PA school - All done, time to get to work

[68 BENGAL R/T]

Looks like there's light at the end of this Didactic Tunnel you've been in for the past year.
Great to hear your semester has been going well - Good Luck to a strong finish of your first year.
My daughter is attending her PA Orientation meeting today for the Wayne State Program.
It will be interesting hearing what she will be facing for the next 2 years.
Her journey begins the first week in May.
I'll keep checking in on your progress.
Again - keep up the good work and good luck Dino!

[Dino]

Thanks Chris!   

I was one answer short of passing an exam on Friday so there goes that streak!   

Oh well, almost done.   

Tell your daughter not to be too intimidated and that everything will be fine. If she needs any advice I'll be happy to help.   

[Chad L. Magee]

I feel like a zombie minus the taste for brains.

You know, I can fix that for you.  Just watch out for the "abbie normal" ones....


Keep up the good work...

[Dino]

I feel like a zombie minus the taste for brains.

You know, I can fix that for you.  Just watch out for the "abbie normal" ones....


Keep up the good work...

  Thanks Froderick! Just don't send Igor out to retrieve the package and everything will be fine.   

[Dino]

This was my last "normal" Monday! Only 3 more days left this week and then our regular class time is over and done with. Next week is all finals and one more clin med case review before its final exam. Regardless how it goes, it will be over with. Didactic year is coming to a close and it's been one hell of a ride.

3 days of classes, 1 week of finals, 1-1/2 week off, 3 weeks of boot camp and then out into the real world!

[Dans 68]

Fantastic!   

Dan

[bakerhillpins]

 

Good luck Dino! Sounds like you are in the last 1000 yards of the marathon. Keep it goin! 

[68 BENGAL R/T]

Hey Dino,
Haven't seen an update on this topic in a while - how's your clinical studies going? 
My daughter just finished her second week of classes in her first semester of PA classes at Wayne State and
she seems to be OK - although she does seem to be coming more zombie like each day???

[Dino]

I am very happy to say that my didactic year is over, as is my 3 week boot camp. The latter was actually quite relaxing. Only 4 exams in 3 weeks, what luxury!   

My first clinical rotation starts Tuesday; I'm going to a family practice office in Brighton that is part of IHA. Of course, that's a rotation where I will see just about every disease under the sun a person can get! I'm nervous but I look forward to it, and I'm damn glad the first year is over and done with!

The first few weeks are always light, and then before you know it you realize you're 5 weeks behind when you've only been in the program for 3.   
She'll be alright, if I can do this then anyone can. I was an auto body man not that long ago.   

[b5blue]

Go Go Dino! 

[PlainfieldCharger]

  YOU CAN DO IT!! 

[Dino]

Just finished my 3rd week of rotation. Got tomorrow off and only 4 days next week. It's been a really nice experience. After shadowing this doc with exactly one patient he looked at me and said "looks like you know what you're doing so go see the next patient and let me know what his complaint is, what you think the cause is, and how you would test for it and/or treat it."

Seriously, I thought I was gonna die!   

So after doing this with 121 patients, I think I'm getting the hang of this family practice stuff.   

Way cool things happened though. I was talking to an older gentleman who was there for a simple annual checkup. Something didn't sit right with me though so I kept asking him questions. Finally I got it out of him that he got a dull pain between his shoulder blades when he exerts himself. We slapped an EKG on him and found he had an impending MI. We took him to the ER across the road and he got the treatment he needed. Damn dude!

Then a week later I'm talking to this other guy who hadn't eaten in a few days and had belly pain. So I check him out and fter doing some special tests I'm convinced his gallbladder is done for so we send him off as well and bam, emergency surgery for an infected gallbladder! 

Moral of the story? If something really hurts or the pain is really weird especially when you are exerting yourself? SKIP YOUR FAMILY DOCTOR AND GO STRAIGHT TO THE ER!

Just wanna make sure you guys get that! There were lots more cases that should've gone at least to an urgent care, but these two stood out.

Not a lot of opportunity to do procedures in an office like this but I did freeze a few actinic keratoses on the scalp and face with liquid nitrogen. It was kinda like handling an airbrush, pretty neat. Gotta be real careful with that stuff though. I had to get really close to the guy's eye so a steady hand is recommended.   

After next week I'm doing a pediatric rotation: 2 weeks outpatient followed by 2 weeks inpatient at a major hospital. I better go buy some fun ties for the kiddos. I think I'll look good with a Kermit the frog tie.   

[Dans 68]

If something really hurts or the pain is really weird especially when you are exerting yourself? SKIP YOUR FAMILY DOCTOR AND GO STRAIGHT TO THE ER!

Exactly what my GP says. Sounds like you are doing well. Big time kudos to you. 

Dan

[bakerhillpins]

Dino. I am thoroughly impressed with your drive to better yourself and your position! It's something that should be used as a model for many of our younger generation.   I've had the pleasure of watching coworker's daughter go from s**tty hourly retail work to becoming a Pharmacy Tech and now is continuing schooling to step ahead again. It's great to witness.

