The students eagerly waited in their seats, surrounding a large brown podium. The room chattered with anticipation as the young men stared at the door, waiting for the man of the hour to walk through. Suddenly, the room goes quiet as the speaker enters the room, climbing the steps up to the podium, receiving a warm applause from the audience.
This was the scene on February 11th, as the Jesuit Medical Society welcomed the practice administrator for Health Texas Provider Network, Mr. Andrew Smith, to come talk to the students about the administrative side of medicine. Each month, the Jesuit Medical Society brings in a different speaker to discuss different parts of the medical field, and this month was especially interesting because Mr. Smith discussed a different side of the healthcare field by focusing more on healthcare management and administration. His lecture, however, did not solely refer to the administrative side of healthcare but also how it relates to the way he works with various doctors and clinics within the area to gather data and information to make the experiences of the patients more efficient and effective. The talk was phenomenal for students who are considering a career in medicine, as he was able to talk about the trends in the field and how there will be a need for general physicians and physician’s assistants in the upcoming years. Mr. Smith wrapped up the lecture by highlighting how new government policies and legislation are drastically affecting medicine and what it will look like down the road, especially pertaining to doctor shortages, pay cuts, rising and falling fields, and the changing perspective to service.
The students and administrators of the Medical Society in attendance raved about the lecture, because, according to Bill Cox ‘17, “It was really informative and refreshing to hear a totally different perspective in the medical field. It showed me a different side of medicine I was not used to hearing about.” Cox’s praises for the talk were echoed by faculty member Mrs. Stefanie Boyle who noted, “I think his message was excellent for the members of the Medical Society because some students might be interested in medicine but would rather take an administrative/business-like approach to the field.”
With an exciting Spring semester ahead, make sure to tune into The Roundup as the Medical Society prepares for some huge upcoming events like a panel of medical and residency students coming in the spring to talk to the Medical Society.
