weeks, that is.
over the course of the next two years (well, one and a half calendar years...) i'll do 72 more weeks of rotations than i have done up to now. i'm utterly amazed that 4 of them are done. by this time 4 weeks from now i'll be over 10% done. WEIRD.
******
psych is done. it was an ok time. as much as i loved it, i do not love psych. i may have said that before actually. i don't even have a good "the dude" story to leave you with.
oh - except this one...
i had to set up my post-rotation exam through the psych department on campus because "the dude" doesn't have a computer on which for me to take it. so i do.
then i see the secretary that i set the exam up with in the gym. and we talk for a few minutes about how the rotation is going.
and then she says "oh, "the dude" always does such a good job of preparing you for the exam. his students always score considerably higher than others."
to which i reply, "yeah, he's a really good teacher." thinking under my breath, "and because he practically reads the exam to me a few days a week in our down time." seriously. i took the exam today and felt a little as if i had cheated.
i had to get the secretary to come put her password in again at the half-way point in the exam - and she says "wow, that was fast."
to which i replied, "you either know it, or you don't." thinking under my breath, "he either told me the question or he didn't."
******
it's all downhill from here, right? i'm not so sure.
i heard through the grapevine (or the school website reviews) that i'll be working a LOT at my next rotation. including 5 call nights. 5. 5 times in which they expect me to work overnight. i'm a little apprehensive.
but we had a couple people over for dinner tonight, and that was a lot of fun. we talked and laughed and ate. it was nice and relaxing. and left me with an even bigger crush on one of our guests than i already had... *sigh*
9.30.2005
9.29.2005
sad state of affairs.
the pants i wore today are SO comfortable. but collected enough lint to knit christmas sweaters for every person in my extended family and beyond.
9.28.2005
stranded.
stranded.
stranded.
stranded on the toilet bowl.
what do you do when you're stranded,
and you can't find a role?
you must be a man-
and wipe with your hand!
******
i got up this morning and realized that my toilet paper role needed to be replaced. i opened my bathroom cabinet where before lived what seemed an endless supply of TP, to find none. NONE. it seems the landlords removed said stock from my access. without warning or explanation.
how rude.
stranded.
stranded on the toilet bowl.
what do you do when you're stranded,
and you can't find a role?
you must be a man-
and wipe with your hand!
******
i got up this morning and realized that my toilet paper role needed to be replaced. i opened my bathroom cabinet where before lived what seemed an endless supply of TP, to find none. NONE. it seems the landlords removed said stock from my access. without warning or explanation.
how rude.
9.27.2005
i cried today.
at work. in front of "the dude" - but he either didn't notice, or ignored it for me. i'm sure it's the latter, because the former just wouldn't happen. he knows when i'm thinking of a question for the patient during his interview. it's creepy, really.
******
today my patient was discharged. see, there's been a little girl in the hospital who i've seen every day of my rotation up to this point. i'd thought about bringing her home with me. (this is what we in the psychiatry world call "countertransference") she didn't need to be in the hospital anymore, but didn't have anywhere to go. until today. she'd been on a waiting list for placement at a residential facility in another city. they called today saying that a bed had opened up for her. i won't see her in the morning.
and since i'm learning a lot about teaching kids to process their feelings, i did a little processing of my own.
here's what i've come up with: i'm glad it's me and not her. see, i'm leaving at the end of the week. i was starting to get anxious about telling her i wouldn't be seeing her anymore. i was afraid of how this would impact a little girl who's lost so much already. but now, she gets to be the one who leaves. and that's the way it should be.
******
today my patient was discharged. see, there's been a little girl in the hospital who i've seen every day of my rotation up to this point. i'd thought about bringing her home with me. (this is what we in the psychiatry world call "countertransference") she didn't need to be in the hospital anymore, but didn't have anywhere to go. until today. she'd been on a waiting list for placement at a residential facility in another city. they called today saying that a bed had opened up for her. i won't see her in the morning.
and since i'm learning a lot about teaching kids to process their feelings, i did a little processing of my own.
here's what i've come up with: i'm glad it's me and not her. see, i'm leaving at the end of the week. i was starting to get anxious about telling her i wouldn't be seeing her anymore. i was afraid of how this would impact a little girl who's lost so much already. but now, she gets to be the one who leaves. and that's the way it should be.
9.26.2005
it's so late...
i have to be at work SO early tomorrow, that i've knocked myself out of time for a "real" story... so you're stuck with this one...
old men don't get the khaki pants, black shirt deal. "the dude" tried it today, and failed. he wore brown shoes and a brown belt.
i mean, really people.
******
oh, one more quick one... "the dude" just realized today that this is my first rotation. meaning (at least in my mind), that he thought my skills and comfort level was more that of at least a 3rd month. good times, eh? (remember, "the dude" is canadian...)
old men don't get the khaki pants, black shirt deal. "the dude" tried it today, and failed. he wore brown shoes and a brown belt.
i mean, really people.
