Internal Medicine is a delicate dance

So, internal medicine can be pretty intense.  It starts early, really early if you're on treatments (every other day) and have a patient to attend to.  The other days, we do appointments with the doctors (we take the history initially, do the first physical, report to the doctor, come up with differentials and ideas of how to proceed).  We also do the early morning treatments for our patients in the hospital (check fluids, basic systems, weight, blood pressure, blood draws, giving medications, and all such stuff) and the late day treatments.  We get new patients through the VHUP Emergency Service and transfers from other departments and appointments during the day.  So, you never know what may wander your way, needing a blood transfusion or constant fluids or lots of monitoring.  It's actually fun.

And you get to work with some wacky doctors.  The attendings are all wacky smart and seem to know pretty much everything...and thus-far I've avoided terribly heavy grilling - which makes me feel terribly dumb.  Apparently, I don't know much.

Two hours every day (at least) seem to involve rounds - conversations and grilling on topics in internal medicine.

There's also a lot of writing on your patient - what does the patient have?  What might be causing it?  What might be causing it?  What might be causing it?  What should we do?  Really?  We should do that?
Anyway, it can go pages and pages...

12 hour days are standard.  Most folks have to go in every day (yes, Saturday and Sunday) to take care of patients.  2 nights during the month I do treatments in the evenings, so I'm there until at least midnight.  Then you're back at 6am for treatments.  Sleep deprived fun.  Makes me an unhappy student the next day.

So, cross your fingers for 3 1/2 more weeks of middle-of-the-road case loads, so I can get some sleep and learn while I'm treating the beasties.

And yes, the catlings are not happy with the new tired, stressed Sandra.

But, I'm learning stuff.  Hopefully I'll learn lots more.