Round & round we go

I love rounds. You know on Grey's Anatomy where all the docs hundle in a group & migrate from patient to patient to discuss the case? I love that. In our unit at the hospital, the cases are really complex and you often encounter some exceedingly rare conditions. Like right now, there is are cases of Moyamoya and Lubag. I know right? What in the world are those?? I had to wikipedia them!! (Shhh... wikipedia is the ultimate reference for med students... just don't tell our profs) And it's pretty nice to just stand back and listen to the 'experts' talk. And not be grilled, as in how I was grilled while on a surgery observership:

Surgeon
"Stuff, tell me what muscles I am cutting through right now?"
Stuff to self
Crud, I don't remember any anatomy of the lower limbs.. oh no, he's glaring! Better say something quick..
"Uh, gluteus?"
Surgeon
Gluteus what?
Stuff
"Gluteus..uh.. gluteus maximus?" (aka J-Lo's most famous asset)
Surgeon (who clearly has a 6th sense for this)
"Is that a guess or an answer?"
Stuff
[hangs head in shame]
"It's a guess"
Surgeon
"I thought so"

But the best rounds, as in I have to go to or will be disappointed if I miss them even if when I'm on vacation, are the attending rounds. This is where ALL the all-powerful attending docs come in to discuss the more difficult cases. I love how they bounce ideas off one another, and sometimes even argue (which frequently occurs between the youngest, our very own Dr. Charming, & the most senior doc, Dr. WalkingEncyclopedia - whom we must always call "Doctor" because he's just that sort of guy). It's like House but with real doctors who know what they're talking about! Plus there's free lunch to boot! It's definitely my favourite perk for this job. Today was no different, with some strange cases & sweet Indian food [courtesy of a drug company... I know... but I will not be swayed to use their drug just because the samosas were finger-licking good. Actually, food is usually either provided by drug companies (that's when the food's the best, to be honest) or the attending who's on call for the week].
These are days that make me love my job.



P.S. Our 1st Dr. Charming encounter for the summer. He's dreamy [Stuff's eyes glaze over]. Sigh. a girl can dream can't she? He reminds me of the Sleeping Beauty Prince minus the fact he looks nothing like that, and is not actually a prince, & doesn't wear tights or wield a sword. But he DOES have glasses, & he IS a doctor. [Nor does he resemble David Beckham (who is dreamy in his own right)]

Learning for life

I think that working at the hospital this summer will be an experience. On the one hand, it's a really intimidating place where you're scared all the time if what you're doing is hurting or hindering the docs & nurses working there. But it's also an amazing opportunity to learn. And I mean really learn, and not just the usual textbook reading & memorizing of random facts like Pseudomonas smells like grapes in culture (yea, that's actually true apparently). You get to see the things you heard about in lectures in REAL-LIFE (again not on a power point slide or a pretend actor) and try to maybe just put it all together. Like today I witnessed the use of adenosine for a SVT, which is probably not the most exciting thing in the world but hey, I'm a girl that's easily satisfied.

But a lot of the things you learn at the hospital just can't be found in books or taught in the classroom. Take yesterday. One of my projects for the summer is to talk to the family of patients. It's an interview that's supposed to take 20 minutes max. But at the interview yesterday, talking to the aunt of the patient took much, much longer. At first she just answered the questions, but as she went on, she began to talk a lot more about her own feelings and what his illness was doing to her. The stress of the situation was evident on her face, and although she talked of keeping a positive attitude, it was clear that she too was suffering. She told us things she hadn't told anyone else. Not even her own family. But in a way, I felt that talking about it was therapeutic for her. And for that, I'm glad that I was there.

Today was also an, I don't know how else to describe it, but I guess 'interesting' experience. I witnessed my first brain-death declaration. The doc went through the entire process including pupil reflexes, caloric reflex test (which involved irrigating the patient's ear with 120cc of water), and apnea testing, etc, etc. I found it fascinating but at the same time difficult to witness. Because there was the patient, lying there, seemingly still alive. You could actually even SEE the heart still beating. Yet they weren't. There was no brain function left. The doctors proceeded with the testing, almost cheerfully it seemed. But I guess they were used to it?? It was a heartbreaking and confusing situation. I had no idea how to feel. I still don't.

But this is what I mean though. Learning this summer is going to take on a completely different meaning.

School's out for summer

25% MD!! And one-quarter done, not counting the small, miniscule issue of licensing exams or something. Ce-le-bra-tion time, c'mon...

We've actually been finished classes and exams awhile (May 30th to be exact) but between our rural community observerships, starting summer jobs and European getaways, there hasn't been as much time (or inclination sorry to say) to update.

Exams were, well...exams. Which really means they weren't all rainbows and sunshine, but more like 7 consecutive days of dreary, depressing rain. But at least they're finished with and if my school account is correct, then it actually looks like we survived them and passed! Meaning no summer school for Stuff!!

Right after exams our class was split into small groups and placed around rural communities for a week of clinical observerships and "wining & dining." Whether said wining & dining was not as good as expected because a certain group did not get to go to a promised excursion of theatre, well that's another story to tell (sorry Truffles, I really can't get over it, haha). On the 'medicine' side of things, my week was quite interesting with a fair number of weird & wonderful cases (an undiagnosed case of Raynaud's in an infant anyone or how about some IPF?), as well as some not so rare but nonetheless cool because maybe someone (I dunno who - looking around innocently) knew the diagnosis was pinworm? But I digress. In the end I didn't get to do as much as I expected (i.e. not monkey see, monkey do but monkey see, monkey see & don't touch anything especially anything green or blue) but I had a good time altogether. Some things surprised me, like the fact that I actually liked family med & peds more than I thought I would. Other thoughts on the otherhand were more or less confirmed, like I hate standing in one spot for 3 hours because I am afraid of unsterilizing myself or others who come within 3 feet of my vicinity.

So after this week came my long awaited trip where Stuff became La Stuffé. Get it?? Sigh.. I went to France okay??

And that brings us to today where reality finally sets in and work began with Dr. BossMan at l'hôpital. Apparently I'm going to be banished to work at our other hospital site for the summer meaning (un)fortunately I'll be a shuttle bus ride away from Dr. Charming! Oh no! Where will I get my weekly/daily giggles re his cuteness from?? Ah, c'est la vie... Can't win them all, n'est pas?

[please forgive the French, I am still jet-lagged]

P.S. I find it slightly disturbing that Dr. BossMan and I share the same taste in music. Highly weird feeling to discover that you & him are bopping your heads to a song playing on his CD player at the EXACT SAME TIME. Gah!