So as I start a new rotation this week (OB/GYN) and try to get to know a new preceptor, I inevitably get the question, “So…what field do you want to go into?” Hey, I’m just gonna put it out there…I don’t know what branch of medicine I’m going into. NO IDEA. I like doing OMM, but thats not ALL I want to do. Physical Medicine & Rehab sounds interesting, but I don’t have any experience in it, so who knows if I’d actually like it. I like working with babies, but being a Pediatrician is 90% cough & colds & paranoid parents, 10% serious and heartbreaking. I sometimes think I’m the right personality to do Oncology, but again, no real experience. So far, the only rotation that I was excited to get up at 4am for everyday was Internal Medicine-Cardiology. So, if I had to say where I am leaning, its IM.
Well I can’t exactly launch into this diatribe everytime I’m asked this. So I’ve had to come up with a quick answer and b/c I’m not sure what I want to be, I don’t think its a lie. IT does actually interest me, so maybe it could happen. I mentioned this conundrum to another medstudent today…
Other medstudent: “So what do you tell docs you want to be then?”
Me: “Interventional Cardio”
Other medstudent: “Why that?”
Me: “Well if I say anything primary, including IM, I get the speech about how I’ll never make enough money to pay off my loans. If I say PM&R, they might ask me why, and all I can say is “I just think it sounds neat.” If I say Oncology, they’ll ask if there is a story there and then I have to launch into my mom’s story and its just such a serious conversation when first meeting someone. So I say IM- Intervent Cardio, b/c 1) IM is general enough to where whatever the rotation is, it could apply somehow and they don’t feel like they are wasting their time teaching me, 2) “Cardio” makes me sound smart, and 3) “Interventional” b/c they always respect the desire to do billable procedures.”
I’ll have alot of time to ponder my future, while I do this for the next month…
The t-shirts and magnets I received from my father and step-mom–
I don’t think we’ve mentioned it yet, but the Type B girls have a ridiculous gift exchange going. I have Jesse, Jesse has Katie, and Katie has me. I purposely didn’t get Katie b/c for her birthday, I got her bacon salt, and really, how can you top that? So anyway, when I received this in the mail, I automatically assumed it was from Katie. But no, from the dadoo. Good luck beating this Katie!
We’re waiting for our 10am patient in the conference room, listening to drug reps talk about insulin. They brought REALLY good coffee from the Atlanta Bread Co, so I am very happy to pretend to listen. Don’t worry, I’ve heard this spiel before. I’d be in trouble if I hadn’t b/c I’m a little too distracted by my own thoughts.
Rep: “Lantus is meant to maintain basal insulin levels…”
Me: (Mmm coffeeeeeeeeee)
Rep: “… an insulin drip maintained 4 days post surg decreases mortality by…”
Me: (Oh god, so gooood. It doesn’t even need sweetener)
Rep: “…so don’t use the sliding scale protocol, you should now use the subQ…”
Me: (num num num… pretending to listen but actually blogging… and reveling in caffeine bliss…num num num)
Rep: “…almost 66% of hyperglycemics are undiagnosed diabetics and…”
Me: (oh thank you Jesus for caffeine, seriously why did I stay up so late watching An Inconvenient Truth? I have a 4-day weekend coming up and it was Netflix. The whole point of Netflix is there is no due date and now what will I watch this weekend? Maybe Hairspray. I should really study for the upcoming Internal Med test. I have no idea how to study for it though. I should talk to…)
My Doc: “…I didn’t go but Michelle did… what did they say Michelle?”
Me: (SHIT) “Huh? About what in particular?”
My Doc: “Which receptor is inhibited in that niacin drug from yesterday?”
Me: "Dp1 in the Langerhaans cell”
My Doc: “Oh ok, ya, apparently that reduces flushing…”
Tasks completed: -Scholarship applications -5 Mahalo pages -Case presentation -Cleaned my whole house -Sold 7 items on eBay -Wrote a blog entry -Wrote all my notes from 3 months of rotations into my IM book
Yet: -slept in until noon every day -watched 2 seasons of The Office -caught up on Heroes -managed to spend 9 hours in a row in front of the computer
“How am I ever going to decide if I can’t get past the first question?”
Oy, this month has got me leaning to the left.
Its funny the little rules we make in our head, or the things we keep telling ourselves and not really challenge.
