i’m impressed

Speaking of granulomas, this girl’s med school essay has already been written for her: Teen Diagnoses Her Own Disease in Science Class (CNN).
“It’s weird I had to solve my own medical problem,” Terry told CNN affiliate KOMO in Seattle, Washington. “There were just no answers anywhere. … I was always sick.”
Yes, it’s weird you had [...]

aviator sunglasses and leather jackets

“I want her brains and I want her charm.  Her husband, however, I could do without.” I’ll let you come to your own conclusions but I’m going to have to agree with my Aunt.  Hillary Clinton is an impressive and accomplished woman.  We were all (the Secretary of State included) at the United Nations this morning [...]

finals

Well, it’s officially exam week– I just accidentally washed my face with toothpaste.

update

No need to worry, I’m alive and well.  Med school is still a kick in the pants and as you will see, I’ve spent the last month and a half being incredibly busy:

This semester I’m doing outpatient work. Last week the doctor I usually follow, we’ll call him Dr. Z, was out.  We worked out [...]

mad hatter

“A 54 y.o. M who works in a dry cleaner presented to the hostpial three days ago with fever and shaking chills of one day’s duration.  He notes a history of nocturia, heistancy, and poor stream for the past three months.”  Blah blah blah, it turns out this guy has pyelonephritis, obstructive uropathy secondary to [...]

sex week in a nutshell

It’s hard to keep up.  Every time I sit down to write something, the evil med student part of my brain takes over. “Path! Pharm! Oh my god, the kidney has focal segmental glomerulosclerosis! You don’t even know what that is!”
So anyway, you want to hear about Sex Week.
A few days after Sex Week I [...]

quiz

Yesterday, in our small groups, my professor asked, “What are the only two reasons for not giving a rectal exam during a full physical?“
Everyone racked their brains trying to think of medical reasons, “Rectal bleeding? Infection? Cancer?”
And then I remembered something someone once told me.
Somewhat timidly I offered, “If your patient doesn’t have… a…. hole?”
RIGHT! [...]

off-site

Last Thursday at my off-site hospital, I started off on the right foot. I got there early, and remembered to bring all my toys.
I sat down with the attending/preceptor to go over the H&P I turned in last week, and that’s when things started to take a turn for the worse. My classmate [...]

pink stethoscope

I just made my mother, who came home from the hospital today, put a pink stethoscope around her neck and pretend to be an attending. Poor woman. Just home from surgery, practically bed-ridden, and I’m already harassing her.
BUT I had to practice the oral presentation I have to give tomorrow afternoon.
Tomorrow morning I [...]

first years

I love having the first years around. The way I see it is that seeing a first year is sort of like seeing someone trip while walking down the hallway. Or down the stairs of the lecture hall*. You start laughing because let’s be honest, it’s hilarious to see someone trip (unless, of [...]