Fear and Loathing in the Surgery On Call Room

September 8, 2008, 7:42 pmkendra4 comments

Fear and Loathing in the Surgery On Call RoomI just wanted to write a quick update on my surgery rotation. It’s still going really well. Although I’m working long hours, I’m enjoying almost every second of it. I’m really starting to love all of my fellow surgery students. They are a fun, smart, diverse and thoroughly enjoyable group of folks. When you’re trapped in an on-call room with a bunch of people for 12+ hours, it’s amazing how well you get to know them. Not to mention how rowdy the group is by the end of the day! The pic today is Midori in my sunglasses in a very Hunter S. Thompsonesque pose.

Today I had the opportunity to be the voice for my patient. She was from Yugoslavia, and her lack of English speaking caused her a ton of anxiety when the doctor explained her options to her. I realized that what was lost in translation was causing her to be very upset and confused, and I helped to get her information that she could understand. Sometimes being a good doctor has nothing to do with auscultating a heart or wielding a scalpel.

4 comments:

  1. laura, September 8, 2008, 8:00 pm

    i love those sunglasses! they look quite expensive! hang in there babe. You are going to get through this
    xoxox
    lboogie

     
  2. mink, September 14, 2008, 4:12 pm

    I really like your blog and I think you’re a very open-minded, well-educated person, besides being a fellow medical student.
    BUT, as much as I otherwise like you, I can’t get over the fact that you don’t know that Yugoslavia has ceased to exist 5 years ago (4th February 2003). So the lady you’re talking about wasn’t from Yugoslavia, she was from Serbia/Croatia/Slovenia/Macedonia/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Montenegro/Kosovo.

     
  3. The Island Med Student, September 14, 2008, 4:23 pm

    Hi Mink,

    Thanks for the comment, and the correction. I actually was aware that “Yugoslavia” no longer exists. Actually, I have a friend from “Serbia” who was nice enough to educate me on all the happenings over there. The lady who was my patient referred to herself as “Yugoslavian,” likely because she moved from the country while it was still called such. So, I was just honoring her own identification. Anyway, I’m glad you’re paying attention to the details! And thanks for educating folks who might not know their history! :)

     
  4. mink, September 15, 2008, 4:48 am

    Oh, I’m really happy you’re not ignorant about European history. :)
    I have to say that I found it hard to believe you didn’t know about Yugoslavia, so I double checked if you perhaps wrote “ex” in front of it, and since it wasn’t there I decided to enlighten you :D
    Keep up the good work!

     

Write a comment: