Having off for the last 2 days to take an ATLS course was perfect. No clinical responsibilities, and the lunch provided was delicious.

One of the cooler things was that there was a 15 y.o hospital volunteer that was our ATLS mock patient. What a champ! Actually it brought back memories of when I was a hospital volunteer about a decade ago and just beginning to experience the medical field for the first time. I hope he continues to enjoy medicine as much as I did.

Back to the grind tomorrow….

I am a discharge machine!

What a start to my first year. The first day was a huge cluster F$&#!; got a terrible sign out, the list was half wrong, and I have never used the EMR system at all, so clearly it was a shitty day. Plus…it was a Sunday. 

My first call came on July 4th, gen surg always screws over the ortho guys into working over the holidays, but such is life. Call was pretty hectic, trauma after trauma rolled in through the door. What better way to get your feet wet than to work on trauma service on july 4th, as well as hold the pager for 2 of the other services? You learn to become real efficient real fast. My favorite call of the night was….hey um…just letting your know we think this guy is bleeding out from somewhere, buuut he’s to big to fit in the scanner, so we can’t know for sure where he’s bleeding from. Can you let us know what you think? (Zoo?)

The last couple of days have been not as bad, but still very busy. Seems like people just don’t stop doing stupid shit. Furthermore, I feel like a damn social worker, making phone calls, getting people set up for rehab and discharge. 

Oh and I’m super excited to have started dictating patient discharge summaries and operative notes (not). I hope that I get a chance 5 years from now to listen to myself dictate a patient from this week; I bet it will be pretty darn funny. 

My intern group is pretty awesome though. It’s been a tough week for everyone and today we cooled off in in the pool and fired up the grill. I could get used to this during the summer. 

Day 1 tomorrow - should be interesting considering orientation barely taught me to use the EMR. 5:30a arrival time…looking forward to that (not).

In the meantime…will enjoy my last moments of freedom by grilling outside and enjoying the weather.

Haven’t even started my residency yet and I’m already being taken out for coffee by a medical-technology pharmaceutical rep!

Win :)

July 1st is approaching fast…orientation is coming up even faster. Very excited to start and meet a bunch of new people. Starting out on trauma service…guess I should brush up on my primary and secondary surveys. 

Wonder what my first order will be? Probably admit to medicine service ;)

In the mean time, enjoying a beer on my patio and reading. Then to the beach in a day or two. 

Voicemail left by employee health: “we have good news….your blood test for TB came back, and it was negative. You are officially cleared to start work!”

Thanks…I was worried there for a second that my living as a med student in squalor for the last 4 years may have predisposed me to contract TB.

- Close call

- Crisis averted

cranquis:

Zing!

During the 2004 and 2008 European Football championships, I was back packing through Europe during the tournament. That was quite an experience, and I am sad that I could not return for a 3rd straight summer. The bar crowd and night life was unbelievable, especially when I was visiting the country that was competing that day.  

I’m just glad they are showing the matches on ESPN.