I'm done! I made it through my first two weeks of third year relatively unscathed. Two weeks in the Coronary Care Unit. It went by quickly. I'm kind of sad to be going. I really want to know what is going to happen with some of the patients - especially mine! In total, I took on 7 patients during the two weeks. There were also several that I was interested in that I followed unofficially - many of whom are still in the CCU. Supposedly, it is against HIPPA (how's that spelled?) regulations to look at patient information when you're not involved in that patient's care. But I want to know what is going to happen! It would be like putting down a really good book right in the middle of a sentence. I don't know if I can do that... I wonder if I'll get more blase about this in the future? I don't always want to be sad when I leave a particular service, but I also don't want to be a heartless doctor.
They throw all these platitudes and ethics at us during our first two years of medical school. At first, you're totally inspired: "I would never make fun of a patient;" "how could anyone, much less a doctor, forget to make sure that patient got their medicine?" After a bit, you start to get annoyed, when the fiftieth person tells you how important 'humanism' is in medicine, you feel: "Alright, I get the picture already. I'll be good. Get off my case already." By the time orientation for third year comes around, you just ignore the pleas entirely. After only two weeks dealing with 'modern medicine,' I'm already starting to see why we were platitude-d and humanized to death. I don't feel like I can adequately explain it yet, but I'll try to as I continue along this year. If I'm conscious of it, maybe I can avoid it in myself.
"Rock garden" was what an intern called the CCU one night. A 'rock' is a patient who will just hang around for a while, not getting better or worse. (similar to gomer) "Rock garden." It's funny. I laughed. But that is exactly the type of thing we were warned against. We were encouraged to pull the intern or resident or fellow or attending aside to tell them that we are not comfortable with that kind of terminology. But it is funny! I'm not sure where the happy medium is there, or if there is one. You're a humanist or you're not. Is that true? Who knows?
My eyes are swimming. I'm sleepy, and tonight is "Whine and Cheese."
AND! I just remembered that Gretchen took her first test yesterday!!!! GO GRETCHEN!!!! I hope it went smashingly. I'll try to remember to call (or you call me!) I'm off all weekend, and ready for some (mildly) crazy fun!