******
oh, one more quick one... "the dude" just realized today that this is my first rotation. meaning (at least in my mind), that he thought my skills and comfort level was more that of at least a 3rd month. good times, eh? (remember, "the dude" is canadian...)
9.24.2005
the reasoning skills of today's youth...
yesterday, during morning rounds i was admitting a patient to one of the day treatment programs at the hospital. this particular program is for adolescents with substance abuse problems... so i ask the kid about his substances...
"pot. and i tried meth once, but i like to eat and sleep, and i couldn't do either of those things, so i didn't like it."
"pot. and i tried meth once, but i like to eat and sleep, and i couldn't do either of those things, so i didn't like it."
9.23.2005
and the award goes to...
amazingly, all of the people that i've been working with this month are WONDERFUL. and i'm not just saying that. BUT. i've met the winner of the one person i truly dislike on this rotation... here are two reasons why: (and these are the only two reasons because these are my only two encounters with the woman)...
1. yesterday at the private office, i was taking a patient out to get their next appointment scheduled, but neither of the secretaries were at the desk. so there's a woman standing there (who i've never seen before) who asks my patient and the patient's dad if she can help them. instead of letting them answer, i say "they need to schedule an appointment. are you able to do that?" (thinking this is a fair question seeing as how the two of us had never met, nor had any idea of the other's title.) she replies, oh so sweetly (or not.), "i'm a PSYCHOLOGIST. i don't DO THAT. you're going to have to get one of the secretaries to do that." me, thinking, "uh, yeah... but you asked if you could help..." she then turns back to the patient and her dad and says, "can i help you?" to which i again reply, "they need to schedule their next appointment." with that she walked away, and i waited for one of the secretaries to return to the desk to schedule said appointment for the nice girl and her dad.
2. then, TODAY when we got to the private office, i said to "the dude", "it's cold in here..." he replies, "you're right. here, take this stick and push that little thing on the ceiling, which is the thermostat, a little towards the red arrow..." (i'm not sure how this heating and cooling system works... but that's beside the point...) apparently the PSYCHOLOGIST's office is next door to "the dude's" office and she heard us talking about the temperature, and apparently her office is controlled by our thermostat as well. so she comes over to add in that she's freezing as i begin struggling to adjust the thermostat on the ceiling with the stick "the dude" handed me. she comes over to me, and homegirl TAKES THE STICK OUT OF MY HAND - and says "here. i'll do it. this affects me too." to which i replied, "uh, i'm fully capable of moving the little arrow thing with the stick." and then she left.
and so, the aforementioned first-person-i-truly-dislike-at-a-rotation-site award goes to.... drumroll please....
the PSYCHOLOGIST. (she's not really THE psychologist. just the PSYCHOLOGIST... as there are many other psychologists who work at the private office who are very nice and helpful... just like all the other people i've met on this rotation.)
1. yesterday at the private office, i was taking a patient out to get their next appointment scheduled, but neither of the secretaries were at the desk. so there's a woman standing there (who i've never seen before) who asks my patient and the patient's dad if she can help them. instead of letting them answer, i say "they need to schedule an appointment. are you able to do that?" (thinking this is a fair question seeing as how the two of us had never met, nor had any idea of the other's title.) she replies, oh so sweetly (or not.), "i'm a PSYCHOLOGIST. i don't DO THAT. you're going to have to get one of the secretaries to do that." me, thinking, "uh, yeah... but you asked if you could help..." she then turns back to the patient and her dad and says, "can i help you?" to which i again reply, "they need to schedule their next appointment." with that she walked away, and i waited for one of the secretaries to return to the desk to schedule said appointment for the nice girl and her dad.
2. then, TODAY when we got to the private office, i said to "the dude", "it's cold in here..." he replies, "you're right. here, take this stick and push that little thing on the ceiling, which is the thermostat, a little towards the red arrow..." (i'm not sure how this heating and cooling system works... but that's beside the point...) apparently the PSYCHOLOGIST's office is next door to "the dude's" office and she heard us talking about the temperature, and apparently her office is controlled by our thermostat as well. so she comes over to add in that she's freezing as i begin struggling to adjust the thermostat on the ceiling with the stick "the dude" handed me. she comes over to me, and homegirl TAKES THE STICK OUT OF MY HAND - and says "here. i'll do it. this affects me too." to which i replied, "uh, i'm fully capable of moving the little arrow thing with the stick." and then she left.
and so, the aforementioned first-person-i-truly-dislike-at-a-rotation-site award goes to.... drumroll please....
the PSYCHOLOGIST. (she's not really THE psychologist. just the PSYCHOLOGIST... as there are many other psychologists who work at the private office who are very nice and helpful... just like all the other people i've met on this rotation.)
