On Rounds: Benefis is Growing Young Doctors as a Teaching Hospital

Teacher David Paffrath’s stroke symptoms were slight when he arrived in the Emergency Department, but missing those early indicators could have cost him everything.

Stephanie Hang, MD, teaches stroke detection skills to the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Montana students who care for patients with her. Dr. Hang speaks urgently because what she teaches is critical for the patient in front of them and the thousands her students will care for in the decades to come.

“Time is the brain. Time is so important,” she said as they did rounds together early one morning at Benefis Health System. “When you grow up to be a real doctor, you’ll need to know what to incorporate into your practice.”

Dr. Hang said one of the most common mistakes is checking for signs of a stroke with a patient’s hands down instead of with palms up. She quizzed them on guidelines and the stroke studies she had emailed earlier.

At David’s bedside, Caroline Aprigliano, a third-year student physician from Touro, evaluated David’s progress while Dr. Hang watched. He explained that his writing and speaking is better, and he wants to draw again.

Even if all he can do is envision himself drawing, that still helps his recovery, Dr. Hang advised.

“The mind is a beautiful thing,” she told him as she outlined his next steps.

Two medical residents, Khansa Ali, MD, and Khushai Khan, MD, were also with Dr. Hang and the Touro students that morning, learning how she teaches them.

For Touro student Michael Ny, his time at Benefis is where he’s transitioned from book learning to practicing what Dr. Hang calls “the art of medicine,” the bringing together of information.

Seeing a patient like David brings home the gravity of the decisions they’ll make as doctors, he said.
“She sets the bar high, so you know you will leave today better than you were yesterday,” Michael said.

Dr. Hang often asks, “What kind of a doctor do you want to be?” It’s not a moment for them to consider specialties, but a call to reflect on the human aspect.

“Don’t forget this is a human patient,” Caroline said. “They’re sick. They’re scared. You have to be there for them and comfort them. Hold yourself to a high standard.”

Watching Touro students, and now medical residents, grow in the field is “so rewarding,” Dr. Hang said. “They’re doing wonderfully.”

“Medicine is the easiest thing to read in a book, but the art of medicine is completely different. How do I apply all this? How do I motivate and be part of a team? How do I work in such a way my patients get great care?” Dr. Hang said. “It’s tough, and it’s making thousands of life-and-death decisions.”