I’ve been putting writing off for 2 reasons. One…I’ve been too busy, to state it plainly. Well, at least by the rules in my head. I figure if I have a case presentation and scholarship forms to do, I am too busy to write. I am also too busy to call anybody or to clean. But not too busy to watch TV. Funny how that works. Two…I don’t want to be one of those people who only write when they want to whine about something. I’ve had plenty of occasion this month to do so, but not much to balance it out. I mean, there has been wonderful stuff, just in small doses compared to the econo-sized crankfest thats been going on this month.
Well, I overturned that rule in the last few days, starting with the cleaning. The place isn’t sparkling but hell, I vacuumed. That was like the 2nd time since we moved in. Today I’m writing b/c well, I need to. Its therapeutic for me, in that once I get out all those thoughts that have just been rolling around in my head over and over again, it allows some new thoughts to finally break through. Many good thoughts, smart ones, with some wit and silliness, perhaps involving Johnny Depp or Heather Graham. Mmmm. Wait, what was I saying? Oh ya, too busy to call too. Ya, I’m going to try that this weekend, so if I owe you a call, be looking out for me. After I finish scholarships. Baby steps.
You know what’s also funny? How it is humor nature to only dwell on the negative. So, bleh, I am really tired of worrying in general. The 2 hour drive to the rotation site I took every morning and the drive home every night gave me ample quiet time to dwell on things. Things like getting kicked out of my rotation housing and the subsequent ass-raping of my integrity in the eyes of the dean. Things like how I am going to be fucked when it comes to the Internal Med test b/c I spend 4 hrs of valuable studying time in the car every day. And I especially dwell on the fact that the dwindling of my bank account by Dec is not likely to match up with the replenishment of loans in January.
Ok, bad things out of the way. Now, how to build up this month in my memory as something other than the month of ass-raping? Though that does have a ring to it, don’t you think? In the spirit of Thanksgiving, maybe I should focus on what I am thankful for this month:
1) Jesse came to visit me!
-She was here for a whole weekend and we rocked Boulder, I must say. We cruised the Pearl Street Mall, enjoying the local “color” (aka marveling at hippies & street performers), supporting the arts (aka buying hand-made greeting cards), and partaking of local fare (aka eating an orgasm roll at the BEST sushi place ever.) We finished outthe weekend rocking out to Guitar Hero III, laughing at the whitey white people dancing at the local bar, and buying Jesse a new wardrobe at Old Navy. Wow that weekend did my heart good. I am so lonely here, so the company was great, but talking to her was also an essential reminder that I am not crazy normally.
2) I was able to spend Thanksgiving with new friends. -Just when Josh & I were wondering what we were going to do on the holiday, and how we could afford all the fixings we wanted, my 4th year mentor sent us an email inviting all stragglers to a Thanksgiving dinner at her place. When we got there, they had chicken instead of turkey (we hate turkey!), homemade croissant rolls (that is our holiday tradition!), and real pumpkin pie with fresh-made whip cream (ohmigod, our fave dessert ever!)…it was amazing! How did they know?? Plus I was ecstatic to be talking to someone my own age, let alone fellow medical chica. I hope we can do something together again soon
3) Being poor brings out our creativity & makes us more thankful for what we have.
-Y’know, I talk alot of smack about how poor we are, but really, things could be so much worse, and in fact are worse for tons of people. We at least have a roof over our head, and no matter what, don’t ever have to worry about going hungry. Things are tight, but when they are, it makes a focus in on what we really need vs want. We get creative in how to stretch the most use out of something, and how to make a little extra money on the side. Most of all, it reminds me how close Josh & I are. We are both fiercely independent, and probably our biggest crime is not really keeping eachother “in the loop” of what’s going on. We don’t plan dinner, we don’t call if we’re late, and we don’t go to bed at the same time. However, when things get stressful and money gets tight, we don’t argue or blame eachother. Rather, we band together and become a great team to figure out a way to survive and make our way out of it.
4) It was a great rotation!
-Almost worth the daily drive. I learned tons about medicine and its given me a new perspective on how to run a practice. Y’see, my doc was like an older version of the boss Michael Scott on the Office. He would waste 20min of a session just bullshitting with the patient, and make really corny and often times inappropriate jokes. His favorite was to diagnose an 80 year old woman’s problems as her being pregnant. His other one was to demand more complaints from the patient b/c he needed to make more money or else 1) he couldn’t afford the brothel he visits 3 times per week OR 2) he’d go home, beat his wife, and he can’t afford the alimony. But I did like him, and his patients LOVED him. Life Lesson #1, People like the abuse. They also were willing to wait an hour for him b/c they knew he gave them his undivided attention without any consideration of time. I also loved the staff. They said I was the first med student to treat them with any respect, so they helped me out and taught me things they flat out refused to do with other students. On the last day, they took my information and let me know that if I ever move back to the area, I’d have a whole office staff waiting for my practice. It was really sweet.