9.22.2005
medical student to the rescue.
this afternoon, "the dude" got a phone call from a nurse at the hospital. (we were at the residential facility, where we spend most of our afternoons.) she was on the verge of frantic because she had been trying all afternoon to find a pediatrician to come and do an H&P (history and physical) on one of our kids who was to be discharged today. he told her it'd be ok, and hung up the phone.
warning: open mouth, insert foot moment ahead... (or more likely, overzealous suck-up moment ahead)
so i jokingly say "you need me to go do the H&P?"
he stops dead in his tracks and stares at me. i think probably he was processing and trying to figure out how "legal" this would be. "are you serious?"
i replied, "umm, yeah. i can do it." thinking "oh gosh... i don't know if i can do this..."
he calls the nurse back and tells her i will be there in 19 minutes and 24 seconds to do the H&P. then he says to me, "you just earned yourself a cookie. and a couple extra points on your evaluation. good thing, you're gonna need 'em."
oh man, you gotta love "the dude's" sense of humor. at least, i hope he was being funny...
so, i went back to the hospital and was welcomed with much gratitude from the nursing staff. i did the H&P to the best of my ability, though i've thought of at least 4 things i forgot to do and/or write in my note. oh well. beggars can't be choosers, right?
warning: open mouth, insert foot moment ahead... (or more likely, overzealous suck-up moment ahead)
so i jokingly say "you need me to go do the H&P?"
he stops dead in his tracks and stares at me. i think probably he was processing and trying to figure out how "legal" this would be. "are you serious?"
i replied, "umm, yeah. i can do it." thinking "oh gosh... i don't know if i can do this..."
he calls the nurse back and tells her i will be there in 19 minutes and 24 seconds to do the H&P. then he says to me, "you just earned yourself a cookie. and a couple extra points on your evaluation. good thing, you're gonna need 'em."
oh man, you gotta love "the dude's" sense of humor. at least, i hope he was being funny...
so, i went back to the hospital and was welcomed with much gratitude from the nursing staff. i did the H&P to the best of my ability, though i've thought of at least 4 things i forgot to do and/or write in my note. oh well. beggars can't be choosers, right?
9.21.2005
b.o.r.i.n.g.
even though "the dude" thinks he could never get bored as a psychiatrist, i am already bored. perhaps because i don't really do anything or make any real decisions. among my colleagues*, this seems to be the determining factor as to whether or not you enjoy your rotation. (at least this early in the game... i hear later it becomes how good your hours are...)
*it's fun to call my friends "colleagues"
here's a picture of what i stare at for hours a day... minus "the dude" and the patient...
*it's fun to call my friends "colleagues"
here's a picture of what i stare at for hours a day... minus "the dude" and the patient...
******
as promised... i said i'd let you know what i ended up doing this morning. i went in about 7:45. it took me a little bit to realize "the dude" went in ahead of me (EARRRRRRLY this morning) and saw his patients, and signed off an imaginary note that i was to later fill in on my patients. that was nice of him, eh? (did i mention he's canadian?). when i met up with him at the residential facility (office shown above), he mentioned something about he thought about calling to have me go ahead and come in earlier. blast!
9.20.2005
the curse of the medical student.
there seems to be a key component in every person's medical school career in which one is told to "come in late" or "go home early"... it's a crisis of belief, so to speak, in that you are constantly weighing the risks and benefits associated with your actions. does he really mean for me to come an hour late? was he kidding when he said "come early if you want to"?? am i supposed to want to???
the more advanced medical student would look at my situation as follows: you don't need a letter of recommendation from "the dude," you don't really like psych, the only real benefit of going in early is to see a couple more patients than you normally would have... and in the scheme of things, what's a couple more patients?
the third year medical student fresh out of the classroom looks at the situation as a challenge: he wants to see how dedicated i am. and how willing to work i am. and if i'll go an extra mile when offered a short cut. or maybe he's testing my level of stupidity.
the long and the short of it is this: "the dude" has an appointment with his dentist in the AM for a tooth that's been giving him trouble this week. the appt is at 7:30. we normally do hospital rounds at 7. so he told me to come in at 8, start rounds and he would catch up with me. had he stopped there, i would've been fine. but then he adds, "you can go earlier if you want to."
i'm supposed to want to, aren't i. but let me let you in on a little secret. I DON'T WANT TO! not even a little bit.
i'll let you know what happens.
the more advanced medical student would look at my situation as follows: you don't need a letter of recommendation from "the dude," you don't really like psych, the only real benefit of going in early is to see a couple more patients than you normally would have... and in the scheme of things, what's a couple more patients?
the third year medical student fresh out of the classroom looks at the situation as a challenge: he wants to see how dedicated i am. and how willing to work i am. and if i'll go an extra mile when offered a short cut. or maybe he's testing my level of stupidity.
the long and the short of it is this: "the dude" has an appointment with his dentist in the AM for a tooth that's been giving him trouble this week. the appt is at 7:30. we normally do hospital rounds at 7. so he told me to come in at 8, start rounds and he would catch up with me. had he stopped there, i would've been fine. but then he adds, "you can go earlier if you want to."
i'm supposed to want to, aren't i. but let me let you in on a little secret. I DON'T WANT TO! not even a little bit.
i'll let you know what happens.
