Why I like working nights.... and shameless plug for the MS 150!

1. It is quiet.
2. I get to work on my own schedule.
3. Minimal BS. Skeleton crew and tired staff meaning people work more efficiently in hopes of getting a chance to nap/rest. But there is plenty of time to hang out too!
4. There is time to hold a baby, or 3 babies like I did last night.
5. There is time to talk to a patient's parents for as long as they want and answer as many questions as they want.
6. It is quiet and calm and you have an autonomy that doesn't exist during the day...
7. You get to backwards commute and parking is never an issue.
8. Breakfast with the hubby.
9. Daytime dog walks and trips to the dog park.
10. You get time off during the day to normal people things like shop or go to the post-office.

That's my short list. I'm just finishing a month of wards and then I go to clinic for the month. Life is good. Intern year in more than half way over and all is well over here.

Donate now and sponsor me to ride one or two of the 166 miles from here to Austin on April 12th and 13th.

Only 72 days until the MS 150! And sponsors that donate by the end of the month will have a chance to win a $25 Starbucks card, so what are you waiting on?!?

Merry Belated Christmas Wishes!

So, I've been sucked into the vortex of residency. But that doesn't mean I'm done with this blog. Life has been busy, but it has also been very good. I worked both the 24th and 25th but it was okay, because someone has to work and because I volunteered my co-interns got the days off to enjoy the holiday. And I enjoyed being at work, I did. Lots of Christmas cheer, Santa sightings and tons of holiday spirit in spite if it all. Being a kid in the hospital is never fun but especially not at Christmas and so yesterday we tried to make the most if it. Silly hats that sing and lighted scarves were just part of the fun.

In other news, I cannot believe that intern year is half over! Hooray! (Gulp.) Wow, how time flies...
I'm actually enjoying nephrology. And next month I'm back on inpatient wards but at our community/county hospital so that will be good. And then I get to take Step 3 in February. And then vacation!!! So very exciting.  So that's what's up with me.

I've decked out our pedi lounge for the holidays and that makes me happy. Belated Merry Christmas wishes to you. And a very happy new New Year too!

P.S. Anyone wear a tacky Christmas sweater on the 24th? I did and it was awesome, not quite as bright as the one pictures above, which I am ordering it now for next year, yay!

Christmas countdown, life and reflections of an intern year almost half over!

Hi all,

I am still here. Sorry if you have been looking for me and I've been MIA. You know, this thing called residency is happening. Doesn't leave too much time for other stuff.

Although my parents did visit Houston for 10 days in October, poor Dr Boyfriend had to do most of the entertaining as I was pulled to MDA (oncology) at the last minute. MDA is suppose to be our hardest month and it was not fun but I survived so I do have that going for me.

Also, Christmas is in 6 days and I am unbelievably excited this year. I have decorated the resident lounge and bought mini stockings for each of us to hang. It makes me very happy. Also (a word I'm using way too much this blog post, sorry about that) I have decided it is okay to wear corny holiday themed antlers and headbands and scarves and hats and all things tacky since I am a pediatrican after all. And I want others to as well so I have declared December 24th, the official wear your tacky Christmas sweater (to work) day! You can participate too, I'd love pictures if you do. If you have to work the holiday you may as well have fun while doing it, that it my motto anyhow.


I'm up early this morning. Presents are wrapped. Cookies are baked. I do have some clinic notes to complete though..... but blogging is more fun.

Oh and random links, just because:

1. interesting, my future research is going to do with this i think:
EverythingHealth: The Microbiome

2. fun gift ideas for the last minute hard to shop for person on your list: http://gifts.rescue.org

3. just because: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/72057662761780782/

Merry Christmas!!!!

P.S. Don't forget- tacky sweater on 12/24. And the best way to spread Christmas cheer? Singing loud for all to hear!

C is for...

team C!

I'm back on wards and starting on nights. I figure I kind of know what I'm doing this time around and instead of endure it, I'm embracing.

team C as in Cat!

I found our mascot.  And have plenty of Candy including Candy Corn. It may also be reason to Celebrate the month of Colorful Costumes and pumpkins with Candles!! And yes, I might be Crazy,

C is for Crazy, lets go Team C!

I need costume ideas... C is for Countdown and just 30 days until Colorful Crazy Costume Day!

