Ready, Set, You're Late

One of thirteen blocks for intern year complete.

Thank goodness.

In summary this is what the last month was like. I was given five brief lectures by five different individuals only three of which clearly pertained to my upcoming medical career and only one of which was delivered by anyone with a clear command of the English language (and it wasn't for one of the pertinent lectures.) I was then dressed up in costume, asked to spin around with my head on a baseball bat for two minutes, and subsequently thrown into a task I had spent many years hearing about but not actually pretended to practice to any great extent for over half of a year. They then kept me awake for 30 hours straight and upon my discharge told me I was doing it all wrong.

Ok, so there's some hyperbole there, but I will say overall life has not be pleasant. Of course this was to be expected. It is not intended to be pleasant. And so I keep telling myself this. Thankfully the disorientation and periodic despair are resolving as things settle and become routine. The military did -- in my own opinion and in the collective opinion of the intern class -- a poor job preparing us for the practical aspects of our work in the military setting, and I did a poor job of preparing myself during the fourth year of medical school for the practical aspects of caring for patients. So there's been some catch up. Now, however, the main problems are, and will likely remain, ignorance and inefficiency. It seems I do not know much and what I do know I do slowly. But, as stated before, this is to be expected. Hopefully at some point I will find a way to resolve them. Currently I am thinking more caffeine and perhaps some methamphetamine.

Medicine wards at Brooks Army Medical Center (BAMC) was, with rare exceptions, not fun. Overall I had a good team of resident, attending, and medical students, but I will not miss any of them. Much like Commissioned Officer Training was a hectic, unpleasant, but ultimately educational (sort of) experience, the last month has been a kick in the pants and a kick in the balls, but kicks that were both probably needed. Now it's ambulatory month so four weeks of two day weekends! Few things elicit a smile as much as the idea of a two day weekend does. Either this is an indication that I have found satisfaction in the simple things in life or I currently have only simple things in life to provide satisfaction.

Anyways, life goes on. Good times are still occasionally had. The Olympics are coming up. I am relatively content.

USA! USA! USA!