Day 3 in the Hospital

Well, I think we can all say how much we appreciate A/C after this trip. If standing all day at work wasn't exhausting enough (my parents still wonder how i'll work a fulltime job let alone residency), the heat definitely adds a whole other element of exhaustion. Not sure if I can speak for everyone else, but I do have to say its liberating not wearing any makeup, not doing my hair and becoming content just sweating in every single outfit by 9am.

Both Rasika and I started on surgery rotations but were on different units. As far as my first day, I showed up at Surgery 4 (liver, gallbladder and pancreas unit) and was told to go to lunch, come back at 1, and when I did, no one was there. I think we've all gotten good at asking every single person directions (aka pointing to our sheet of paper repeating "Surgery 4!") I was told to go to the outpatient rooms and find a doctor, well that's easier said than done. I stood around, asking every person in formal clothes and they kept telling me to go somewhere else. I sat for while in one room alone and then a nurse finally came in and laughed and told me I should go to the next room with Dr. Joseph. I'm not sure anyone knows where we're supposed to be or with who, they just say go wherever.

The outpatient clinic was very interesting. There are about 12 cubicle cement rooms, each with a wooden bed, a desk and computer. The doctor stays in the room and over a microphone, announces for the next patient to come to this room. In the 2.5 hours i was with him, we saw well over 20 patients, not including the patients that just pushed themselves into the room between switches to just get 1 min with the doctor. He was a wonderful teacher, he reviewed every patient with me before and then after they left, summarized what they had to say. The whole process was nothing like i had every seen (same goes for the operating rooms). The door was constantly opening, residents coming in to discuss other patients with the attending while he was with another patient, other patients trying to get their way in the door, never a dull moment.

My 2nd day in surgery was a little more unorganized. Hoping to Dr. Joseph again, it took me about45 min and 15 security guards asking directions to to find OR 19, where he told me to show up. Unfortunately he wasn't doing surgery this week, so I just watched the other guys working, who weren't as willing to teach so when they went on break (and i was left alone in an OR with the patient on the table and a nurse), the nurse just said I could walk into any OR and just watch. So I did! And found a surgeon doing McKeowns procedure ( an esophagogastrecomy) and he was teaching other med students as well which worked out well!

Today, Jen and I saw 6 vaginal births in labor and delivery (5/6 had episiotomies done which was a bit traumatizing for us both). The OB ward was fascinating. I will get to do OB again next week and am very excited! We all are having very different experiences so hopefully we can all share our different stories!