All done!

Hooray! I finally finished my eight week rotation at Schneider Children's Hospital!
Passed with flying colors. I'll miss all the help and fun I had with the staff there and all the babies. I found that little babies are so cute to easy to handle. I mean they're totally easier than dealing with a stinky old person...
Thanks to all the staff at SCH: Christina, Melissa, Tracy, Jaime, and all the nurses, social workers, case managers, and doctors who made it so educational and entertaining. A special thanks goes out to all the patients who allowed me to pretend I knew what I was doing and actually trust me to treat them. (jokes on you!) LOL.
Now it's all back to the daily grind. Back to the urban slum. Back to doing more research and reading peer-reviewed scientific articles for various classes, all in the name to learn more about "evidence-based practice". I mean, can't we just tell people that something works and not really have to prove it? Take it from me, once you establish a position of authority, people will believe anything you say...

Now, back to work.

TWO MORE DAYS LEFT.

Well, two more days and I'm done my affiliation at my suburban children's hospital and next week I'm back at the urban jungle of my real job, the major metropolitan hospital...
So the story goes. It's been a blast playing with all the babies there, especially the really, really tiny ones in the NICU. Another notch in my belt.

But onto more important stuff...
I've been rockin out with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Can I just tell you how friggin' awesome this game is?!?! I mean, the graphics are totally sweet and the game rocks. No wonder it got rated a perfect 10/10! Seriously, if you have a PS3, THIS IS THE GAME TO GET!

Three weeks done, five more to go!

So, I'm done three weeks of my clinical affiliation and moving onto the all-important fourth week (time for midterm evaluations). And I feel like I'm always doing research and reading research articles and writing stuff down. Sure, I'm learning alot, but it's alot of work. I'm looking into the connection of Shone's complex, failure to thrive, and developmental delay. Any thoughts?
This is in addition to the weekly critical article analyses... So it's alot.
But the other times, it's a walk in the park compared to my other job, which I'll be saying hello again to in five weeks.

Second week done, six more to go!

Friday. The close of another week on the pediatrics affiliation. Had a couple other conferences and rounds with the MDs, talked about private practice issues, differential diagnoses, wheelchair and equipment issues; surprisingly, those docs turned out to be a bunch of friendly and informative groups of fellows.
Phrase of the week: OCCAM'S RAZOR. (look it up)
Started taking a lead role in patient treatment planning this week, jumping out of the nest, cutting that cord... whatever analogy you wish to insert here. Sometimes I feel like a dog on a leash. I feel like I know what to do, but I'm just waiting to be let loose on the floors. Other times, I feel lost in all the issues of treatment and planning and rationalization, that I get overwhelmed, but my instructor is great and gives me a hint whenever I feel shaky.
Had a couple deaths this past week. Natural process, especially on the oncology floor. Trick is to stay upbeat for the rest of the staff and patients, stay objective, don't get attached.
I think that's the lesson of the week.

First week down, seven more to go.

First week done for the pediatrics clinical, and the staff decides to have a pizza party.
I see two patients today, that's TWO patients all day and they have a pizza party in celebration of the students' (there's a second student with me) first week.
A bit strange for me, since I'm coming from the bowels of a major metropolitan public hospital to the warm embrace of a suburban children's hospital with an all female staff.
So I guess they run things a bit differently than my old joint. I've got alot to get used to.

But seriously, got to spend more time with the NICU kids, and got hold a preemie today.

I'm moving on...

Three more days left, and I'm going to be moving on.
The semester is over, my final exam done, and next week I'll be starting a clinical rotation at Schneiders Children's Hospital. It will be a big transition for me, going from the big bustle of the city out to the suburbs of Long Island.
It'll change my commute, too. No longer am I able to hop on a bus and head down 2nd Avenue to work, I'll have to drive out to the 'burbs and do the reverse commute. I'll keep you posted...