Don't fall asleep during the Sarah Connor Chronicles

For the benefit of Teresa and her son, here's a description of a day in the life. This may not be all medstudents on the surgical rotation, but at the moment it's what I'm doing.

I wake up around 4AM, put on scrubs (usually, but on clinic day you dress nice), and go to work. I spend about an hour going over labs, checking vitals from overnight, in and outs as they say, and visiting with patients to ask them how their night was as well as performing a brief physical exam. I then round with my team for about half an hour, and for the patients I track, I try to present them to the residents without making a total hash of it. A historical note, several medical terms come from Johns Hopkins, including "rounding" and "residents". Rounds came from the fact that their hospital was circular, so you literally did a round of each floor when you visited each patient. Resident came from the fact that the doctors-in-training were worked so hard they lived in the hospital during this period. Hooray for the new hours rules.

6AM - morning report, a hand-off from the night shift of the cases from the last evening. Usually a great learning experience as the residents' presentation is an opportunity to see how experienced docs present cases, patient histories, and make diagnoses.

7AM - class, a clinician visits the medstudents and gives us a lecture on something they know a lot about. This is often my favorite part of the day since the professor teaching is usually describing their job, and since they tend to love their jobs, they love teaching us about their jobs. Also you can eat breakfast.

8AM - unless it's a clinic day, you head to the OR for cases. You observe, help in any way you can, and see what surgery is all about.

3-7PM - usually I've been out by 7 at the latest, but it's hard at first staying on your feet for so long. After about 10 days you're acclimated though and don't mind anymore. You find your team, see your patients again, prepare for the next day's cases and then usually go home unless you're on call. Any time you have to spare you read.

You can try to study when you get home but more often then not I just fall asleep immediately. I tried watching the Sarah Connor Chronicles this week. It was an error. I fell asleep during the first 15 minutes then had nightmares all night that I would never amount to anything because no one has bothered to send a robot back in time to kill me. How's that for low self esteem?

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Dude, your schedule is light.

Back when I was a medical student, I was on the vascular surgery service. It was generally 5:30 AM to at least 9 PM, sometimes to midnight, baby! That's not counting every fourth night call. (They went easy on the medical students; the residents did every other night call.)

Sorry, the old fart in me couldn't resist.

You fell asleep?

SUMMERRRRRRRR!!!!

By Johnny Vector (not verified) on 28 Jan 2008 #permalink

Thanks Mark! Yes, we're still reading! Maybe you could work in a little bit about the importance of getting high marks in math? ;-)

Seriously, thanks a lot. It's good for him to know these things.

It could be worse. Pity the poor robot who was sent back in time, and discover they have me to take out. "I went through all that - for him?".

I never realised robots could cry. Luckily they sent a crack team of psychiatrist robots back in time to collect him.

Bob

I can see the NYT headlines now:

Surgeons just stand around listening to themselves talk all day: Blogging Medical Student.

Good post, I enjoyed it.

By multipath (not verified) on 28 Jan 2008 #permalink

Rounds came from the fact that their hospital was circular, so you literally did a round of each floor when you visited each patient. Resident came from the fact that the doctors-in-training were worked so hard they lived in the hospital during this period. Hooray for the new hours rules.

Thanks for the historical info! Now I will understand better what is going on while watching Scrubs! LOL!
Dave Briggs :~)

I like your honest take on medical life very much. I'm a woman with insight based on my former Health Information Management career ("please document patient care thoroughly and sign off here, doctor..."). Facing medical realities on both sides of the hospital bill is courageous and necessary. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

My blog and my book promote concepts that let patients help themselves.

Please visit http://itsmycrisisandillcryifineedto.blogspot.com

And do let me know when you plan to post Patient Empowerment content so I can alert my readers to visit your blog.

Best, Yocheved Golani

Your day sounds like an episode of Scrubs. And your dream sounds like one of JD's fantasies.

Coincidence, or something more?