I'm not sure if you will all find this funny, but I find it pretty hysterical. It's a play on the stereotypes on the different specialties :) There are more on youtube, but these are my favorites
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
1/4 of the way done
It's crazy, I'm already 1/4 of the way done with my intern year. 3 months have already passed out of 12. Wow - time really does fly. And I know with residency it's only going to get faster.
I spent the last month on my surgery rotation. I actually took call from home, which meant I carried a pager with me at night and had to answer calls from the nurses about our patient's on the floor or occasionally go into the Emergency Department to see patient's who may need surgery. It pushed me and made me think, because even though back up from a more senior resident or attending was only a call away - I was still the first line and didn't want to bother them with stupid stuff.
Shh...now don't tell patient's in the hospital this, but just picture.... me asleep in bed (got to go to bed early when you have to rise before the sun), sound asleep. Then at 10:45 pm my pager goes off. I wake up and dial back the digits that show up on my pager. "Hello, this is Dr. Chun with surgery, I was paged." The nurse comes on the line - informing me that my patient's pain was not being controlled and if I could give her a telephone order for something stronger. I suspected this might be an issue earlier in the day, but had never heard anything. My senior resident told me if necessary I could order a PCA (patient controlled analgesia) - so the patient can give themselves pain medications, obviously there are parameters and it locks out after a certain amount. So there I am sitting in bed, opening up my newly purchased ICU book ready to read off what it tells me on how to order a PCA. I have no idea how to order a PCA.
I don't think that's what patient's picture when going into the hospital - there's my doctor sitting in bed, glasses falling off their face as they try to read what the book says to do. It's crazy and yet - that's one way in which we as physicians learn. Ultimately I did not end up ordering a PCA but rather increased the strength of the medicine the patient was already receiving. There is still so very much to learn.
3 months in and I can say that my clinic population is building. It's fun to see the same patients back for follow up - to learn what their test results show and to be able to see them get better with treatment. This continuity was something you don't often get in medical school. There are those patient's you don't want to come back and then their are those patient's who you really want to take under your wing. I guess it's like teacher's playing favorites. At least no one has to know about mine. ;)
I wish I had more exciting things to share, but not too much has been happening - work, work, work. Well, I guess the other weekend I did go to a UA game. Ok, that was fun. College football and I don't seem to mix though. For whatever reason, I never seem to watch the game. I'm too busy having too much fun. I only went to part of one Trinity game and that was while rushing a sorority and well...here are some pics from last week's game and as you can see that's not much game watching going on.
I spent the last month on my surgery rotation. I actually took call from home, which meant I carried a pager with me at night and had to answer calls from the nurses about our patient's on the floor or occasionally go into the Emergency Department to see patient's who may need surgery. It pushed me and made me think, because even though back up from a more senior resident or attending was only a call away - I was still the first line and didn't want to bother them with stupid stuff.
Shh...now don't tell patient's in the hospital this, but just picture.... me asleep in bed (got to go to bed early when you have to rise before the sun), sound asleep. Then at 10:45 pm my pager goes off. I wake up and dial back the digits that show up on my pager. "Hello, this is Dr. Chun with surgery, I was paged." The nurse comes on the line - informing me that my patient's pain was not being controlled and if I could give her a telephone order for something stronger. I suspected this might be an issue earlier in the day, but had never heard anything. My senior resident told me if necessary I could order a PCA (patient controlled analgesia) - so the patient can give themselves pain medications, obviously there are parameters and it locks out after a certain amount. So there I am sitting in bed, opening up my newly purchased ICU book ready to read off what it tells me on how to order a PCA. I have no idea how to order a PCA.
I don't think that's what patient's picture when going into the hospital - there's my doctor sitting in bed, glasses falling off their face as they try to read what the book says to do. It's crazy and yet - that's one way in which we as physicians learn. Ultimately I did not end up ordering a PCA but rather increased the strength of the medicine the patient was already receiving. There is still so very much to learn.
3 months in and I can say that my clinic population is building. It's fun to see the same patients back for follow up - to learn what their test results show and to be able to see them get better with treatment. This continuity was something you don't often get in medical school. There are those patient's you don't want to come back and then their are those patient's who you really want to take under your wing. I guess it's like teacher's playing favorites. At least no one has to know about mine. ;)
I wish I had more exciting things to share, but not too much has been happening - work, work, work. Well, I guess the other weekend I did go to a UA game. Ok, that was fun. College football and I don't seem to mix though. For whatever reason, I never seem to watch the game. I'm too busy having too much fun. I only went to part of one Trinity game and that was while rushing a sorority and well...here are some pics from last week's game and as you can see that's not much game watching going on.
