Hey there, I am alive and well. I don't know what I have been up to recently but just haven't really felt motivated to jump on here to give any exciting updates...
I finished up my medicine ward month on June 3rd. It was nice to finish up on the wards, however, it is always bittersweet because when I left, I was giving up the right to continue taking care of three patients whom I greatly enjoyed. That doesn't mean that I have not poked in to say hi to them, and in fact, the one patient who I diagnosed with septic pulmonary emboli will actually be getting me as her primary care physician. It's exciting because she has done remarkably well. And by remarkably well, I mean being hospitalized has given her a chance to get off of heroin and to reconnect with some of her family. I am actually quite excited for her because she is doing so well. The other patient was one of my most favorite to patients so far. She was discharged to a rehab facility, and I have plans to go meet up with her and her husband for tea at some point. The last patient was discharged out of the hospital yesterday, and should have an uneventful course from here.
I have also just recently finished two weeks of geriatric medicine. (No, dad, not so that I can take care of you some day). It was pretty helpful, but, two weeks was not enough. It's kind of like pediatrics in a way. People fall and get hurt. People lose control of their bowels and bladder. Drugs which do well for adults cannot be used as easily in the elderly. It was also interesting going to a rehab facility for two afternoons, and to see the amazing work that is done on that end. My interest in the geriatric/rehab aspect is that I'm sure some day I will not have the luxury of having a geriatrician or rehab Doc to help me manage these patients.
I'm in clinic for the next two weeks. I have mixed feelings about clinic. I enjoy the patients we take care of, but the clinic itself can be a bit of a pain in the ass!
I have a few projects working at this point and was hoping to use this weekend to get caught up on them. I'm working on getting my international health track going at hospital, with the target date too start July 1st, 2007. I'm also trying to organize the immense amount of paperwork and articles and reading materials that I seem to have accumulated over the past year. I was half tempted to just throw the stack away and start all over.
Speaking of starting all over, I cannot believe that a year of residency is almost over!!!!!!!!!! HOLY SHIT! What do I know now that I didn't know a year ago? I'm sure I have learned a lot, but ask me to name one specific detail and my mind goes utterly blank. Utterly blank. Utterly blank! You see, when I try to think about what I have learned in the past year, all that comes to mind is how much I still need to learn. For example, this July 1, I find myself again on the pediatric ward. Last July 1, anytime I had a question, I was able to ask my senior resident and get the answer. This July 1, I am that senior resident. What is really different from a year ago? I guess what is really different days that this year I am more confident. I suspect I do know a hell of a lot more than I did a year ago...
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