Derrick Huang ’26: Tufts Medical Center
- The Rivers School
- Sep 26
- 8 min read
Internal medicine is a field that confronts one of the most complex systems in the world: humans. Not only must doctors in this field have an abundance of medical knowledge, they must also have patience, compassion, and above all, a desire to do what is best for their patients. This summer, I got the opportunity to witness this balance of science and humanity firsthand by shadowing Dr. Dineli Ahearn, a doctor of internal medicine and a primary care physician, and her team at the Tufts Medical Center.
During my three weeks at Tufts MC, I saw just how much internal medicine is about building and maintaining relationships, and how those relationships can make it one of the most fulfilling fields in medicine. Shadowing Dr. Ahearn in the outpatient clinic, I got to sit in for many of her visits. Nearly every appointment began with a little small talk—as I sat there listening to Dr. Ahearn and her patients laughing casually and asking each other about their families, I couldn’t help but feel that these weren’t just formal medical appointments, but also reunions between old friends. After those warm openings, she would meticulously go through new concerns and recent changes in health, update medication lists, review test results, and more, depending on the type of visit.
I remember being struck by how Dr. Ahearn could recall the individual circumstances of each patient so clearly, while I have to scramble just to keep track of all my school assignments. Despite having thousands of patients under her care, Dr. Ahearn’s genuine care and attention for each visit make it easy to see why some of her patients have been with her for over 30 years and trust her to care for their entire families.
In addition to observing Dr. Ahearn, a physician with many years of experience, I also got to spend time talking with and observing residents—newer doctors who just recently graduated from medical school. Many of their patients were coming into the clinic for the first time to establish care, and it was fascinating to watch some of those initial conversations. While these visits didn’t have the long history that many of Dr. Ahearn’s patients did, I could see how the residents were beginning to create the trust and bonds that form the foundation of primary care. One patient, who had not seen another doctor in multiple decades, remarked that the care shown to them in their interaction with first-year resident Dr. Fuller and the Tufts MC team was “refreshing.” Moments like those showed me just how important it is for doctors to connect meaningfully with patients and genuinely care about them from the start.
At the same time, these close connections are also what make internal medicine a challenging profession. In the outpatient clinic, many patients who came in were managing chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, or anxiety disorders. Yet some were still hesitant to begin certain treatments, whether due to their own beliefs, concerns about side effects, or fear of change. Even when it was clear that a medication could significantly improve a patient’s health, the doctors never forced a decision. Instead, they calmly explained the benefits and risks, gave the patients time to process, and ultimately emphasized that the choice was theirs to make.
These moments struck me because I saw how difficult it could be for doctors who deeply care about their patients to watch someone decline a treatment that could improve their quality of life. Still, the doctors never let their frustration show in front of patients—maintaining calmness and respect to allow patients to feel in control of their own health decisions. I also got to observe first-year resident Dr. Mikulski, who spoke patiently with patients struggling with autism spectrum disorder and social anxiety.
While I spent the majority of my three weeks shadowing Dr. Ahearn in the outpatient clinic, I also got to spend a large part of my second week observing the inpatient service. There, I had the opportunity to shadow Dr. Murad and her team of residents and medical students. The inpatient ward cares for patients whose conditions require hospitalization and extended stays—sometimes just a few days and other times spanning multiple months. During my week with the team, I watched morning and afternoon rounds, observed their patient interactions, listened to discussions about various complex conditions, and learned a lot about the path from undergraduate studies to medical school, residency, and beyond.
Through observing the inpatient team, I was exposed to some of the more challenging parts of human interactions in medicine. Unlike in outpatient care, where relationships often span decades, doctors and residents on the inpatient service frequently meet patients and their families in moments of crisis. These situations were often emotionally loaded, and I saw firsthand how difficult it can be to balance medical judgment, family wishes, and hospital policy.
To help with these complex decisions, ethics consults are sometimes called, and I joined the team for a nearly hour-long discussion with the hospital’s ethics committee. Even after the meeting, the answer was still unclear, and the path forward was difficult. The frustration in the room was apparent—there simply wasn’t an easy solution to the situation.
Other times, I also saw how overwhelming these interactions could sometimes be for the physicians themselves. In one instance, a first-year resident received a phone call from a distressed patient’s family member. After talking through the situation calmly with the family member and contacting the necessary teams to facilitate the patient’s smooth discharge from the hospital, the resident reflected on how difficult it could be to stay calm and not get angry while talking with patients and their families. It made me realize how often people expect doctors to be endlessly patient and composed, yet rarely offer the same patience or understanding in return. Being there in the room with the team through these moments reminded me of something we often forget—that doctors are human too. They manage immense emotional pressure on top of their medical responsibilities, and sometimes the hardest part of the job isn’t the medicine itself, but the emotions and expectations that come along with caring for people at their most vulnerable.