Outside the stadium!
My co-residents Vidhi and Sarah! You can see the field behind us!
The field! woo woo
And....just because the game is over doesn't mean the tailgating has to stop! :)
Thursday, September 2, 2010
For Fun!
My dad sent me this link today and it just makes me laugh. I've been taking Penny to behavioral training class....let's just say she can't do what this dog can do. Heck, this dog dances better than me! :)
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Hiking Through Residency - Mount Lemmon Loop Trail
Today was the first of many hikes that I will take while in Tucson. Sarah (my co-resident) and I headed up to Mount Lemmon for a hike. It was a nice way to get out of the heat.
This may have been a little bit of an ambitious first hike, but we survived :)
Trail stats:
Distance: 8.6 miles
Trailhead elevation: 9100 feet
Elevation loss/gain: 2100 feet
The loop of course started out with the easier part, heading down hill. It was cool atop Mt. Lemmon today. I was happy to be wearing pants and a long sleeve shirt. At the beginning of the hike, the mountain is covered with pine trees and wildflowers.
It rained on us some in the beginning of the hike - HUGE raindrops! Well...actually not raindrops. Turned out it was HAIL. That's right, I got hailed on in Tucson in the middle of August.
Storm Clouds
Proof - HAIL!
After hiking down 2100 feet the vegetation changed and became more desert like in nature. The sun came out and the sweating began. eww.... At this point, about 6 miles in I was still feeling pretty good.
Then the ascent began. Let's just say it was much quicker than the descent had been. My right calf was burning and I was sucking wind and could feel the elevation. We had approximately 2 miles of switch backs to the top where we had originally started. It started to rain, but it felt good - cooled me off some. The view from this side of the loop trail was GORGEOUS!!! It was amazing and completely worth it.
Of course the picture doesn't do the view justice!
A horrible picture of us on our hike - nice.
By the time we reached the top I was exhausted. Poor Sarah who drove home, watched my head bob like a bobble head in the seat next to her, trying to stay awake. It's 8pm now - my legs still feel like spaghetti. I think I'll be in bed and passed out by 8:30pm. It ended up being a great hike, but probably a little much for my first hike in a while.
Bugs on the trail:
swarms of ladybugs sitting on these plants for some reason?!
close up of a bunch!
Purple/blue beetle!!!
Monday, August 23, 2010
immature
It's funny, how I waited 4 years to finally have some responsibility. To finally be able to write a note that didn't have to be rewritten by someone else, to finally be able to write for fluids or antibiotics and the patient actually get the fluids or medicine. 4 years! It seemed so long, like the time would never come.
Well...the time has finally arrived. During this last month working in the Emergency Department, I have given patients more morphine and dilaudid, than I ever imagined. Ok, maybe not ever imagined, but A LOT. It comes with the territory, the sickest, the ones in the most pain, the ones without insurance or primary care -they are the ones that end up in the Emergency Department.
The rotation was great - I got to get my hands dirty a do a few procedures. I learned to think like an ER doc and got to know Sief's colleagues better. It started to feel like a home away from home. I was comfortable in the department and still am - which is good, because I'll be admitting a lot of patients from there soon enough.
The most humbling moment of my career happened behind those Emergency Department doors. A moment that made me for the first time in a long time feel extremely young and unprepared. I had a young patient, less than 50, who walked into the emergency department, but will not walk out. I am not going to give details, but I left that night thinking, "I'm not mature enough or old enough to handle this." The weight of responsibility that is my profession finally hit. Daily, people lay their lives in my hands, let me in on their deepest secrets, expose their most personal body parts, all because I wear a white coat and have M.D. after my name. That's a big deal. A responsibility I never took lightly, but also one I am unsure I will ever be able to fully grasp.
I need bigger, broader shoulders to carry certain memories with me. I now know, some patient's will never leave my side. They will not always be on my mind, but they will be living in my memories, right at the surface. Time to time I will recall those patients, will reflect on the situation and remember. Learn from those difficult patients, learn from the surprises, and learn from those who were saved and those that could not be.
As physicians we do not have al the answers. We cannot save everyone. There are higher powers and diseases too strong for modern medicine.
My job is to never be mature enough to handle certain obstacles that will appear in my career. My job is to learn and grow, to embrace the opportunity to learn and to reflect. I have sacrificed for my patients and some of my patients have and will make sacrifices for my continuing education. I am privileged to have the honor of working in the field that I do. Now it is my duty and joy to do the best that I can.
