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Sunday, June 21, 2009

And So It Begins...

One week into Med III and I've been wondering how it would be possible to sum up a whole week in one post. And not just any week. The first Med III week,the first week in med school remotely resembling anything that even comes close to being a physician.
Well in fact, sometimes when I think about it I feel that I haven't done anything quite so significant yet. But at other times, I also feel that every small step, be it the patient you so much as greet in the hallway, or the first EKG you set up, or every Once-In-A-Lifetime Choledochal Cyst (1 case per 2,000,000 Live Births in the U.S) Roux en Y Hepatico-Jejunostomy (Yeah never mind... Just something fancy ) you witness in the OR is now a decent step forward, a landmark, a mini checkpoint, if you will, along the way to becoming a fully developed physician. It's really hard to describe, but what I can say is that it's a whole new world, that's for sure, and there is absolutely no way of comparing it to the previous two years of classes and bookworm-ism so I'm not even going to try.

Getting ready for tomorrow, the 8th day into Med III and the General Surgery rotation we incidentally started out with, and already, I'm (and when I say "I" I mean "we") already feeling more familiar with the system. There's a certain satisfaction to it, to becoming one of the microscopic cogs on one of the tiny wheels in the at-best marginally well-oiled, Willy-Wonka-esque machine that is our hospital. We meet with and examine patients, write admission notes, follow up on patients after their operations, write progress notes, and suggest management plans that will be a new point of reference in the patient's chart. And the new in it all, I mean besides the contact and all, is that it feels useful. What I'm doing with what I've learned and what I'm learning is actually being used by my peers and superiors, to benefit someone in the end. I think that's the best way of describing what it feels like. In one word: just grandiose. And it's only when you realize just how much more there is to learn, how much more there is to accomplish, that your head starts spinning and you let it spin back down to earth and get on with what you're doing.

I just paused for a second, and thought about all the stuff I want to write here. There is no way this could all fit into one post. So if somehow I've managed to grasp your attention and interest, come back soon for more...

5 comments:

poshlemon said...

What you do fascinates me :) I always wanted to be a physician. I realized it when it got too late. So I enjoy it through others hehe.

BabaGannouj said...

never too late for anything poshlemon.
never, ever.
you can always do it if you want to.

Le colleague said...

BG. I agree. In theory. In practice also, but there are limitations, and it's always very easy to say never give up etc...

Posh. I love what I do. I've known this was for me since I was a kid. I lost 2 years in France when I got started in Medicine. As a result, and knowing i'd have to start from scratch (the MD is 7 years), I almost gave up on this. Only because it's such a long career, or buildup for a career. My friends were begging me to find something else, that it wasn't worth it, or that it was too late. I would never have forgiven myself if I had listened. But... Wait so what am I saying? Yeah. Something very easy to say, but that I HAVE to say hehe I guess I DO agree with BG after all. You can always go for it.
If not, I'm more that happy if my clumsy 'chronicles' keep you entertained :)

poshlemon said...

I think at 25 years of age, I am better off concentrating on finishing my PhD, especially that I am entering my 3rd year and that leaves me with practically a final and 4th year. I need to start making money...

I do contemplate a change of course very often though... I love medicine and it consumes me...

Oh well, for now I am happy to enjoy it through my sister, my ex and you :)

BabaGannouj said...

PL
It is NEVER too late to do anything or too late to change course.
I just finished my third year PhD.
I have 2 left to go.

Guess what?
I've decided that I love law and that I want to become a lawyer. So, I'm going to law school after I finish my PhD (I figure I'll at least finish what I started).
I don't want to live the rest of my life thinking: I should have done this or that.

Never too old for anything!
Do I care that I'll finish law school in my 30's?
Or that I won't start making money till then?
Or that my youth is possibly slipping away?
Yes I do, but I care more about making sure I live a happy life doing what I enjoy!

Cheers,
BG

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