9.19.2005
eeeek
so, i've officially (well, almost officially - as in, as soon as i post this post) finished my email/blog-checking time in about 25 minutes. which is good because i have quite a bit of reading to do tonight. and i spent some extra time on the elliptical machine this afternoon because jennifer aniston was on oprah!
******
"the dude" threw me for a loop this morning... "hey, why don't you interview this next one." eeeek!?!?!? you mean in front of you? right now? eeek.
******
i just realized that today is the 4 year anniversary of my grandpa's death.
******
funny quote of the day: "the patient (a 12 year old girl) came to therapy today wearing a shirt that read 'people like you are the reason people like me take medications.' " and all i can think is, who BUYS things like this for mentally ill kids?!?
******
"the dude" threw me for a loop this morning... "hey, why don't you interview this next one." eeeek!?!?!? you mean in front of you? right now? eeek.
******
i just realized that today is the 4 year anniversary of my grandpa's death.
******
funny quote of the day: "the patient (a 12 year old girl) came to therapy today wearing a shirt that read 'people like you are the reason people like me take medications.' " and all i can think is, who BUYS things like this for mentally ill kids?!?
9.18.2005
somebody's in trouble!
i got the iron out to do my sunday afternoon ironing ritual in which i iron every shirt i may want to wear the following week... and there was WATER in it! WATER! in the IRON! umm... do you KNOW what kind of OCD people i live with?!? it's a good thing i found it, and not the non-offending spouse... or the other one would be missing a limb!
9.15.2005
"the dude" said i wasn't allowed to play tonight. i have some reading to get done. but i think. what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right? so here i am, still emailing and blogging and it's 6 pm. and survivor starts soon. hmm... ethical dilemmas...
(does anyone else think the word "dilemmas" looks like it should be spelled "dilemnas" ???? why do i think that word has a silent "n" ???? this is really distressing to me.)
******
so, about 6 of our patients at the private office this morning didn't show. PEOPLE - LISTEN TO ME - if you can't make your appointments - CALL AND CANCEL! it's SO frustrating to just sit around waiting. don't you people know we are DOCTORS. YOU are supposed to be waiting on US. NOT the other way around. we are VERY important you know!
just kidding. sort of. ;-)
(does anyone else think the word "dilemmas" looks like it should be spelled "dilemnas" ???? why do i think that word has a silent "n" ???? this is really distressing to me.)
******
so, about 6 of our patients at the private office this morning didn't show. PEOPLE - LISTEN TO ME - if you can't make your appointments - CALL AND CANCEL! it's SO frustrating to just sit around waiting. don't you people know we are DOCTORS. YOU are supposed to be waiting on US. NOT the other way around. we are VERY important you know!
just kidding. sort of. ;-)
9.14.2005
so sleepy.
so, it's about 5 after 9 pm. and i'm so tired i can barely see. i dont know what i'm going to do when i actually have a rotation in which my hours exceed 7 or 8... one in which i am actually working for more than just the first hour. since i only see patients on my own at the hospital and pretty much just job shadow the rest of the day, i'm slightly less than stressed on the job. but i still can't stay awake past 9:30 or so without hallucinating. must. listen. to. the. voices. it sounds like they're saying "go to SLEEP!" so i will. in a minute.
******
a good friend of mine, tara (we went to undergrad together, where she was a year under me, and now we go to med school together where she is a year over me - she started a year early, i took a year off...) finally emailed me back today, and is actually in town this month doing a rotation at the SAME HOSPITAL we round at in the mornings! how fun. hopefully we'll be able to get together soon.
******
i think i'm going to have to start strictly limiting my computer time in the afternoon. see, i get off work at about 3:30 (2:30 today... ), go to the gym, and usually get home around 5ish. then i turn on my laptop, sync my handheld (which enters my patient logs onto the portal system at the school), and read my email and check your sites for updates. this part of the afternoon takes me WAY TOO LONG! it must stop. then i jump in the shower, grab some dinner, try to do some reading (this usually actually ends up in a little tv time...), and then it's time for sleeping. i have no idea where the evening goes.
******
i'll leave you with a few rules of the casa de karma:
1. the shower walls must be squeegeeed after each use. there is a little hook with a yellow squeegee hanging in my shower. i'm not kidding.
2. all toilet lids must remain in the down position unless in use. i rebel and leave mine open overnight. i'll show them!
3. all cardboard goes in the recycle container closest to the wall in the garage. all other recyclables must go in the container closest to the door.
4. the doors to the tv cabinet must be closed if the tv is not on.
