CARBONDALE (WSIL) -- These days, healthcare is more complex than ever. Even despite the pandemic, local medical schools have managed to keep students motivated.
Right now 15 to 20 Residents are in the SIU Medicine School. Dr. Kyaw Naing says its rewarding to see this next generation of doctors.
"Not only we individually provide care to people of southern Illinois knowing we are also disseminating our knowledge and care to future young doctors so that they can be ready for their future and utilizing evidence-based medicine to provide high quality of care," he said.
He says the pandemic has changed their way of learning. Classes used to have students and doctors together, but not anymore.
"We have to be creative, we have to practice social distance, but then they'll learn mostly through virtual and that's a unique experience for all of us," he said.
Third-year resident, Charelle Smith, says she always aspired to provide care to underserved communities, but Finishing school during the pandemic has changed her hands-on experience for the real world.
"Things like telehealth appointments, seeing people virtually, as well as--in the beginning we couldn't do home visits like we were before and so we had to become very creative. so seeing patients in the hospital and patients from the clinic has definitely enhanced my education," she said.
She says the family medicine program has taught her a wide range of skills.
"Things like vaccinations and parental education for our young children as well as end of life discussions and taking care of individuals that have multiple chronic issues that were in some cases exhasturbated by the pandemic," she said.
Dr. Nang says at least half of the residents that graduate practice medicine within a 50-mile radius of Carbondale and says he isn't worried about the future of the medical field.
"Future is bright in a sense because we have to also embrace the technology at the same time we shouldn't sacrifice one-to-one personal care," he said.
Smith says she graduates in June and will continue practice medicine in Carbondale.
