Archive for May, 2004
Final Unit
May 3rd, 2004Today was the first day of our Muskuloskeletal unit…the last unit of the year. Which means neuro is done. Which also means year one of medical school is almost done. This seems like it will be a quick and relatively easy unit, although we are tripling up on the number of gross anatomy dissections we do per week.
On a sort of related note, it seems that when it comes to the words “abduct” and “adduct” all physicians can’t just pronounce them as would normal people. Instead, to avoid confusion between these similar sounding words, they distinctly say the first two letters of each word in an attempt to distinguish it. So…instead of pronouncing the whole words, they say “A-B-duct” or “A-D-duct”. Personally, I find that retarded. Or should I say “R-E-tarded”.
Hocus Pocus?
May 11th, 2004Today for ICM we went to the Emperor’s College, which is both a school and clinic that practices alternative/Eastern medicine, and it was like entering into a weird new world. Even though their goal is to heal people, the language and explanations they used were just bizarre. Heartbeats were wiry or slippery. Illness and stress were the result of unbalanced energies or channels. Patients’ tongues represented their livers. Their knees affected their shoulders. Their fires inside are weak. And if your yin doesn’t match your yang…well, good luck.
Overall it was a very interesting experience. We also got to observe some accupuncture sessions. Even though I am convinced it’s a good complement to modern/normal/western medicine, I don’t “believe” enough for it to work, so I’m not sure if I’ll ever resort to it…that, and I don’t like needles in my head.
Gross No More
May 14th, 2004Today was our last dissection for Gross Anatomy…and not a day too soon, either. What started out as an identifiable, intact, human-like cadaver was turned into, over 10 long and smelly months, a messy pile of small scraps. There is no piece larger than a few inches, and no body part has been untouched.
Don’t get me wrong…I am grateful to our cadaver for having donated herself to our program in order for us to learn human anatomy in detail (finally I know where the liver is). But, after many hours crowding around the table staring at her — not to mention all the time spent inside that glowing white dissection room, wearing our once-white-now-yellow lab coats, and absorbing all the unavoidable smells the room has to offer — I’m relieved that Gross is done.
“Hands-on” Clinical Correlation
May 21st, 2004I got a first-hand view of the hand muscles we happen to be learning about in school right now. Had another one of my panic attacks last night — my biggest one yet, actually. I woke up about an hour after falling asleep, and next thing I knew I was awake, arms flinging, and my fist through the window! At first I didn’t realize where I was, what had happened, or even that my fist had shattered through the glass, but after feeling blood dripping on my knee I quickly had an idea of what was up.
After spending the next few hours in the Cedars-Sinai ER getting stitches, I returned home to find my bedroom looking like someone had delivered a baby in there it was so bloody. This was all definitely a scary and unwanted situation, but at least now I’ll never forget where the palmaris longus muscle is.
Wait Till It’s My Turn
May 25th, 2004In preparation for my upcoming trip to Thailand and India, I had a doctor’s appointment today with a travel doctor. I made my appointment for 12 noon, so that I’d have plenty of time for the appointment and then to make it to my 1pm class.
But did I make it? No…of course not. Stupid goddamn doctor (like ALL doctors) showed up not 15 minutes, not half an hour, not 45 minutes, but an entire hour late! He showed up at 1pm for our 30 minute appointment.
After all the nonsense we’ve been fed this past year in school about respecting your patients opinions and valueing their time as much as yours, I have yet to see a doctor do either. That’s why almost all us med students do not take any of those “Professionalism” courses in school seriously.
I so want to return the “favor” to my patients once I’m in practice. People keep saying it’s wrong to perpetuate this lousy behavior and practice, but forget that. As a patient I’ve suffered enough through many doctors’ arrogance. I’m keeping my patients in the waiting room for as long as it takes, until I’m ready to see them.
Don’t think I took this all sitting down…I had to get a few vaccines, and the punk made me go to the receptionist’s window and pay first (out of pocket, by the way, since insurance doesn’t cover preventive travel medicine…ha, wait till I get malaria, then they’ll shell out 100X the money to keep me alive!), and only then could I get my vaccines. Little did he know that I went out, walked around in circles a few times, and walked right back into his office without having paid. Screw him.
One More Week…
May 31st, 2004…until this school year drags to an end.