5) Friends, family, health, puppies, doing what I love…and all that other mushy stuff!
-I have the best friends I’ve ever had in my life, a family who loves me enough to visit me in Denver & nag me to tell them about whats going on in my life, a loving husband, 2 puppies I couldn’t imagine loving anything more until I have kids, Josh and I are both in careers we love, and we all have our health. I really don’t have the right to complain as much as I do!
I only ever get 2 types of spam: 1) Grammatically-painful personal emails concerning my penis
"Hello mvmedstudent- Take a last look at your penis, it will never be that small again"
"Hello mvmedstudent- Your penis start growing here"
"Hello mvmedstudent- You will be able to penetrate much more deeper"
"Hello mvmedstudent- Make your penis lllooooonnnngggggg....!!!"
2) Abstract poems about on sale office software Yes. The obvious Close at the end of distance the two Chose In realms of dingy gloom and deep crevasse Dreaming time has reversed, I watch drowned snow Unreadable from behind—they are well down Seized from creation by nonentity, By the design of our own silent eyes This perfection, this absence. Is the moon to grow demonstrating their talent for comedy—stroke Merely a mockery of spring Deep in the fog that quenches every ray, Against which we have been projected? What . . . Toward the still dab of white that oscillates In dense bare branches, or the ubiquitous From there. Toward . . . Upon from the right by far trees, that white place In Winter Haven, the ballplayers are stretching I might have happily lived some other childhood. Adobe on sale for $89.99.
Given by nature will soak into it. III. Chronology of Northern Exploration to restaurants for Early Bird Specials. Not daring to oppose That desire has ever built, have approached Blurring the terrain, That open before me? What I see Archangel Winter, darkness on his back Of meaning like these the world created by Snow haze gleams like sand. With my foot the supple ball, for perhaps XV. The International Circumpolar Stations: The Greely Expedition When Arctic winds crack down from Canada Nor, indeed, the bit of paint itself can know of. And off the white smoke swims Summer bees were saying Pierced by the mist that fades away, Clear-voiced despite its years, strong, eloquent I know, US $ 269.90 Creative Suite 3
I am applying for new insurance and I tell them what the school requires, and then what I need, which isn't much. The only thing I take regularly is birth control (hey, I'm married, don't get any ideas.) Their response? "Just to let you know, any time that you are taking current medications, they are considered pre-existing conditions on individual health plans, and more than likely, they will be EXCLUDED from the plan, possibly indefinitely."
Top 3 reasons this is stupid:
You'd think there would be a system in place to give medical students access to decent medical care. Not so much.
If I have been taking a drug before now and possibly have been for awhile, maybe its b/c I NEED IT and if I can't afford it b/c its not covered, then I might cost my insurance some money in dealing with whatever issue I was trying to prevent.
If birth control is indicative of a pre-existing condition, what exactly is that condition? Fertility? Being a woman??
Since he was adopted by staff members as a kitten, Oscar the Cat has had an uncanny ability to predict when residents are about to die. Thus far, he has presided over the deaths of more than 25 residents on the third floor of Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island. His mere presence at the bedside is viewed by physicians and nursing home staff as an almost absolute indicator of impending death, allowing staff members to adequately notify families. Oscar has also provided companionship to those who would otherwise have died alone. For his work, he is highly regarded by the physicians and staff at Steere House and by the families of the residents whom he serves. And Michelle's fave-
We practiced our suturing in surgical lab on bananas. Apparently now we're ready to be thrown into rotations to do the real thing. Is it me, or are we missing me at least one more logical progression?
Perhaps we should practice on living bananas first? Duh.