Congratulations and so happy to see you happy in your new career and helping people.

If something really hurts or the pain is really weird especially when you are exerting yourself? SKIP YOUR FAMILY DOCTOR AND GO STRAIGHT TO THE ER!

Exactly what my GP says. Sounds like you are doing well. Big time kudos to you.  

Dan

One thing to keep in mind, to many people a trip to the doctor comes out of their (in many cases limited) monthly budget. Many of the "insured" folks only get coverage for the yearly and any other trips are $$. They have difficult choices to make and typically error on the side of not "risking" a hit to their finances. It's a depressing side effect of our medical system.

[Q5XX29]

Great job, Dino! Sounds like you found your calling. Keep up the good work!

[PlainfieldCharger]

   Your in the groove...keep it going.....

[Dino]

The lack or limitations of insurance are a nightmare. We can come up with the ideal treatment for a patient, but if he or she can't afford it then what's the point? Lotsa magic tricks needed in healthcare!

My family medicine rotation went great, even did some after hour urgent care stuff which was cool. End of rotation exam and assignment went great as well so chapter 1 was closed with success. 8 more to go!

I'm in my first week of an outpatient pediatric rotation now; it's fun to be with the kids but I'm bored much of the time and there's a lot of parents I would like to smack some sense into! So I'll probably not end up in peds.   

After next week I'll spend 2 weeks in inpatient peds. Not looking forward to it as these kids are usually very sick. We'll see how it goes.

Still not a lot of free time to play with the Charger though. I have to accept that it may be years before it sees the road again and that's a bit depressing, but I have to focus on school first.

[Dans 68]

Still not a lot of free time to play with the Charger though. I have to accept that it may be years before it sees the road again and that's a bit depressing, but I have to focus on school first.

Maturity and focus are the keys to success. You obviously have both in abundance. You bring a smile to my face with every update...keep it up! 

Dan

[Dino]

Thanks Dan!   

Second day doing inpatient peds and it's way more quiet than I thought it would be. Luckily I haven't seen any deathly ill kids but I was present to witness my first (and hopefully last) circumcision! Damn that was nasty. I'm gonna have ED for a while after this one!   

I sat next to the kid and fed him drops of sugar water to keep them happy (as if that's an option when someone's cutting down there). When the doc said sugar water, all I could think of was Edgar from MIB.   

[Dino]

Ok interesting couple of days. Nothing to exciting yesterday until about 2:30. I have a hospital phone that my attending can reach me on. Stat call to C3, which turned out to be a c-section room, for delivery of twins. Now I'm just a student, I'm supposed to stay out of the way, but when I'm called I'm expected to go as long as I'm not busy doing something else. That said, I never was all that good at being furniture so if I can make myself useful I will. I ended up helping the nurses get the babies ready to see mom, which was super cool. I also supported dad for a minute, he got a bit emotional. Understandable. 

Not long after leaving the OR, we got a call that one of the twins wasn't breathing well. Glucose was a balmy 31 (that's really low) and hypoglycemia in these newborns can definitely make breathing labored. So we took him to the nicu where I stayed with him, helping the nurses hook him up to the monitors and just offer a helping hand with the million things they needed to do. I'm happy to report he's doing much better today!

Ended up doing about 9 newborn exams today, I'm getting good with these little munchkins!

One more week and this rotation is over, but after that I'll be spending 4 weeks in OB/GYN, which happens to be in the same location as my current rotation! Lots of long hours though, and lots of night shifts. Oh well, gotta do whatcha gotta do!

Tell you what: I enjoyed working on cars for a living, but this is a whole new ballgame! I wish I had done this sooner, but I'm glad I'm in medicine now.

[PlainfieldCharger]

  Nothing like going somewhere everyday that has a level of gratification to it, and they pay you to do it....

[Chad L. Magee]

Dino - I figured you would like it when you got to the real life application part of the job.   Good luck on the rotations....

[Dino]

Thanks guys. I started my ob/gyn rotation this week. I'm working 5pm to 7am but just this week. I just finished assisting my second c-section in 2 days. Pretty cool! Only about 8 more hours and I can go home.   

[b5blue]

Look at you now! I knew you could do this. 

[lukedukem]

Thanks Dan!   

Second day doing inpatient peds and it's way more quiet than I thought it would be. Luckily I haven't seen any deathly ill kids but I was present to witness my first (and hopefully last) circumcision! Damn that was nasty. I'm gonna have ED for a while after this one!   

I sat next to the kid and fed him drops of sugar water to keep them happy (as if that's an option when someone's cutting down there). When the doc said sugar water, all I could think of was Edgar from MIB.   

I have to ask you about this, are the parents in the room during the circumcision? what age do they do this? is how soon after they are born?
i am trying to have a son and was wondering.

Luke