Out-of-body experiences of a medical resident
Signout is hospital slang for the transfer of information between patient care teams. It is also the name of this blog, which represents one of the less dysfunctional ways in which Dr. Signout copes with her participation in a U.S. medical residency program.
Email me: signoutblog@hotmail.com
Grand Rounds schedule
Change of Shift schedule
May 12, 2008
Category: Pediatrics • Whoopsie
"What I want you to do," I said, "is breathe in deep, then blow it all out like you're blowing out birthday candles."
He focused his eyes in concentration and blinked a few times, then did as I'd said, aiming for the finger I held in front of him.
I listened to his back with my stethoscope. "Again," I said. "Again. Again. Good job! Again."
Posted by Signout at 9:32 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 5, 2008
Category: Internal Medicine
A few months ago, a new patient walked into my clinic at four o'clock on a Friday afternoon. She was a fiftyish woman who had recently moved to the area from a different state. On the plane ride up, she had developed a fever and cough, and the day after arrival, had been admitted to the hospital with a huge, cavitating pneumonia. She was seeing me in follow up to her hospital stay.
Posted by Signout at 9:10 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 26, 2008
Category: Media
Hey, look! A new book about residency. Man, my thing is so five minutes ago.
Posted by Signout at 11:25 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 23, 2008
Category: Pediatrics • Whoopsie
It's been a while.
I've been in a demoralizing, soul-sucking stretch of rotations for about two months. Suddenly, sleep has become more of a priority than ever before, and documenting the details of my crappy life seems less important and ultimately, less useful than ever. Still, you people seem to want to taste of every plateful of shit that's placed in front of me.
Posted by Signout at 3:52 PM • 13 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 30, 2008
Category: Emergency Department
Friday, Thursday, Sunday--when you're working the night shift, they're all just words. Days run into other days and their names become meaningless, signifiers only of times when the mail comes and when it doesn't.
I don't mind working nights for a couple of weeks at a time. There's a kind of camaraderie among the members of the night shift, a smirk we share when we catch each others' eyes in the elevator and the coffee line. We all know that what we are doing is not normal, and in some way prevents us from being completely normal. And, we say with that smirk, it's cool.
Posted by Signout at 9:08 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 23, 2008
Category: Navel-gazing
Most of my memories of Charles are upside down. When I was a kid, that's how he carried me around--on his back, giggling; under his arm, waving at his knees; or thrown over his shoulder, poking at his armpit. I remember him as big, gentle, and quiet, with his mouth where his eyes should've been.
Posted by Signout at 7:40 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 10, 2008
Category: Miscellany
You guys remember that DonorsChoose campaign in which Signout participated last October? Well. A project called "The Pencil Monster" was funded exclusively through donations obtained via this very blog. And because it was a great project, it got televised.
Posted by Signout at 2:28 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 8, 2008
Category: Pediatrics
I switched on the boob tube the other day while folding laundry and somehow ended up watching children's television. (What? It happens.)
Posted by Signout at 9:31 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 7, 2008
Category: Miscellany
In response to a few kind inquiries, several gentle nudges, and an overwhelming quantity of porn-related comment spam, I'm posting again.
Posted by Signout at 12:45 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
