Administrator for Reno CyberKnife Participates in Washoe County Medical Society Internship

Recently, Lacie Finke, Administrator for Reno CyberKnife, participated in the Washoe County Medical Society Internship. 

The Washoe County Medical Society is a professional corporation organized for the purpose of providing advocacy for physicians and patients and promoting the art and science of medicine and public health. Serving as a primary source of health related information, the Medical Society seeks to educate its members and the citizens of northern Nevada.  They strive to maintain the highest standard of ethics and medical care throughout our community, and as a professional organization, nurtures these goals by cooperating with the American Medical Association, the Nevada State Medical Association, and other County Medical Societies and Alliances in the state of Nevada. 

The Washoe County Medical Society provides many resources to the residents in Reno and the surrounding communities, including a Speakers Bureau, Disaster Preparedness, and Educational Opportunities.  One of the educational opportunities offered by the Medical Society is the Washoe County Medical Society Internship. 

The internship is an annual program that is sponsored by the Medical Society that pairs leaders in the community with physicians to allow them the opportunity to have a behind the scenes look at health care.  The participants sign up for two full days of rounding with a physician in either a clinical, ER, or surgery setting.  

Lacie was excited to spend part of her summer partaking in the internship.  

“I first heard about the internship from a colleague about six years ago and was always interested in participating,” said Finke.  “At a community event in February, the Washoe County Medical Society was there and I picked up the brochure and asked about it.  Fortunately, they had a couple of spots left and I was able to participate.” 

The internship program spans ten days to give the interns several options to choose from that fit it into their schedule.  Lacie chose June 17 and 18.  The two days started early at 7 a.m. and lasted until 6 p.m.  

During her internship, Finke shadowed several physicians and learned more about their specialties.  Being the site administrator for Reno CyberKnife, Lacie is solely focused on oncology, but this internship opened her eyes to different service lines in the healthcare field.  She even had a front row seat for a few procedures. 

Over the two days, Lacie shadowed a plastic surgeon and viewed a tummy tuck and breast left, spent some time with a spine specialist and got to see a very detailed and intricate fusion surgery, followed a general surgeon and saw a hernia repair completed by robotic surgery, and worked with an ER physician in a busy emergency room department. 

Lacie says she learned a lot during those two days and is very thankful for the opportunity to participate.

 “I learned that physicians of all trades are concerned with the state of our health care system,” said Finke.  “I also learned that we have a lot of underserved people that are not appropriate for the ER, and as a community, we need to come up with more alternatives for these folks.  It’s costly and they are not in the right place for what they need.” 

When asked what the greatest takeaway from the internship was, Lacie replied, “The greatest takeaway is that we have amazing physicians in our community.  Caring, strong, professional and capable.  There really isn’t any reason for local patients to seek healthcare outside of Reno unless it’s something that deems an academic center or other service we may not have.  We have so much to offer patients in our community.”