September 7, 2010

• A Return to something less Intense

  I have been MIA for quite a while. Chalk that up to finishing almost 3 months straight of ICU care, with the last two weeks being night float. As a second year resident, every one of my non-ward service calls is as the overnight doc in charge for the ICU.

   

  36 patients, every one of them in critical/intensive conditions, plus whoever is hanging out in the ER, and any issue that comes up, be it for renewal of restraints to sudden desaturation requiring intubation and a breathing machine is dealth with first by me. Later by the fellow, if I call and cant handle it. But the buck initially stops with Dr J. 

  For added fun, I now get to run codes. That means when someone’s heart stops beating, or they stop breathing and a code blue is called, the one doc expected to head up the team and tell everyone what to do, and for how long. Now of course everyone knows their job and it’s not like I have never been at a code before…it’s just a little intimidating to realize that the big decisions are now in my hands.

  On the plus side after a month of ICU, a month of Pulmonary consult (most doctors who run hospital ICUs are pulmonary/critical care specialists) and two weeks straight of nights being on call for the ICU, I feel pretty comfortable handling almost any kind of critically ill patient. I also got some of the hardest months out of the way early on, so I will be well prepared by the time I go to wards service.

  In the meantime, I am kicking back with a little bit of research/hospitalist elective for the next two weeks while I continue to decide about applying for fellowship this year. Start my gastroenterology (GI/digestive system) elective later this month, and should have some more stories to share at that point.

  In the meantime, I guess I can take a step back and say I have continued to grow as a physician. So hey, good for me!

   

  -Dr J

  • 9:08 pm
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