More Truth Than Not

I read this article when a couple blogs posted about its topic. Some were naysayers, stating that it painted a bleaker future than really necessary, others were more open to the advice. I noticed that many of the younger bloggers identified with the article than the "dinos" who, of course, viewed this with a grumpy hurrumph! and went back to their job of trying to keep their investment portfolios from completely going under.

Of course I kid, but there is a lot in this article that I've identified over the last few years, which several physicians warned me about, but I didn't listen. If anything - to those out there not in medical school or medicine, it's really important to review information like this before deciding to go into medical school. Take a look at some of the comments as well, that will give you a good idea what people think of doctors.

Oh, and happy mother's day.

The House of God

The book, The House of God, is one that many medical students, residents, healthcare professionals, and people all over the world have noted as being a standout read regarding the trials of internship. Sure it's dated - since it was first published when I was born - but it's still considered a benchmark against which many medical writers are compared and is often listed as a "must read" for medical students and wannabes.

But I don't see it.

I've been trying to get through this book the last couple days and have just tossed it aside more often than I'd have thought. I find it infantile, neurotic, sloppily constructed with poor transitions, and just not a book that I must finish.

Perhaps I want to understand more what's going on than having a skim-job whereupon the author enters into emotional turmoils over the latest "insult" yet will go into florrid detail about their sexual achievements. I know intern year sucks, but some more information related to the actual crushing process might have been nice rather than learning how nuns teach nurses to deal with erections. Instead I feel that the reader is merely shown a glimpse and then ferried away hurriedly - as though it's more than we could handle.

And another item: was there really that much sex going on in hospitals back then? I can begin to comprehend where some of these TV shows developed the lustful nurse-doctor relationships after reading pages upon pages of bawdy behavior and descriptions. It seems like a pubescent fantasy rather than a beacon of light into the process of medical training.

I don't know if I can finish reading this book. I'm halfway through, but it just grates the nerves to continue. I should be reviewing other items anyway - like movies that I've not seen in a while...and perhaps a medical chapter here and there.

Home Sweet Home

Pics of our new home. Nothing yet related to the white coat burning, as it hasn't happened, but I will post just as soon as it's done.

These are in order:

1) the front of the home with a small view of my car (only the front yard has much grass - like we wanted - so the upkeep will be minimal and mowing is not much more than an hour to do at most)

2) entrance view from the front door with wood-burning fireplace (will be nice in the colder months to save on electricity)

3) kitchen with Daughter's fabulous kitchen magnets all over the fridge - on the left by the wine glasses you can see Geebo our Betta - and in the sink is the larger bowl I'm preparing for him

4) hottub left by previous owners - which is very nice to soak in after some unpacking along with an ice cold beer, but I think it might get a little annoying to keep up with when the shit hits the fan later

Haven't Earned It

A recent conversation that Wife told me about went something like this:

Wouldn't know their ass from a hole in the ground guy: "You know you're husband isn't a doctor yet. Just because he's graduating doesn't mean he's a doctor."

Wife: "Umm, yeah he will be. He's getting an MD in a couple weeks. He'll be called doctor by everyone including patients, nurses, doctors, etc. He will be a doctor."

WKTAFAHITGG: "Well, he'll be called that, but he's not a real doctor. He hasn't put in his time yet. And I don't think they should be allowed to call themselves doctors either - it's like lying to patients."

Wife: "What the hell do you think 4 years of medical school is if not putting in your time? Just because he has to do a residency doesn't mean he can't be called doctor."

WKTAFAHITGG: "I bet he's going to get a real fancy-pants car, isn't he?"

Wife: "No, he doesn't like cars that much and would prefer to drive his for as long as it will allow. Then he might get a truck or something."

WKTAFAHITGG: "Yeah, so he can dump your body after he's found a few nurses to cheat on you with."

This was an actual conversation that Wife told me about while dealing with a vendor at her job. I have no idea why the guy is saying these kinds of things, but I warned her that if I ever run into him we're having it out. He's an ass, has been for too long, and this last bitty broke the camel's back.

It's like he thinks we're fighting over the same woman - who is MARRIED TO ME - and he feels that downplaying any accomplishment we've had will earn him points.

The other fact that just chafes is that he felt I hadn't "earned " the right to be called doctor. Then what the fuck is medical school for? What is the purpose of any post-graduate education that bestows a doctoral degree on someone if they haven't "earned it"? Just because he clearly feels inferior doesn't mean that 8 years of higher education doesn't count for something.

I'm serious - I'm going to have it out with him should I ever see him. Enough's enough already.

Ugly Celebs

Found this recently and think it's kinda funny. Have to agree on most.

VIP

We had a VIP who, even though he was in the ICU, still didn't want to have his beauty sleep disturbed. The following was a message placed on his door:


DO NOT awaken patient between the hours of 11pm and 6am unless absolutely necessary.

Lab techs, nurses, and various personnel didn't know what to do with this and kept waking up the on-call resident to get direction. Keep in mind that, in the ICU, the nurses have to do hourly checks as part of their guidelines and regulations. Most of the night they were concerned about getting in trouble just to give someone their restful sleep.

Even better for me was the fact that this patient was a still practicing physician, but had no idea what his meds were for, and had to have everything explained to him plainly - akin to layman's terms. Watching this scene play out you realize how the CME requirements are a good thing - because there are people who're practicing medicine circa 1970's.

