3 weeks of autopsy down and 1 to go. We have been really, really busy this month, and are getting close to setting a record. Welcome to July. Argh. There have been some really interesting, rare cases. But overall it has just been exhausting. Next month will be even busier, so it's time to ramp up. I am hoping to wrap up my current cases this week. Unfortunately, autopsies take a long time to resolve since getting slides, records, and writing reports can take weeks. So any cases we pick up this week will follow us onto our next rotation and will have to somehow get done amidst everything else.
In other news, Daisy of Love wrapped up last night. I won't spoil it in case anyone reading this cares, but it was not a huge surprise. The next installment of VH1 reality love show trash starts this Sunday, I believe, with the kick-off of Megan Wants a Millionaure, featuring the ever manipulative, aspiring trophy life Megan Hauserman from Rock of Love. Yes, I am sinking to new lows in TV watching this year... I knew it was bad when one of the big queens at the gym was shocked when I mentioned Daisy of Loveand said, "girl, I had no idea you watched that!" But hey, talking about this crap with colleagues makes the autopsies go by quicker and it sure is a more fun way to spend my evenings than reading pathology texts when I am exhausted. Okay, time to go watch the Charm School season finale.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Bravo Wisdom
So I must admit that I have become addicted to Bravo reality shows. I used to just watch them sporadically. But since residency started last year, they have become a really nice way to zone out at the end of a long day. Besides, who wants to do something like read about fetal cardiac malformations when you could watch unsuspecting wealthy people from around the country be made into complete caricatures on national television?
Tonight was the first episode of "Miami Social," Bravo's latest installment in their showcase of urban high life vapidity that is immune to the poor economy. This show, with its constant parties, clubs, dating drama, and sex talk, really took the cake for shallowness. It made the various "Real Housewives" series, that addressed some "real" topics like drug addiction, cancer, and parenting amidst the superficial drama, look downright deep. I should probably stop now while I am disgusted and not get roped in. But somehow I have this awful feeling that next Tuesday night, when given the choice of reading a pathology book or TV, "Miami Social" will win. I'll leave you with a few choice words of wisdom from the crew:
Oh my god! I look so good in this reflection.
Never break your shoes over a man.
When people are in love, they get fat.
Tonight was the first episode of "Miami Social," Bravo's latest installment in their showcase of urban high life vapidity that is immune to the poor economy. This show, with its constant parties, clubs, dating drama, and sex talk, really took the cake for shallowness. It made the various "Real Housewives" series, that addressed some "real" topics like drug addiction, cancer, and parenting amidst the superficial drama, look downright deep. I should probably stop now while I am disgusted and not get roped in. But somehow I have this awful feeling that next Tuesday night, when given the choice of reading a pathology book or TV, "Miami Social" will win. I'll leave you with a few choice words of wisdom from the crew:
Oh my god! I look so good in this reflection.
Never break your shoes over a man.
When people are in love, they get fat.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
From the Morgue
Yes, I am doing autopsies. What a way to start the new year. We have been busy... could it be because it is July?
I was waiting for the elevator this morning and there were two patients standing near me. One pointed to the fading sign that has hung near the elevator for the last 2 weeks: "New Resident and Fellow Orientation (up arrow).>
"This is why you never go to a teaching hospital in July," he said to his companion.
"Huh, why not?"
"Because July is when all of the new doctors start and they don't know anything. They might kill you."
Could this be the reason why we've been dissecting for ~12 hours a day this week? Or is it just because July is a big month for teaching and autopsies are a good teaching experience? Or are all the newbies just gung-ho about consenting families for autopsies? Food for thought.
I was waiting for the elevator this morning and there were two patients standing near me. One pointed to the fading sign that has hung near the elevator for the last 2 weeks: "New Resident and Fellow Orientation (up arrow).>
"This is why you never go to a teaching hospital in July," he said to his companion.
"Huh, why not?"
"Because July is when all of the new doctors start and they don't know anything. They might kill you."
Could this be the reason why we've been dissecting for ~12 hours a day this week? Or is it just because July is a big month for teaching and autopsies are a good teaching experience? Or are all the newbies just gung-ho about consenting families for autopsies? Food for thought.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The End of Intern Year
The clock is ticking slowly today. I mentally checked out awhile ago and am just going through the motions at this point. There are a few things to follow up on, a nice signout sheet to make for the incoming resident, and I am done.
I headed over to Starbucks at lunch time to buy myself a little treat for my last day. There was quite a line snaking out the door, so I settled in for a wait. As we crept up a bit I was standing in front of the pastry display. All of a sudden there was a crash and a plate of coffee cake that had been balanced on top of another coffee cake display fell off its perch and lodged itself precariously against the edge of the display case.
One piece of coffee cake got stuck with the top edge of the plate bisecting it in half. That piece of cake started to stretch, and stretch, and stretch. Gravity was pulling it towards a free fall to the bottom of the display case and it was holding on with all of its might. It literally took a couple of minutes for that cake to stretch itself to the point of breaking. When it finally fell the people in line around me and I all started laughing. "That was the most exciting thing I have seen all day," said the elderly woman behind me. "But maybe that tells you something about the kind of life I lead."
Perhaps. But the trajectory of that coffee cake pretty much sums up these last few hours for me: a very slow march to the moment when intern year will plummet into the repository of past life experiences, where it will sit like a smushed piece of coffee cake against the glass, bruised yet visible, and certainly not forgotten.
I headed over to Starbucks at lunch time to buy myself a little treat for my last day. There was quite a line snaking out the door, so I settled in for a wait. As we crept up a bit I was standing in front of the pastry display. All of a sudden there was a crash and a plate of coffee cake that had been balanced on top of another coffee cake display fell off its perch and lodged itself precariously against the edge of the display case.
One piece of coffee cake got stuck with the top edge of the plate bisecting it in half. That piece of cake started to stretch, and stretch, and stretch. Gravity was pulling it towards a free fall to the bottom of the display case and it was holding on with all of its might. It literally took a couple of minutes for that cake to stretch itself to the point of breaking. When it finally fell the people in line around me and I all started laughing. "That was the most exciting thing I have seen all day," said the elderly woman behind me. "But maybe that tells you something about the kind of life I lead."
Perhaps. But the trajectory of that coffee cake pretty much sums up these last few hours for me: a very slow march to the moment when intern year will plummet into the repository of past life experiences, where it will sit like a smushed piece of coffee cake against the glass, bruised yet visible, and certainly not forgotten.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
4 Days To Go
My medical school buddies are all done with their intern years. Congratulations everyone! But me... I still have 4 more days to go, including today. This is what I get for having an extra week off last June to chill out and unpack from my move while all of my friends were already busting their butts in the hospital.
But there is one perk to this "extra week." Yesterday I started to realize that I was getting some strange calls and requests that did not make much sense. A couple of the callers seemed completely lost. Suddenly I realized that I was talking to new interns and that I sounded like I really knew what I was talking about. I was actually able to teach someone something! What a new concept. Perhaps I could get to like this second year resident role. I won't jump ahead of myself here, but I am going to try to enjoy my last 4 days of being a "super" intern.
But there is one perk to this "extra week." Yesterday I started to realize that I was getting some strange calls and requests that did not make much sense. A couple of the callers seemed completely lost. Suddenly I realized that I was talking to new interns and that I sounded like I really knew what I was talking about. I was actually able to teach someone something! What a new concept. Perhaps I could get to like this second year resident role. I won't jump ahead of myself here, but I am going to try to enjoy my last 4 days of being a "super" intern.
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