5. the iron must be turned completely off BEFORE you unplug it from the wall. you must then immediately pour out any leftover water.
does anyone else get the impression that the people i'm living with are a skosh on the OCD side??
******
a good friend of mine, tara (we went to undergrad together, where she was a year under me, and now we go to med school together where she is a year over me - she started a year early, i took a year off...) finally emailed me back today, and is actually in town this month doing a rotation at the SAME HOSPITAL we round at in the mornings! how fun. hopefully we'll be able to get together soon.
******
i think i'm going to have to start strictly limiting my computer time in the afternoon. see, i get off work at about 3:30 (2:30 today... ), go to the gym, and usually get home around 5ish. then i turn on my laptop, sync my handheld (which enters my patient logs onto the portal system at the school), and read my email and check your sites for updates. this part of the afternoon takes me WAY TOO LONG! it must stop. then i jump in the shower, grab some dinner, try to do some reading (this usually actually ends up in a little tv time...), and then it's time for sleeping. i have no idea where the evening goes.
******
i'll leave you with a few rules of the casa de karma:
1. the shower walls must be squeegeeed after each use. there is a little hook with a yellow squeegee hanging in my shower. i'm not kidding.
2. all toilet lids must remain in the down position unless in use. i rebel and leave mine open overnight. i'll show them!
3. all cardboard goes in the recycle container closest to the wall in the garage. all other recyclables must go in the container closest to the door.
4. the doors to the tv cabinet must be closed if the tv is not on.
5. the iron must be turned completely off BEFORE you unplug it from the wall. you must then immediately pour out any leftover water.
does anyone else get the impression that the people i'm living with are a skosh on the OCD side??
9.13.2005
the biggest loser
here's a picture (not a great one...) so you can compare... jen is 3rd from the left. 
and here's a picture of jen from tonight. she looks AMAZING.
and here's a picture of jen from tonight. she looks AMAZING.
tidbits.
from a previous post:
i know a famous person. well, not really. but check it. a girl from the class below mine that bigred and i used to tutor with at a local high school is going to be on the new season of "the biggest loser." you should check her out. and root for her. i'm so proud of her! we're not super great friends or anything, but i totally know her. good for you, jen! and good luck!
******
so, i just got home from the gym, getting ready to shower, grab some dinner and head back to school for the season premire of "the biggest loser," (see above) and the Q&A with my famous *almost* friend. so much for the reading assignment i've been given.
******
i accidentally referred to "the dude" as "the dude" to one of the nurses at the hospital this morning. she just laughed, but i was a little nervous about it afterwards! she works the overnight shift though, so by 7am when we get there, i'm sure she's ready for a laugh. and a big nap.
******
"the dude" was talking this afternoon about his medical school, and class sizes, etc. so, he started asking me about mine... then he went into this whole spiel about how he really likes to have students from my school, because, "with the exception of you, they've all been really great!" what a jokester! at least i HOPE he was joking. ;-)
i know a famous person. well, not really. but check it. a girl from the class below mine that bigred and i used to tutor with at a local high school is going to be on the new season of "the biggest loser." you should check her out. and root for her. i'm so proud of her! we're not super great friends or anything, but i totally know her. good for you, jen! and good luck!
******
so, i just got home from the gym, getting ready to shower, grab some dinner and head back to school for the season premire of "the biggest loser," (see above) and the Q&A with my famous *almost* friend. so much for the reading assignment i've been given.
******
i accidentally referred to "the dude" as "the dude" to one of the nurses at the hospital this morning. she just laughed, but i was a little nervous about it afterwards! she works the overnight shift though, so by 7am when we get there, i'm sure she's ready for a laugh. and a big nap.
******
"the dude" was talking this afternoon about his medical school, and class sizes, etc. so, he started asking me about mine... then he went into this whole spiel about how he really likes to have students from my school, because, "with the exception of you, they've all been really great!" what a jokester! at least i HOPE he was joking. ;-)
9.12.2005
"you're so organized"
so, i happen to have fooled a therapist today into thinking that i was so organized and had everything together. we had a bunch of staffing meetings today (see, everyone involved in a child's care sitting around discussing said child with child's guardians). one is fine, two is ok. we had four. or maybe five. i lost count. it may have been six.
so, after the first two, we had a lunch break, and i went out to have a little solo picnic with my little tuna salad lunch thing, reading a paper written by "the dude" in about 1873. i'm sitting there minding my own business when aforementioned therapist came by and says, "amanda, i just wanted you to know that i think you are the most organized student "the dude"* has ever had. you have everything he needed with you and you took notes. and i just thought you were great."
the good news is, i have some people fooled. they think i'm a doctor. well, they know i'm not. but they think i have doctor skillz.
*she didn't really call him "the dude."
******
i admitted another patient on my own today. it didn't go as swimmingly as this girl was way less forward with the info than the f-bomb girl was yesterday.
