From my short experience on Multiple Sclerosis.

Color enhanced, sagittal FLAIR MRI image of a person with long
 standing multiple sclerosis shows multiple hyperintense lesions
 (green) in the periventricular white matter which is characteristic of
 demyelinating lesions of MS.  Copyright SciencePhotoLibrary.

After being two years involved in basic science research, genetics and molecular testing during my training at Columbia University and SUNY Downstate (New York), learning how science is made and research is designed, ultimately implanted the idea of being a clinician capable to understand the pathophysiology and abnormalities behind a disease at a molecular level with adequate skills to propose, design and perform basic science research on patients.

Part of that idea came to life when I started working as a clinical trial coordinator and research assistant at the Neurology department of the Fundacion Santa Fe University Hospital at Bogota (Colombia). My short experience recruiting patients and subsequently following them at the multiple sclerosis clinic, under the guidance of one of my mentors, represented one of the best clinical experiences that affirmed my inclination to pursue a career as a neurologist. The constant interaction with participants in the study and the regular follow up visits, allowed me to establish good relationships with patients and caregivers.

Spending time in the clinic, also provided me with the opportunity to talk and explain the rationale of the project, several aspects of the disease, the ongoing research efforts and finally, our own preliminary results to patients and families. Three years after, I still consider this scenario as one of the most rewarding experiences a researcher could have and also, one of the main motivations to improve my training on the recognition of the clinical manifestations and the differential and radiological diagnosis.

 Attending to the training practicum session would be a highly valuable opportunity, especially in this early stage of my career when the consolidation of a good fund of knowledge on MS and related demyelinating conditions, the understanding of the mechanisms and relevance of the immune-modulating  and disease-modifying therapies will certainly impact both in my performance during residency and success as a future clinician-scientist.