The Medical New Year

The day started early this morning when I awoke at 0500 and couldn’t go back to asleep, due to the slight feeling of nervous excitement! Or was it excited nervousness? In any case, today was my first day of practicing as a doctor! I made it in to the hospital by 0630 and saw my three patients, having time to write notes on only two of them by 0900 since it took some time to sort through their charts. I still feel a little unsure on the best way to get up-to-date labs and radiology results in this hospital where I've scarcely worked in before.

After morning rounds was a teaching conference, and then there was interns’ conference which was a continuation of orientation. I completed patient notes and orders in the afternoon, and then attended to a patient who was bleeding into his urinary catheter. On the way home around 4:00, I was called about a psychotic patient who became belligerent. I asked the nurse to give the recently-given Haldol a little more time, and then try Geodon (for which "as needed" orders were already written), then to page again if there were continued problems.

I parked on the street outside the apartment building and helped my roommate Dan load his bags into the car. He was flying home today for the July 4th weekend in Oregon. Since he's just finishing his third year of med school, he gets a three-day weekend!

After I relaxed and ate dinner at home, I was paged again for the patient who was bleeding again, now with decreased urine output. Most likely trauma from the foley in this demented patient. I formulated a plan, called the resident, talked to the nurse, and then called the page operator to tell her I was checking out! (I should have done this at 1700!) I also called the cross-cover intern to tell her what was up, thinking she might like to know should she be called.

I finished the day catching up on e-mail. Unfortunately no studying was done today, but I’m on call tomorrow so hopefully will have some time at the hospital! So this is it: the first step in a long journey of medicine!