Personal Narrative: Working With My Co-Resident Advisor

One of my most significant team experiences comes from working with my Co-Resident Advisor (RA) when one of our residents blacked out. One evening a resident came to me because her roommate was in the bathroom vomiting after a night out. My Co-RA and I took control of the situation by delegating the tasks that needed to get done and implementing the appropriate protocol. While my Co-RA called the paramedics, I attended to the student in distress and asked the resident about the events that had transpired earlier that evening. Then my Co-RA informed me that the paramedics were on the way while I recounted to her what the residents told me. Once the paramedics arrived, I went to escort them up while my Co-RA stayed with the residents. After the
paramedics examined the resident and decided that she would not be transported, we instructed the girls on how to position the resident to ensure that she would not choke in her sleep. The next day my Co-RA and I sat down and coordinated when we would check in on her. This experience was the first time that I had to plan with another person how we would go about looking after someone else’s well-being. Without this teamwork, we would not have been able to effectively provide her with the resources and services to keep her safe. As a medical student, I look forward to developing these skills further and translating them to a clinical setting.