McSucky

Wow. When I was on a light rotation (otolaryngology), when we actually had time to get coffee as a team and participate in teaching rounds, I thought, being a resident is sweet! You start to get paid, you can make your own decisions and sign your own orders, and you can boss clerks around (just joking, I would never do that...)

And then I started ob/gyn, and now I'm on ICU and boy was I wrong. Being a resident can surely suck. You are worked to death, taking care of all the patients on the ward, and then seeing everyone down in the ER, on top of being first call for post-op patients and codes. There is no time to breathe, eat or urinate. You are also at the very bottom of the totem pole, so you must take and stomach rudeness from your colleagues, attitude from other health care professionals, and be afraid to go to your attendings for help.

Yes sometimes you feel you've done good for someone, but other times there are moments of pure helplessness, which feel awful.

Anyways, these are a few of the funny encounters I've had in the hospital.

- If only -

On one particular day, let's say after three deliveries back to back, one being twins and the other forceps delivery or something like that, I have a fifteen minute window to go up to the 10th floor to see a few gyne post-op patients. An elevator arrives and I walk in. This is the only time I maybe get to breathe and reflect. Then BOOM my pager goes off AGAIN. The people in the elevator look at me and say "wow, it's like Grey's Anatomy or something!" I look at them quite miserably and say, "trust me, it's not that glamorous". There's not really that many good looking people in medicine and we don't stand around commiserating about our relationships every day.


- What did you ask me? Part 1 -

After standing all morning from 8:30 AM to 12 PM rounding on the sickest patients in the hospital, there is an ICU consult down in emergency. It is a pain, believe me, to find a computer to check labs on your patient, print out the right forms, maybe even find your patient in the maze that is an archaic ER department (all without getting yelled at). After assessing the patient, I was finishing my paperwork in the common area, when a security guard comes up to me and asks, "so when is lunchtime?" I slowly turn around to look at him and I say, "Never." He looks surprised and I feel I've been too blunt. I clarify, "let's just say whenever I can find the time, say like 3 PM". He replies, "no, what I meant was, what time do the patients get lunch?". Aw man. Do I look like I even know? Could you guess noon? Can you let me finish my work because I have a gajillion other things to do? I told him to ask the nurse or unit coordinator, which he probably thought I was.


- What did you ask me? Part 2 -

Yes, the birthing process is scary and special but unfortunately can bring out the worst in people. After arriving at 6:30 AM on the maternity ward an irate father comes running at me and starts yelling "there's no hot water coming out of the tap. Can you do something about it!?!?" What do I look like? A plumber? Do you think I have wrenches in my pocket, or I have access to the water heater? Why don't you go tell somebody who can do something about it, like the unit coordinator? I know I may look like that person but I'm not.


You know, this rotating year is all fine and dandy I suppose. You get dumped into a new area of medicine every four weeks, are expected to be competent at it and more, and then you leave. However, I think it's unfair that not all specialties have a rotating year. If the reason is to have all of us have the same basic medical knowledge, then why is it that pediatric residents go straight into pediatrics, and internal medicine folks go straight into internal medicine? It makes no sense. But then again, nothing makes sense in health care, does it? Working 24 hours straight or more? That's surely humane and good for patient safety.


Anyways enough of my ranting that will probably get me into trouble. I know that this is all a rite of passage and when I'm finished my training I will have job security etc etc etc all good things that most people don't have etc etc etc and I shouldn't be a complainer and be positive etc etc etc etc However Did I ever mention that Vancouver is the best place for food ever and West 4th is one of the best streets in the world?

Peace out. All I can say to medical students is, enjoy it while you can.