I am finally doing something I always looked forward to and it is my clerkship. My last two years in Grenada, although they were sometimes fun, i was really getting tired of seating in the classroom and discussing all this diseases and only studying about them. I wanted to put a face to it as medical students say time and time again. With two weeks gone by already with the trauma team at jamaica hospital, I am starting to get used to the schedule and realizing what is really expected of me. I find that with medicine comes so much paperwork that it does take some of the fun out of it. An employee at JHMC told me you gotta CYA (cover your ass). So many physicians are being sued for malpractice nowadays and its important for them to document everything they do in order to have a strong case. Lack of documentation could really be the end of you. Documentation is a big part of a Physician’s assignments.
I remember when the first season of grey’s anatomy aired and Miranda Bailey the now chief resident was telling her new interns (first year resident) where they are in the medical hierarchy . from one of the episodes this was said ” Your first shift starts now and lasts 36 hours. You’re grunts, nobodies, the bottom of the surgical food chain. You run labs, write orders, work every second night until you drop. And you don’t complain.” A difference between me and those interns is that I am actually below them. So I have to make them look good. So far, so good.
Haven’t studied much since i started my rotation, thats only because every time I am at home all I can think about is resting. in the next two weeks my schedule changes and then rest will not be an excuse to not study any longer.
i love it when we get a trauma call, I get a bit of a rush I walk swiftly towards the trauma bay and check my pockets to make sure I have the following : trauma shears, stethoscope, tape and a pen. Once I am sure I have those items I continue my walk to the trauma bay. As I get in there, see the patient on bed, I begin to use my trauma shears to remove all article of clothing they have on for a good physical examination, and from that point on listen for orders because they are usually being yelled e.g. x-ray abdomen and pelvis, CT head, c-spine, maxillofacial etc. I hate missing something because that means I usually have to ask the chief resident who is usually the ones that yell it. He responds without any problem but I am sure he would rather not have to repeat himself. I do whatever else I’m asked to do until we are ready to roll the patient to their side for a digital rectal exam (DRE) and an examination of the vertebral column. At this point, I am wishing to not be called to do the DRE. So far, i haven’t been called but I know my day is coming. Doesn’t seem like the most fun for both the individuals involved. While in the trauma bay, the hardest thing for me is getting the information from the paramedic. Because he walks in and just starts to dictate exactly what happened at the scene, mentions very important details but yet my mind is focused on so many other days I can only catch a bit of it but I hope with time I’ll get better. Thats usually the most fun part of my day, but sometimes when its 2am in the morning and you are ready to sleep that’s the last thing you want. I don’t want to seem like the perfect third year medical student so I’ll share with you some of my shortcomings to let you know that we can all learn from things and to remind you that our fingers are not equal so we can all be great at something. In the last week, I have had a really had time going to the operating room, not because of the guts and blood that I usually come across but the aspect of scrubbing in for a case. I have spoken to some of the operating room nurses about this and they all say it process and it takes time to get it down but I don’t understand why it taking me time. After i have scrubbed and enter the operating room, I always make mistakes i consider to be stupid ones just because I am not thinking of it, e. g let the sleeve of my gown touch something thats not sterile or touch something below the operating table which is a No-No. I am trying honestly, but that’s aspect of surgery really gets to me. I know they are going to have some surgeries tomorrow that I am going to be scrubbing in on. I will make sure I say a big prayer tonight about that so that I will and don’t have to get kicked out of the OR. I know to some it might not be a big deal but promise you it really is to the patients that are been operated and the others in the operating room that we maintain a sterile environment when dealing with a patients insides for lack of a better word. Wish me luck.
Stay Blessed!