******
here's a picture of sid, the cutest step-kitty ever. he's SO cudly. and SOFT. his brother, arthur, is afraid of anything (or anyone) that moves.
so, after the first two, we had a lunch break, and i went out to have a little solo picnic with my little tuna salad lunch thing, reading a paper written by "the dude" in about 1873. i'm sitting there minding my own business when aforementioned therapist came by and says, "amanda, i just wanted you to know that i think you are the most organized student "the dude"* has ever had. you have everything he needed with you and you took notes. and i just thought you were great."
the good news is, i have some people fooled. they think i'm a doctor. well, they know i'm not. but they think i have doctor skillz.
*she didn't really call him "the dude."
******
i admitted another patient on my own today. it didn't go as swimmingly as this girl was way less forward with the info than the f-bomb girl was yesterday.
******
here's a picture of sid, the cutest step-kitty ever. he's SO cudly. and SOFT. his brother, arthur, is afraid of anything (or anyone) that moves.
9.11.2005
bargain!
what a steal! i got 5 new work shirts and a skirt from the clearance racks at dilliard's for $50. $50! can you believe that? sweet.
******
hot-t and one of our other friends were in town this weekend, so we all went out last night. it was fun to be with all of them again. and hot-t was looking exceptionally hot. i miss him. (he's in minnesota doing a family practice rotation currently.) i probably won't see him again until january when we are both in detroit. :-(
******
so, call this weekend was good times (basically, call just meant that we had to go in saturday and sunday morning to do "rounds" on our patients and "the dude's" partner's patients - only took a couple hours each morning).
i had my first 14 year old girl swear at me.
"the dude" told me this morning that i had "earned" her. she was admitted last night, and so we had to do her admission interview this morning. i'm not sure if earning the right to do said admission interview was a privilege or a punishment, but nevertheless, here's me and this 14 year old girl (who was admitted for assaulting her staff at the residential facility, as the case may be...) in a room by ourselves, and she's starting to get annoyed at the interviewing... i'm starting to ask her some pretty probing questions regarding her feelings (because i am practically a psychiatrist), when she replies, "i don't want to answer the f***ing question!" oh. ok. nevermind then.
"the dude" came in and was actually impressed with the amount of information i had managed to get out of her, so i guess that's good. and i finished her work-up in way less time than he had anticipated. (he told me not to worry about seeing any other patients, to just concentrate on her, but i ended up joining him for one of the patients we were covering on the adult floor, and then i saw my two little kids on the kids floor.
being a doctor is fun. unless 14 year old assaultive girls are dropping the f-bomb on your plate.
******
hot-t and one of our other friends were in town this weekend, so we all went out last night. it was fun to be with all of them again. and hot-t was looking exceptionally hot. i miss him. (he's in minnesota doing a family practice rotation currently.) i probably won't see him again until january when we are both in detroit. :-(
******
so, call this weekend was good times (basically, call just meant that we had to go in saturday and sunday morning to do "rounds" on our patients and "the dude's" partner's patients - only took a couple hours each morning).
i had my first 14 year old girl swear at me.
"the dude" told me this morning that i had "earned" her. she was admitted last night, and so we had to do her admission interview this morning. i'm not sure if earning the right to do said admission interview was a privilege or a punishment, but nevertheless, here's me and this 14 year old girl (who was admitted for assaulting her staff at the residential facility, as the case may be...) in a room by ourselves, and she's starting to get annoyed at the interviewing... i'm starting to ask her some pretty probing questions regarding her feelings (because i am practically a psychiatrist), when she replies, "i don't want to answer the f***ing question!" oh. ok. nevermind then.
"the dude" came in and was actually impressed with the amount of information i had managed to get out of her, so i guess that's good. and i finished her work-up in way less time than he had anticipated. (he told me not to worry about seeing any other patients, to just concentrate on her, but i ended up joining him for one of the patients we were covering on the adult floor, and then i saw my two little kids on the kids floor.
being a doctor is fun. unless 14 year old assaultive girls are dropping the f-bomb on your plate.
9.09.2005
this is the life.
so, i worked from about 7 until 9:15 this morning. and i don't have anything else to do until 1. i'm supposed to be using this time to "study"... hmm. i'll think about it. i have been loaned a large text that i should undoubtedly be reading. but ick.
"the dude" dictates on friday mornings, so i'll have this time free every friday. it's nice to have something to look forward to.
i saw a few kids on my own today. i got some nice feedback from "the dude," about things i asked wrong and things i should've asked but didn't think of at all.
he went on a small rampage about mental health workers being afraid to discuss mental health issues, such as psychosis. he suggests it's because the "normal" population lives closer to the edge of psychotic than they want you to know. probably true.