What's the Deal?

Graduation is looming close. The frenzied e-mails are rocketing across the web alerting the seniors to their "week" and all the party atmosphere that befits a graduating medical student. A multitude of official people are hosting lunches, brunches, dinners, and the ever popular gala in our honor - all expenses paid (I believe in part by the class dues).

It reminds me of the events surrounding my undergrad when I was allowed to finally leave without having to harass another dean about credits. And once again I'm filled with the enormous feeling of, ah, what's that word? ah yes...triviosity.

Graduating is a big deal - I guess - but I'm really not looking forward to the splendor, the hullabaloo, and the party. After all, it's just another accomplishment in one's life that, while young and fresh, seemed quite splendid, but now reeks of "tradition" and disappointment.

I feel that, if not for my family coming in to town to witness this miraculous transformation, I'd prefer to not even be there. It's going to be long, boring, and filled with self-congratulatory diatribes and praise. Shudder.

Plus we get the extra pleasure of witnessing both the dental and graduate studies schools graduate at the same time. Like I care about people I've never, or rarely ever, dealt with. Let's just get it over with already.

Step Back

I decided after posting earlier today that, despite taking a few days and rehashing the topic a few times, it was just not a good post to have published and needed to be taken down. So I did just that.

I understand the couple commenters opinions - but still think it was blown out of proportion. I won't go any further than that here.

Race is a touchy subject to write around and I realized only too late that this published post would not be viewed well by many simply based on its subject matter. I wish that we could get beyond our differences, stop addressing "offenses" that are little more than naive opinion, and allow racial harmony to happen. Because at the moment, when we segegrate so many people in our society purposefully (award shows, TV channels, reality TV gimicks, magazines, etc, etc, etc) we not only focus on the color of people's skin or their ethinicity, we also perpetuate stereotypes and hatred. That was the meaning I was trying to derive from the afforementioned post which I saw was quickly being lost by the subject.

Oi

Moving sucks. Even if you're moving just a few miles down the road and have a trio of men lifting your heavier items, it still sucks. I find that I'm more lethargic than I'd have imagined and trying to mentally put anything together is murder. Study? Ha.

Yesterday was a day to relax as our internet and TV service was installed. We switched internet from DSL to cable and we added a local cable connection in lieu of landline phone service so that we can actually see the people on TV and not just their snowy shadows. The cable guy hooked us up - we get basic in any room we want without any extra charge. I didn't even realize he was letting us in on the goods while he was talking to me. I found out an hour later when I was channel surfing (now I just hope that someone from the cable company doesn't come out and demands that we turn it off or pay for the extra rooms).

When I was surfing the web I had tons of e-mails that needed to be responded to days earlier. God, since when did graduating become such a big deal? And why do we have 3-4 different meals during "senior week"? With gas being as high as it is, I'm most likely not going to be driving that far just to get some food.

I finally put together the lawn mower we purchased from Lowe's a month ago and got around to mowing our field this morning. I call it a field as the "real grass" is few and far between the numerous patches of crab grass and weeds. I think we also have some hay sprinkled in there as well - so we won't call it a lawn, just the field.

I've also hand washed both cars (something that gets really hard to do when living in an apartment) and actually waxed my car (never done in the last 6 years I've owned it). I'm tired, but it's a good kind of tired that's not associated with the whole process of moving. I'm really over that fatigue.

A Look Back

I thought that it would be a good idea to publish a little post about my accomplishments in the last 4 years. I don't think of this as self-aggrandizement; rather it's more like self-stimulation of the mind. But anyway...read on if you care to, but if you think this is a load of tripe, then don't - I'd rather not receive nasty comments about my boastfulness.

1) 3.9 GPA

2) >240 step 1 and 2 scores

3) AOA inductee 2007 - 08

4) Award received for being in the top 4 of my class after freshman year (I believe I'm still in this range, though the school makes a large to-do about not ranking us)

5) Highest performance on shelf exam in pharmacology; shared in pathology and physiology

6) Matched at number one choice of residency at a program that historically has not been too keen on students from my school

7) Persevered in 3rd year despite the death of my sister and close cousin within 2 weeks of each other while finding out that my dad had cancer

8) Didn't get divorced

9) Out of the 4 in my gross anatomy group that began medical school, 2 of us matched into residencies, and 3 of us will graduate. I'm quite amazed at the attrition from this group.

10) Started med school wanting to be an Orthopod with a smidgeon of interest in anesthesia. Had varying interests in internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, and surgery during this time. Ultimately came to love Anesthesiology once I understood what the hell was involved (not well taught in pharm and hardly any exposure in clerkships until 4th year).

11) No one died from my actions

12) Started at 205 pounds 7/2004. Gained 15 pounds over 3 years to an all-time high of 221 pounds. Lost 20 in 4th year to 201 - hoping to get to 190 before residency starts.

13) My pre-entrance physical demonstrated 20/20 vision. Beginning of 4th year my vision was 20/60, requiring me to get glasses.

14) Pre-entrance lab work: total cholesterol of 299 despite being on low fat diet. Total cholesterol checked in family med clinic 10/2008: 201. No drugs were ever used.