Well...the time has finally arrived. During this last month working in the Emergency Department, I have given patients more morphine and dilaudid, than I ever imagined. Ok, maybe not ever imagined, but A LOT. It comes with the territory, the sickest, the ones in the most pain, the ones without insurance or primary care -they are the ones that end up in the Emergency Department.
The rotation was great - I got to get my hands dirty a do a few procedures. I learned to think like an ER doc and got to know Sief's colleagues better. It started to feel like a home away from home. I was comfortable in the department and still am - which is good, because I'll be admitting a lot of patients from there soon enough.
The most humbling moment of my career happened behind those Emergency Department doors. A moment that made me for the first time in a long time feel extremely young and unprepared. I had a young patient, less than 50, who walked into the emergency department, but will not walk out. I am not going to give details, but I left that night thinking, "I'm not mature enough or old enough to handle this." The weight of responsibility that is my profession finally hit. Daily, people lay their lives in my hands, let me in on their deepest secrets, expose their most personal body parts, all because I wear a white coat and have M.D. after my name. That's a big deal. A responsibility I never took lightly, but also one I am unsure I will ever be able to fully grasp.
I need bigger, broader shoulders to carry certain memories with me. I now know, some patient's will never leave my side. They will not always be on my mind, but they will be living in my memories, right at the surface. Time to time I will recall those patients, will reflect on the situation and remember. Learn from those difficult patients, learn from the surprises, and learn from those who were saved and those that could not be.
As physicians we do not have al the answers. We cannot save everyone. There are higher powers and diseases too strong for modern medicine.
My job is to never be mature enough to handle certain obstacles that will appear in my career. My job is to learn and grow, to embrace the opportunity to learn and to reflect. I have sacrificed for my patients and some of my patients have and will make sacrifices for my continuing education. I am privileged to have the honor of working in the field that I do. Now it is my duty and joy to do the best that I can.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
In love
Ok, so I fell in love yesterday with Tamales and not just any Tamales, but the best Tamales I have ever tasted!!! :) It was a recommendation from a native Tucsonian.
The Tucson Tamale Company. I guess from the name you can figure out what they make. I went yesterday during my hour lunch break - it was a fast lunch and I ate waaayyyy too fast, but...I'm planning to stop by today to get some tamales to go before work starts!
Here's what I tried yesterday:
Green Corn Tamale: Fresh Corn Masa, Roasted Green Chile, Cheese
Madison: Black beans, fresh corn, red peppers, spices, cheese in red pepper masa
Incredible salsa accompanies the tamale to pour over the top. I only tried the mild, apparently the medium salsa was good (according to Sief and our friend Joe), but it was spicy and well...I'm a relatively big baby when it comes to spicy food.
Not sure what I'm going to try today, but I'm sure I'll find something yummy! The only problem with the TTC is that the hours are only from 10am-6pm - Monday-Saturday. Makes it a little hard to get their during the week.
P.S. Penny's a star - a greyhound rescue lady who also takes pictures of dogs came to Tiny Tyrants - Penny's obedience class - see her in all her glory here.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Happy, content, & comfortable
It's crazy - I've only been in Tucson for less than 2 months and yet I feel more comfortable here than I ever did in Hershey. Today I was driving in the car when I realized everything felt comfortable. It was a weird feeling, I haven't had in nearly 4 years. In Hershey, I always kept looking toward the next step. Where will I be in 4 years? I continually imagined myself in various locations - wondering where residency would take me. I felt like I was missing out on other parts of my life. That I was stuck in a rut and really not moving forward. I'm sure residency will have those times as well - that 80 hr work week, doesn't leave much time for other things.
But for the first time in a long while - I'm living more in the moment. Less worried about where the future is going to take me. I'm happy right where I'm at. In 3 years when residency is over, where will I go? I don't know and to tell you the truth I'm not even really thinking about it. It's great.
I finally feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing and I'm in the place where I'm supposed to be doing it. I'm surrounded by a bunch of wonderful, interesting people, with more things to do than I have time for.
It's good to feel at peace and comfortable in my own skin once again.
But for the first time in a long while - I'm living more in the moment. Less worried about where the future is going to take me. I'm happy right where I'm at. In 3 years when residency is over, where will I go? I don't know and to tell you the truth I'm not even really thinking about it. It's great.
I finally feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing and I'm in the place where I'm supposed to be doing it. I'm surrounded by a bunch of wonderful, interesting people, with more things to do than I have time for.
It's good to feel at peace and comfortable in my own skin once again.
P.S. Soon I'll blog about my ER rotation.
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