In addition to shadowing the attending doctors, residents, and med students in the outpatient and inpatient clinics, I also got to observe and help out with some of the many tasks that keep the hospital running smoothly, like restocking medications or cleaning exam rooms. While physicians are often the most visible part of healthcare, there’s a whole network of people working behind the scenes to make sure patients receive the care they need.
After checking in with the front desk, patients first interacted with medical assistants (MAs). The MAs would take vitals, ask baseline questions, prepare exam rooms, and run tests. Taking these vitals—such as weight, blood pressure (BP), and heart rate—makes it easier for a physician to effectively see trends in health, assess the efficacy of medications, and make informed decisions. During patient visits, MAs would also carry out many of the tests ordered by the doctors, such as EKGs (electrocardiograms—readings of electrical impulses of the heart) and A1Cs (blood tests to determine average blood sugar level over the past 2-3 months).
A clean, typical exam room Urine strip tester, label printer, A1C machine
Additionally, MAs, along with supervisors, are tasked with ensuring the viability of medications and tools in the exam and med rooms. I was tasked with taking inventory of and checking the expiration dates of all the materials in the exam and med rooms, making sure that nothing was expired or in the wrong place. While the supervisor normally does this work, I was glad to be able to help out with these tasks and take some things off the plates of the MAs during my internship.
After their visits, patients interacted with patient service representatives like Jessie and Deb, who play an equally important role in keeping the clinic running smoothly. I spent a lot of time talking with both of them and seeing the variety of behind-the-scenes work they managed. They coordinated scheduling, handled faxes and documents, printed forms for doctors and patients, and juggled many responsibilities that allowed the doctors to focus on the patients during their visits.
In addition to the MAs and patient service reps, I also observed physician assistants (PAs), nurse practitioners (NPs), and registered nurses (RNs). PAs and NPs saw patients themselves, prescribed medications, and consulted with attending doctors when needed. The RNs supported patients and physicians through tasks like coordinating care, following up on treatment plans, and more. My internship allowed me to spend time observing all of these roles, allowing me to see just how much medicine relies on teamwork. Each part of the system matters, and without these roles, patient care simply could not run smoothly. Seeing how everyone worked together and how tight-knit the team was gave me a new appreciation for how much collaboration goes into healthcare beyond what patients usually see.
My time observing in the clinics and rooms was valuable, but some of the most meaningful parts of my internship experience came from conversations with the medical students and residents I shadowed, especially during downtime. They gave me an unfiltered perspective on the path to becoming a doctor, describing the excitement of trying different fields during their third year med school rotations, the anxiety during match week, and the long string of decisions that must be made before settling on a specialty. They also shared many insights that can’t be found online—they spoke about the friendships and support systems they built in med school, and how they sometimes look around and find that they’re in communities with some of the most ambitious, thoughtful, cool, and devoted people they’ve ever met. During one lunch break with the inpatient team, I noticed one first-year resident playing a mobile game, and I half-jokingly exclaimed in surprise, “You guys actually have lives?” It struck me then just how easy it can be to forget that residents and doctors are people too, juggling stress and responsibility while still finding small ways to enjoy life just like the rest of us.
Another significant takeaway I gained was the realization that medicine is a lifelong commitment to learning. Regulations are always shifting, new treatments and technologies are constantly being introduced, and the way that people interact with one another changes daily. Some of the medical students introduced me to tools like UpToDate, DynaMed, and OpenEvidence—all resources that doctors rely on to stay informed in a rapidly evolving field. I often watched as attendings learned from residents, residents from medical students, and so on—evidence that when it comes to medicine, there are no regulations on learning.
On the last day of my three weeks at Tufts MC, Dr. Ahearn sat me down and gave me some advice I’ll carry forward: to continue branching out and creating real connections, relationships, and bonds with people, no matter the field that I pursue. Heading into my senior year of high school, her words—and my time at Tufts MC — give me a new perspective as I consider majors, careers, and the kind of person I want to become. Ultimately, the greatest value of any path I choose to pursue will come from the impact that I can make in the lives of others.
I am beyond grateful to Dr. Ahearn, her team in the outpatient clinic, the inpatient team, and everyone else I met at Tufts Medical Center for welcoming me as one of their own. The experience would not have been the same without their incredible kindness and generosity in making time to help me learn despite their already busy lives. I’m especially thankful to Dr. Ahearn for her warmth and guidance—not only letting me shadow her clinic but also connecting me with other doctors and encouraging me to explore. I’m equally grateful to the many patients who allowed me to sit in on their visits; watching Dr. Ahearn’s interactions with them was one of the most valuable parts of my shadowing. Thank you as well to Mr. Schlenker and Rivers for making this opportunity possible.