My first posting as an intern (aka. a "house surgeon") is in the Department of Community Medicine, and this is equivalent to being given a paid vacation. The only problem is we have classes once a week. I thought I was done with this particular annoyance after third year, but it turns out that Community Medicine is like Hepatitis C. It just doesn't go away.
I've been "working" in the hospital for two weeks now, and am just starting to understand the dysfunctional inner workings of this fine institution which happens to be a state-of-the-art tertiary health care centre (allegedly). This is what I've learnt so far:
1) The Staff Nurse will be in a permanent bad mood, which will only worsen at night. She will also frequently say things like "Doctor! You cant use a separate syringe for each patient!". Take that, WHO.
2) If by now you still haven't pricked yourself somewhere somehow, you're not working hard enough
3) The Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases should be re-named the Department of Awkward Conversations. Not a day goes by without hearing something like "Demonstrate how to wear a condom" or "How much money did you give her?"
4) Forget the principle of Universal Precautions. The hospital works under the principle of Universal Politics. Take any two people from a department, and chances are, they've got some reason to hate each other.
5) If you have nothing to do, leave immediately without making eye-contact with anyone you meet along the way. There is always something to do.
I've been "working" in the hospital for two weeks now, and am just starting to understand the dysfunctional inner workings of this fine institution which happens to be a state-of-the-art tertiary health care centre (allegedly). This is what I've learnt so far:
1) The Staff Nurse will be in a permanent bad mood, which will only worsen at night. She will also frequently say things like "Doctor! You cant use a separate syringe for each patient!". Take that, WHO.
2) If by now you still haven't pricked yourself somewhere somehow, you're not working hard enough
3) The Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases should be re-named the Department of Awkward Conversations. Not a day goes by without hearing something like "Demonstrate how to wear a condom" or "How much money did you give her?"
4) Forget the principle of Universal Precautions. The hospital works under the principle of Universal Politics. Take any two people from a department, and chances are, they've got some reason to hate each other.
5) If you have nothing to do, leave immediately without making eye-contact with anyone you meet along the way. There is always something to do.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI just had to tell that I found your blog while searching for ways to issue swift justice to a woebegone rat. Your acerbic wit and jaunty tales had me laughing out loud (literally!). I find your stories of life in med school extremely entertaining and I am now considering blogging my way through a PhD program! Though likely that no one will read, the writing itself will be the proposed journey! So, cheers to you! And, thank you for entertaining me and inspiring me to take pen-to-paper (well, actually finger-to-keyboard) and relay some of the more interesting (or at the very least unusual) experiences in my journey!
Mandi
Hi Mandi!
DeleteThank you so much for all of this totally undeserved praise! I actually didn’t think anyone reads this open diary of mine, till you posted this! You should definitely get yourself a blog too, I’d love to read it!
PS. Hope that rat of yours is history!
Well, I cannot say for others..lol.. But I am reading it! And, as to that horrid rat 'o mine.. I got him! He came in through the drain under the washing machine. Well, I put the drain cap back in and before I put a cap on the exterior portion of the drain (where the darn thing came in to begin with) I had a NEW visitor!!!! I CANNOT believe it! Super Rat removed the grate in the floor and came in! And he is HUGE. Well, I have only seen 1 other rat in real life, that was not a pet, but he looked pretty huge to me! I have since plugged the exterior whole and hopefully once I win this battle, I will see no more..lol.. I made a batch of "rat poison chocolate cookies"..lol.. and tossed them in "his" area. Since the room w/ the washing machine is enclosed, I know he cannot get anywhere else in the house. Now I wait. With dirty clothes..lol.. Cannot let the rat attack me! Super Rat might eat me or something..lol..
DeleteAnyway, have a great day!