Michelle fights the good fight for OMM in her newest post over at Michelle vs the Med Student *Despite what the picture suggests, no MDs are harrassed in this post. We love MDs! (I just can't eat a whole one)
All the med student bloggers eventually get a request to illustrate a typical day as a med student. They are all usually very scary, showing them engrossed in hours of classes and studying, capping the day off with a crying jag and a shot of jack daniels, pondering “Why God? Why am I doing this to myself?” Well, I’m not gonna say it isn’t really hard and the schedule can get crazy some weeks, but generally its doable. Here’s the day of a Type B personality in an ocean of Type A gunners-
12midnight- I am working on a quiz due tomorrow for Women’s Health. Its a bitch. If I knew it would take so long I would have started it before 10pm. But hey, I just literally spent the whole weekend studying for Boards (We had Kaplan Review for 18 hours). But ROXY IS HELPING us with the quiz.
1am- We call it a night. I set the alarm for 7am. Josh is already asleep. Tessy is at my feet. Roxy is snuggled up to my butt.
7am- Alarm goes off, I WAKE UP TO THIS. Roxy jumps on the bed and starts poking me. I lean over to turn off the alarm and just then she curls up on my pillow. This is a helpful trick of hers to make sure I get up to let her out. I throw on a robe and let the dogs out. I wash my face, gargle, and let the doggies back in. Fuck its cold!
7:15am- Heat up some coffee, pour a bowl of cereal, plop down in front of computer to check my e-mail. I read my Xanga subscriptions (Oh Ryan, you and your kooky birding stories) and read the latest blips of news (The dead duck came back to life!)
7:30am- Get dressed and make myself perrty (ok…presentable). Roxy always sticks her paws under the door. I slide my robe tie under the door and we play a little tug of war until I finally let go and I watch the tie disappear under the door. 7:40am- Start the car, I SEE THIS. Did I mention its fucking cold?
7:50am- Kiss the hubby, pet the dogs, head to class.
8am- DERM- I know, I know. Class at 8am? I say thats for chumps, or at least morning people, which I am neither, but we have a quiz at the end of lecture. At some point the Derm guys say “infucktion” instead of “infarction.” I nearly pee my pants. Not b/c I’m 5 years old, but b/c it reminded me of last night when I kept saying “aortic dicksuction” instead of “dissection” by accident.
9am-DERM again!- This time I know there is no quiz but the material might be on Thursday’s quiz so I halfheartedly listen while I write up some fake surgical orders. Anonymous mentioned his surgery professors might or might not be assholes…not sure … but mine has graciously decided to help people refine their order writing skills without us having to worry about points, so I’m trying to take advantage.
10am- There are two hours of Cardiology coming up and though this professor is quite foxy, she is also very easy to follow on Noteservice (a service we have here that records the lectures) and I am fading fast, so I head back home for a glorious 2 hour nap. Like I said, I’m not a morning person.
1pm- SURGERY- I love this guy. His lecture was called Wound Care but he ended up giving a whole lecture dispelling the myths of wound care techniques and the overprescription of antibiotics.
(1)Why do people use hydrogen peroxide instead of flushing it with saline?The only reason is b/c it burns & foams so people think it must work better!
(2) Do you order antibiotics when the wound is red, feels hot, has identifiable swelling, the patient reports pain in the area, the appropriate culture demonstrates a pathogen, the WBC is 13,000 w/ a left shift and the patient feels nauseated and weak w/ a 102 temp?Even after all this….NO! You must investigate all sources of infection other than wound, ie urosepsis.
Awesome.
1:50pm- We head to the OTM table at the front of the class and I crack Katie’s back. She returns the favor by popping a rib back into place. I hug her leg and bite her. Good OTM has that effect on me. 2pm- WOMEN’S HEALTH- This is the only doctor I can think of that wears his scrubs to class. I notice this b/c not only is he a big guy talking about girl parts but they are colorful, patterned scrubs that he tucks in…barely. They almost don’t quite make it over the gut. Again, I normally don’t talk about people’s fashion sense or guts, (cuz of the landslide case of stone v. glass houses) but he occasionally will comment on how he understands the plight of pregnant women having the big abdomen in the way. I think more people would notice this kookiness about him if his voice wasn’t so rhythmic and monotone and utterly sleep indu…..zzz. 2:50p- To wake up, I have Katie jump on me piggy back style and I run down the hallway with her on me. Effective as usual.
3pm- PHARM- I normally never EVER go to this class. Its all memorization and the slide packets are good enough, there’s no need to have them repeated verbatim to me. However, today we had a special guest speaker from St. Louis College of Pharmacy about anti-microbials. It was the same kind of lecture we normally get, but with a new, younger face and the slides were tinted periwinkle blue. You know. To liven things up. Woo. I half-heartedly listen as I nerd around on my pda.
