Sunday, July 25, 2010

Less than a month to go!!?.....

I recently completed my orthopedics rotation at a very well respected and high profile practice. The doctor that worked with s the team doc for a pro baseball and football team. The problem was that the PA who works there and whom I know was out on vacation for the first week and a half of the rotation. This left me to whims of the surgeon and the fellow he had with him. Unfortunately, the fellow was less than interested in getting me involved and the surgeon was in a perfectionist kind of mood during my rotation. So, the few times I did get in there to hold a leg for an ACL recon or arm for a rotator cuff, I didn't know exactly what to do every minute of the case, leaving the surgeon frustrated. When the PA returned thing improved but the surgeon was still in a pissy kind of mood. So I did my thing and did it as well I could and pushed on. The PA was very apologetic for the disappointing rotation. I learned some stuff along the way, one of them being that surgery of any kind probably isn't for me.

Now I am doing a hospitalist rotation with a group of PAs and NPs in a large county hospital. It has been interesting so far. I've seen HIV, dialysis patients, traumatic brain injury patients, lots of homeless and undocumented residents, and its been fun. I am trying to improve my skills at presenting cases to the attendings. I suck at it, just plain suck.

I graduate in less than a month and am trying to complete my Master's Clinical Residency Project, do well on this last rotation, keep my wife from killing me in my sleep and find a job. I also sprinkle in studying for the PANCE when a spare-spare moment presents itself.