1. Family Medicine Clerkship in Ord, NE

2. Primary Care Team
MDs: Jennifer Bengston, Hilary Miller, and Daniel Schneider
PAs: Jeff Breitkrutz and Kathy Dunbar, APRN: Jane Meyer

3. Patient care experiences
Expect to follow one MD. I was paired with Dr. Bengston for the majority of my time in Ord. She is the senior-most physician. She held a walk-in clinic M-TH from 7 AM-8 AM. Scheduled clinic then goes until around 3 PM. There is an hour long lunch break in there usually. Your responsibility will be to interview patients, perform exams, present a brief summary and assessment of the patient and write the note. Pretty laid back, but busy, and the day goes by fast.
There is inpatient or “acute care” patients that she will let you know when to check on; that won’t be everyday. No written notes were needed on these patients. Fridays usually start around 8 or 9 and you are done by 11 AM usually. (You just basically are checking up on acute care patients Friday morning). Then you’re free for the weekend: drive home or hang out around Ord.
If you are on call over the weekend (1-2 weekends total depending on if your supervising physician is on call), you will help run the walk-in clinic from 9 AM-12 PM on Saturday morning.

4. Other patient care experiences
You can ask to be put on ER call if you want. It is not expected, but if you are interested in that, there is definitely the opportunity.
Jeff or Jane were usually the primary providers in the ER, and if you want to follow them throughout the day just mention it to Dr. Bengston or Jeff; they are great teachers and will let you do things…drain cysts, suture, etc.

5. Housing and amenities
You will be staying at the old hospital (5 years old) which is right next to the new hospital and a still-functioning nursing home. It’s just a few minutes walk to clinic in the morning. There are currently two rooms reserved for students, one is better than the other and is closer to the fridge and shower (which you share). There are multiple bathrooms but only one shower which, if there is another student, you will share; it was never an issue for me. There isn’t always another student there, I had it to myself for 1 month. The other month a PA student was there. There are old cathode-ray TVs in the room with basic cable as well. There is a thermostat that works right by the fridge.
Towels and bedding are provided and will be washed if you place in a linen basket outside your room. I brought my own bedding and pillow though just because I’m like that. Bring shower soap and shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste.
The cafeteria is open early and closes around 4 PM. They have breakfast sandwiches! Also cereal, yogurt, granola. Lunch is ready around 11 AM. Food, coffee, tea, pop, cookies.. The food is all free and pretty good in my opinion. There is a fridge in the cafeteria with prepared meals if there is no one cooking when you drop by (like after clinic in the afternoon). You also have access to a fridge and microwave up by your room. Really, they got you covered on food.
INTERNET*** - IMPORTANT: there is a router in a closet (the door to the left of the communal bathroom where your shower is located). If the internet goes down, unplug for 10 sec and plug back in. I didn’t know this until 6 weeks in and it saved me a lot of headache after I figured this out. If that doesn’t work, contact Gary and he’ll get you in touch with the IT guys. But the unplug method always worked for me.

6. Things to do in the area If you’re into… Exercise: Food: Movies:
You are given 24 hour ID access to the Rehab facility, it has some treadmills, elliptical machines, and weights, pretty nice in my opinion. There’s a shower there too.
Food:
good food up in Burwell, 15 minute drive, if you’re getting sick of the cafeteria food. There’s also a bar in Burwell called Lowe’Ded Bar and Grill that has great bar food and lots of TVs if you’re trying to catch a game.
Movies:
recently refurbished, local movie theater in Burwell, a 15 minute drive from Ord; real cheap snacks, usually only playing one movie at a time
History and museum things:
1800s military fort just 15 minute drive away
interesting guy with a large rock collection and exhibits on why evolutionary theory is wrong… free to the public! a half hour away in Broken Bow, NE
Outdoors:
Fishing, rivers and lakes in the area. Pond and park in town too if you’re up for a run/walk outside. The high school track is open too.
Beer:
good brewery in town with nice owners. They have a big screen so I watched a Nebraska game there one night.
is another really good NE brewery, located down the road from the creationist museum in Broken Bow, NE.

7. Last remarks
Everyone is very helpful getting you settled in; ask Gary Satchel if something specific comes up
The nursing staff is super nice
The physicians are super nice
Don’t worry about expectations, they will be made apparent as you go along. Just go with the flow and ask questions if you’re confused.
The old hospital where you are housed can be a little creepy at first, honestly, but don’t worry. The doors are locked at night and you have keys to get in and out whenever you need. Take a walk around during the daytime to prove it to yourself! Most of the old areas of the hospital are still open like the surgical suite and delivery room. Open doors, look around. Dr. Bengston actually gave me a tour one day and it was pretty neat. Oh, and if you’re in your room during the day there may be an announcement made over the intercom made to the nursing home residents. That was jarring the first time it happened to me, but thankfully that was a rare occurrence because you usually are in clinic at those times.
GOOD LUCK!