"the dude" dictates on friday mornings, so i'll have this time free every friday. it's nice to have something to look forward to.
i saw a few kids on my own today. i got some nice feedback from "the dude," about things i asked wrong and things i should've asked but didn't think of at all.
he went on a small rampage about mental health workers being afraid to discuss mental health issues, such as psychosis. he suggests it's because the "normal" population lives closer to the edge of psychotic than they want you to know. probably true.
9.08.2005
conversing.
hey jen. it seems our blogs have become just conversations between the two of us. i thought i'd say, i too (in response to your comment on yesterday's post), thought the worst thing would be dealing with some poor kid who'd been sexually abused. that is until today - when i met a kid who was the sexual abuser. man. this is hard work.
9.07.2005
processing.
so, i figured i'd post early this evening before i got too tired to see.
i went in at 7 this am, and was done at 3:15. not bad, not bad at all...
i saw my first on-my-own patient this morning on morning rounds at the hospital. morning rounds is the time when we go around and check in on all our patients seeing how they've done over the past 24 hours. this generally happens, as the name might suggest, in the morning. early morning in some instances. you've been there... you've been admitted to the hospital for whatever reason, and the only time the doctor actually comes in to see you is at about 4:15 am when you can't get the sleepy glue out of your eyes good enough to count how many heads he has.
anyway, my first patient was so much fun. i mean, don't get me wrong - seriously disturbed. but fun. like, i was actually playing doctor. i asked questions, she answered, i wrote about our encounter in her chart. i wrote in her CHART. "the dude" came in to my conference room so i could give him "report." he read over my note, complimented me, and co-signed me. making it officially my first official note. ever. exhilerating.
speaking of seriously disturbed patients - man, did i see some dooseys (sp?) today. lots of PTSD and lots of sexually abused kids. i was close to tears a couple of times, and then while i was working the elliptical machine and watching part 2 of oprah's katrina show - and seeing julia roberts (who looks way too thin) and hearing the way she spoke about her time in new orleans. i was sweating and crying at the same time.
so, tonight i have been given a reading assignment, which i must tend to now. good times.
i went in at 7 this am, and was done at 3:15. not bad, not bad at all...
i saw my first on-my-own patient this morning on morning rounds at the hospital. morning rounds is the time when we go around and check in on all our patients seeing how they've done over the past 24 hours. this generally happens, as the name might suggest, in the morning. early morning in some instances. you've been there... you've been admitted to the hospital for whatever reason, and the only time the doctor actually comes in to see you is at about 4:15 am when you can't get the sleepy glue out of your eyes good enough to count how many heads he has.
anyway, my first patient was so much fun. i mean, don't get me wrong - seriously disturbed. but fun. like, i was actually playing doctor. i asked questions, she answered, i wrote about our encounter in her chart. i wrote in her CHART. "the dude" came in to my conference room so i could give him "report." he read over my note, complimented me, and co-signed me. making it officially my first official note. ever. exhilerating.
speaking of seriously disturbed patients - man, did i see some dooseys (sp?) today. lots of PTSD and lots of sexually abused kids. i was close to tears a couple of times, and then while i was working the elliptical machine and watching part 2 of oprah's katrina show - and seeing julia roberts (who looks way too thin) and hearing the way she spoke about her time in new orleans. i was sweating and crying at the same time.
so, tonight i have been given a reading assignment, which i must tend to now. good times.
9.06.2005
first day.
so, let's call my preceptor "the dude" - i actually do call him that. not to his face, but when talking about him with my colleagues. i can't tell you why we call him that, b/c that would require me telling you his real name. and i'm not sure how much i can get away with saying without the HIPAA monsters coming out of the closet and biting me.
so anyway, "the dude" forgot that he told me to meet him on the "a" level of the hospital. so i waited for about 10 minutes before springing into action and finding someone who knew where i could find him. the good news is that he only forgot me one other time today.
so, the day went along swimmingly. my schedule is a little confusing, as we travel between three different locations. but really, it'll be pretty good. he's a good teacher and i'll learn loads from him.
i only work about 5 hrs today. in by 8, out by 3:30 with a two hr lunch. but tomorrow, i have to be in at 7, and right now i'm exhausted. i'm a little afraid of what a full day work will do to me, being this tired after a half day.
perhaps i'll have time for a good story or two tomorrow. for now, i must sleep. i have to get up in the hour of 5 tomorrow. curses.
so anyway, "the dude" forgot that he told me to meet him on the "a" level of the hospital. so i waited for about 10 minutes before springing into action and finding someone who knew where i could find him. the good news is that he only forgot me one other time today.
so, the day went along swimmingly. my schedule is a little confusing, as we travel between three different locations. but really, it'll be pretty good. he's a good teacher and i'll learn loads from him.
i only work about 5 hrs today. in by 8, out by 3:30 with a two hr lunch. but tomorrow, i have to be in at 7, and right now i'm exhausted. i'm a little afraid of what a full day work will do to me, being this tired after a half day.
perhaps i'll have time for a good story or two tomorrow. for now, i must sleep. i have to get up in the hour of 5 tomorrow. curses.