3:50-I’m FREE! I run to the post office and bank, then head home. ROXY IS WAITING. She has jumped up on the back of the couch to greet me at the window. I come inside, set down my shit and let the dogs outside. I grab a quick snack, change, and head out to meet Katie at the gym. 4:30- WORKOUT- 30 min on the crosstrainer, then 3 sets of legs alternating with abs, then 3 sets of arms alternating with back. Katie & I have been trying to work out everyday we can. This sedentary lifestyle threatens to jump me a pant size higher but being the poor med student I am, I can’t afford the new pants, so I’m trying to keep the bootie in check. Workout plans have never worked for me until I found a good buddy. Though I have to thank Sandra for getting me going. BTW, she’s back and doing pretty well considering. 5:30pm- Back home. Throw some chicken in the oven, corn on the stove and hop in the shower. By the time I get done, the meal’s ready. I plop down in front of the computer and watch last week’s Gray’s free off abc.com. Did I mention the fact I don’t have TV? I’m poor and I don’t feel like paying to lower my grades, but I am more than happy to catch the occasional tivo’d House or American Idol at a friend’s house Speaking of which…
7pm- Head over to Peacock’s to study for the Ortho test tomorrow. We get through the practice tests and end up watching American Idol and Frisky Dingo. What? You’ve never heard of Frisky Dingo?!
Others:”Please don’t kill us?” Killface: “Don’t make it so appealing!”
11pm- Peacock’s husband is back from work, and mine will be too pretty soon. I head back home, start studying some of the finer points of Ortho. The dogs are chilling out.
1am- Off to bed. I set the alarm for 7am. Got that test at 8am after all. I fall asleep to thoughts of ORIF. Tessy is at my feet. Roxy is snuggled up to my butt.
Michelle: Katie, its 11:38, I gotta get in my post for the day...fuck it...I think you should guest post.
Katie: I don't have anything to say. What do you want? How about, I like twinkies. Oh, and Michelle gave me a bad breast exam today, but that was intentional. The bad part. Well I suppose the breast exam was intentional as well.
Michelle: I'm writing this down. And embelishing.
Katie:, Yes! For the record I like other things than twinkies. Like peanut butter. LOTS of things. And my dog Baxter here [actually my dog Roxy who is nibbling on Katie's knee]
Michelle: And bacon.
Katie: I do love bacon. I bought veggie bacon. Its flavored like bacon, it does not have bacon-y texture......Roxy has eyebrows kinda. Like if you combined eyebrows and eyelashes...you're still writing? At some point this has to end.
Michelle: I'm not saying anything anymore, just typing.
Katie: Ya, you should tell them how med school is like that Mario video. Going along, going along, oh fuck! Invisible block! This is worse than an RL Stine book!
Michelle: Its worse than Ann Coulter.
Katie: Who builds a castle with an elevator to a fire stick!...Tessy is licking her paws. [she's not allowed to do that]
Michelle: She does that stealthily, like with a toy as a decoy...Katie, I told you if we ever record our conversations we'd sound high...well, we should mention Jesse in this. And also our master plan.
Katie: Ya Jesse, she has the bigger boobs but did not get a bad breast exam.
Michelle: I couldn't handle 'em.
Katie: I don't think you're ready for this jelly.
Michelle: Well anyway, master plan. A very cunning plan actually.
Katie: How cunning is it?
Michelle: Its so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel.
Katie: That is cunning...[giggles] I saw you type Kat-o.
Michelle: Yes, lets go with that.
Kat-o: I did that to myself.
Michelle: ANYhoo, cunning plan.
Kat-o: Yes, please enlighten me with your typing.
Michelle: You & Jesse said you should guest post sometime, so I was thinking that at the end of boards, we could just a launch a site together. Call it Type B Med Students.
Kat-po: Yes we are....AH, my name is getting is worse.
Michelle: Aw Kat-po, we were able to document when we came up with your new name. Kat-po.
Kat-po: Oh god!
Michelle: Well Jesse's is Peacock, and Jesse's phone named me Micahihi.
Kat-po: And Big V
Michelle: I tried to get "V" on my UAAO convo name badge but they didn't do it. Some guy got "Iceman" though. Dammit.
Kat-po:....
Michelle: ....
Kat-po: [starts laughing again] I didn't even say anything, you just kept going so you could type kat-po again.
Michelle: It is pretty sweet. Wow, we've outdone ourselves for ridiculousness.
