10 fingers, 10 toes...

I just finished my two weeks of inpatient floor work and next I have a full week of newborn nursery. We had an intro lecture on Thursday and I'm quite excited. How cool is it that I will get to check a newborn and perform physical exams for the very first time for these little ones? Plus they are cute even if there heads are molded into some interesting shapes from the delivery process. And I am sure I'll learn a ton too. Time to brush up on causes of neonatal jaundice.

Peds soldiers on and I'm loving it. Show me the babies!

this is it

peds is here, i'm 1.5 weeks in and have seen plenty of asthma and RSV... plus a few interesting cases, rare and otherwise. the teaching is great. the hours are okay. the patients are wonderful. so really, no complaints except that i feel like i know nothing. there is so much to read and study but every day i'm learning.

i love the population and the diversity. one minute a 7 day old baby and the next a 17 year old teenager. parents of all varieties. play is part of the job. i heart it all!

the good, the bad and the crazy

 -day 4 and so far inpatient psych is

good - I have a wonderful attending that let's us pretty much do everything. Admission notes, interviews, MMSE, discharge summaries, etc. Some of the other teams are still on "needs supervision" to talk to their patients or write a progress note but we have full reign which I appreciate.
- Our weekly lecture series is going to be great if today is any indication. There is a full time pharmacist that works on the unit and he gave us a great lecture on antidepressants today. Yay for learning pharm!
- I have a favorite pt that likes to compliment me in another language and dances in his wheelchair whenever there is music or mention of the same. You can't be sad when your pt is dancing in his wheelchair.
-Did I mention 9-5, no weekends, no call?

bad - Psych is depressing. Pt's have no insight, poor hygiene, hear voices and scream at you. Treatment is medication (sometimes forcefully) and structure. But a reading room without books and a place that smells like urine half of the time is not exactly my cup of tea.
-I hate the old fashioned keys needed to get into anything on the unit. The entrance is key coded but the rest of the until requires keys. And of course none of the keys fit well so it can take 5 sec or 15 min to open a door. We have computers that are fingerprint access enabled but we need a key to get into the nursing station. Does this make any sense?

crazy-  enough said. Stories will follow.

Pscyh, The Big Apple and Life as I know it-

So, today will mark day three of psychiatry. I'm at an inpatient geriatric psychiatric hospital so my experience is thus limited. However in just the first two days I've gotten to see and do quite a bit and my schedule is strictly 9-5 with no call or weekends so I'm not complaining. And of course I'm in NYC so I'm going to live up these next six weeks.

Museums, broadway, apple picking upstate- check, check, check! Shopping, eating out at super yummy and fancy restaurants, fun runs in Central Park- Yes, yes please and sign me up!

In any case. I'm back in THE City and I'm ready for whatever, whenever and lots of it. And I'm pretty sure psychiatry will keep me entertained during the day at a minimum. Bring it!

(gulp)

Tomorrow is my first day of third year. I think I am ready but it seems like I can't really be ready because I have no idea what this will be. It feels like the first day of school and the start of first year all over again.

For those of you playing along at home I got my first choice in that I got to stay in California (for now). I was assigned surgery as my first rotation which is 12 weeks long.  And while I am not at a clinical center I am within driving distance of Dr. Boyfriend for weekends, etc. Of course after surgery I will have to most likely move and then move again and again but I don't know what comes next so I really can't worry about it right now. Instead I just have to focus on remembering my anatomy and being the best third year I can be.

The new apartment is set up and unpacked. My fridge and freezer are stocked. I have clean laundry. I guess I'm ready. In the meantime I am enjoying a glass of chilled wine. Cheers to surgery!