What are you going to be dear reader?

mimosa, samosa... life after wards

Wards is over, I made it! There were many times in the past month that I doubted my desire to do this. To be a doctor. To complete residency. Multiple days/nights when I just did not want to go to work.... But yesterday at 10am when I walked out of the hospital I felt accomplished. And my spirits climbed as I brunched and shared multiple pitchers of mimosas and good company.

My collapse into bed followed by wonderful sleep before meeting my awesome wards team for outdoor theatre fun in the form of Bollywood dance made yesterday the perfect ending. I had a good day, a good month. I am now that much more confident that I can do this job. And more importantly that I still want to.

Nights were difficult for me. I feel into a semi depression and despite the actual free time I only slept and worked. It is only now as the nights and memories of them recede that I feel myself again. The reading, the to do list, that didn't happen... but it is okay, because I survived and came out the other side and I'm still here. And now I have energy and optimism once again.

A sampling of what I saw last night, I just LOVE Indian culture/dance/food!

Night after day after night...

Residency day 57.

Well actually night 2, as I am officially on nights. We have kind of an odd system when on wards where you work every other night for two weeks. Saturday was my first "night" and it was rough because I haven't had to stay awake for 30 hours straight in a very long time. I was falling asleep while writing up my H&Ps and that was an awful feeling. I will be prepared tonight with gum, candy and an extra cup of coffee for 3am. The every other night off is kind of odd. 16 hours on. 30 hours off. In theory that sounds nice but it hard to get on a schedule. I had planned to simply sleep all day and then use my off night to read, do things around the house, etc but I guess that residency caught up with me because I simply slept for 18 out of the last 24 hours. Ooops. Now I have all day "off" before I got to work tonight and it is not the weekend and so Dr Boyfriend is at work and I have the house to myself. So what to do...  Finally, I can read! I am so behind in everything, it will be nice to read about medicine and not medicine. I need to go join the Houston Public Library. And grocery shop and bake and lounge and do laundry. And exercise. And finish my graduation thank you notes. Yes, residency  has kept me busy. My to do list is long. So I'm thankful for the time right now to catch up.

Otherwise I really don't have much to say. Inpatient wards is busy, good, horrible, awful, scary and/or fun depending upon the moment in time. I hated my first week and rather enjoyed my second week. I like the patient care aspect of it and struggled with the documentation aspect. There is never time to write good thorough notes and yet I know that notes are super important and without good documentation it is difficult to practice good medicine. And yet I struggled with this daily.  I can only hope I get more efficient as time goes on. I am trying to dictate but that has pitfalls too. Being an intern is about doing paperwork, calling the consults, updating the lists and admitting/discharging patients. I ended up staying  late to talk to parents, answer questions, etc because there really just isn't time during the day for that aspect and it is the education part of doctoring that I so love.

Time to work on my to do list, and maybe walk my dog. Happy Monday to you!

Residency, day 48... feels like 539

I am now about to start my eighth week of residency, crazy huh?

I finally get today off after 12 days on and it is a glorious feeling to have an entire day to myself without  a pager or need to set foot in the hospital! (Minus those delinquent discharge summaries to finish.) Thursday was maybe the second hardest day of residency.... more lows, more tears, a migraine, a screaming child, not enough hours in the day to take care of everyone and myself. But then it was Friday and I had one of the best days of residency. I utilized my medical students and I took the time to pre-round with them. We were efficient on rounds and I made it to noon conference with a hot lunch in hand. I made decisions by myself. I admitted two patients, discharged three, supervised my med student talking out his first PICC line and almost made it out in time with only an hour worth of notes to finish when I got home. I survived my first week and half of inpatient wards and I see the light... five more days on and then I switch to nights for the rest of the month. So all in all, I'm okay.

More than okay. I'm surviving despite what I felt like was going to be the worst month of my life. Some days have been quite craptacular. I feel like a glorified secretary. I haven't been reading like I know I should. My sick patients scare me. I think the medical students know more than I do. I feel slow and have yet to finish my progress notes before rounds or even before lunch time.  I am not good at multi-tasking. I am an intern. But I notice that I'm faster than I was a week ago and more confident each day than the day before. I am figuring out the little things and those make a big difference.

Residency is hard. I'm awake at 5am on my single day off in two weeks. I could complain about many things. But I also realize that I'm lucky. I'm doing what I have always wanted to do and the little things add up. The educating patients and supervising med students and being responsible for my own time.

I'm happy. Exhausted. But happy. Enjoy your Saturday, I know I will enjoy mine!