9.05.2005
purchasing.
finally! i've been looking for this pair of shoes for a LONG time. this afternoon, in a moment of pure bliss, i came upon the black highland crocs in a size medium. yesssss! i'm hoping these babies will carry me through many, many hours of hospital time. wish us luck; we start tomorrow.
******
yuck. the other major purchase of the day was considerably less spendy. and ridiculously more disgusting. we learn to suture on pig's feet. and karma wanted to practice. so i picked these up for us and we spent an hour or so perfecting the vertical mattress and the horizontal mattress. we don't really learn the horizontal mattress, but it was the only other stitch that i could find a good picture of.
******yuck. the other major purchase of the day was considerably less spendy. and ridiculously more disgusting. we learn to suture on pig's feet. and karma wanted to practice. so i picked these up for us and we spent an hour or so perfecting the vertical mattress and the horizontal mattress. we don't really learn the horizontal mattress, but it was the only other stitch that i could find a good picture of.
9.04.2005
drained.
this morning was an emotional morning at church. we talked about katrina, and about how we can help. it's horrible to feel as if you can't help. especially if what you really want to do is to go... feed the hungry. take diapers to the babies. help the children find a way to go to school. care for the sick. ha. care for the sick. i'm not yet properly trained to do any such thing. in fact, i pity the sick man who must rely on me to make decisions regarding his health. so for now, i'll stay the course set out before me. so one day i may care for the sick.
tonight, karma and his wife, and another friend of ours went to see the constant gardener. the footage of hundreds of africans standing in line waiting to take a medication that would poison them; a little girl running across the desert alone after her village was raided; big name pharmaceutical companies out to make a buck and willing to silence anyone who dares stand in their way. the entire scenario would be stomach-wrenching enough were it entirely fabricated. but my true concern is that things of this nature go on.
the mantra of every budding medical student - "i just want to help people." the goal in your medical school interview is to come up with a clever way to say it. my day has been absolutely smothered in people. people who need help. and i don't know how.
tonight, karma and his wife, and another friend of ours went to see the constant gardener. the footage of hundreds of africans standing in line waiting to take a medication that would poison them; a little girl running across the desert alone after her village was raided; big name pharmaceutical companies out to make a buck and willing to silence anyone who dares stand in their way. the entire scenario would be stomach-wrenching enough were it entirely fabricated. but my true concern is that things of this nature go on.
the mantra of every budding medical student - "i just want to help people." the goal in your medical school interview is to come up with a clever way to say it. my day has been absolutely smothered in people. people who need help. and i don't know how.
9.03.2005
medical student hypochondriasis, part 2
for the past couple days, i've been having a weird pain in my calf. it hurts like what i might imagine a DVT to hurt. i'm pretty convinced that it'll lead to a pulmonary embolism. and soon. i might die.
9.02.2005
self-centeredness
our class president just sent out an email from a friend of mine who is from louisiana, letting us know that he and his family evacuated and are all ok to the best of his knowledge.
in all the time since the storm, i've been reading stories about people evacuating, wondering how it's possible to lose absolutely everything in an entire city, wondering if life there will ever be back to normal, and honestly, wondering if we'll hear about it when it is. i mean, really, after the reconstruction of the cities begin, we may continue to hear snippets, but the people who lived through it will deal with it for a very very long time.
so i've been wondering all these thoughts... and never did it enter my mind that i actually knew anyone that would be affected beyond the rising price of a gallon.
i feel so bad.
beyond that, there's another girl in my class who was mentioned in the email. from what i can tell, nobody has heard from her as of yet. (we start rotations on tuesday, and she hasn't moved into her apt in ohio yet.) i hope she's ok.
in all the time since the storm, i've been reading stories about people evacuating, wondering how it's possible to lose absolutely everything in an entire city, wondering if life there will ever be back to normal, and honestly, wondering if we'll hear about it when it is. i mean, really, after the reconstruction of the cities begin, we may continue to hear snippets, but the people who lived through it will deal with it for a very very long time.
so i've been wondering all these thoughts... and never did it enter my mind that i actually knew anyone that would be affected beyond the rising price of a gallon.
i feel so bad.
beyond that, there's another girl in my class who was mentioned in the email. from what i can tell, nobody has heard from her as of yet. (we start rotations on tuesday, and she hasn't moved into her apt in ohio yet.) i hope she's ok.
9.01.2005
preparation.
so, i've had this book with the really cheesy title for a while (it's about the size of a 3x5 notecard and about 115 pages long). i should've been able to finish it a long time ago. but i do intend to finish it before next tuesday. you know, when i actually BECOME a junior medical student.
the last time i was a junior was a blast. hands down, my favorite year of college. and when i think back into the deeper recesses of my memory, the time before that when i was a junior in high school wasn't too bad either. hopefully my 3rd junior year will also be full of pleasantries.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
