Day 1: Residency Begins ! (and part of day 2)

Well I finished my OFFICIAL first day of residency. I left the apartment at 6:15am and got home 6:43pm. Not bad I guess for my first day..lol…. wow the day seem to fly…. I don’t even think I ate much lunch…..

Not even sure where to begin. I arrived “early: at the hospital. ( I think I’ll go in even a but more earlier tomorrow..lol) Well the day started pretty fast. We had morning report in my area, and the senior residents went through a list of about 11 patience in like 44 seconds….. Me and my fellow 1^st years were just looking at each other saying silently “whatdahell?” Boy these guys were fast. I don’t know if they were trying to impresses us, or they had a plane to catch. But needless to say it was over even before it started. Then it was a rush to do the notes, and examine the patients. You will not believe tthis. My first Patient I saw, the first patient I examined, the first patient I touched . Died. I just couldn’t believe it she was an elderly woman around her 80’s that had a cerebral hemorrhage, and within 10 minutes of touching I met the patients family members, who were standing outside to pay their last respect. I introduced myself to the siblings, and I was kind of speechless. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t even have time to soak it in. MY senior was already dragging me to see the next patient. But even before I did that. The program director came up to show us a new computer program, for sign out. She even asked “how’s it going?” I said “its been good. The first patient I saw passed away.” She was like “Oh my God.” I don’t know if she had a meeting with the residents or something, but we were all limited to like 2 patients that day. And to writing about 2 notes . Which almost took the ENTIRE DAY!!!! I’m sure I’ll be laughing at it one of these days but. The note took the entire day. I think we all got confused with the Planning of the note. We were like “wait a second do I have to treat this patients HTN or CHF” (which he/she probably is already being treatmented) Glad it took me two days to find out that most patients already have a protocol, and you norally continue the regiments as long as it does not interfere with her condition. I friend of mines called me. He was their at 7am and got home 8:30pm!!!! He did 5 notes!!!

Lol… I think these resident were like… what da heck? My resident told me today (I started writing this yesterday. While I’m writing this to you, its actually the second day) “You tell me all you did yesterday was 1 note??” I was like “afterI did the note I spend 3 hours trying to figure out the computer system” Then he was like “didn’t you take time to read the notes that I did?” I was like “I read part of them..”

Honestly, who can understand doctors handwriting? Its like these guys just vomit words on a page. Like they don’t want no one to read what they write. Its probably even sloppier in my hospital because they do most computer orders. SO the notes are mainly for the attending to read. (who barely even reads them)

Tomorrow I’m going to try another system out. I’ll try to go in around 5am too…lol. Hopefully I can get 4 notes done by 8am.

I wish I could write to you more. But its 7pm and I need to read up on some COPD treatments and ventilator treatments and protocols.

My senior asked me today “are you having fun?” I told him “I’m in heaven…..This is what we were born to do.”

He laughed.

God bless

DR.Mike

p.s I will write longer update on sunday. Not on call this week.