The ER, NY, THE END

Hello internet.  Somehow, I’ve got four weeks left of medical school. Four weeks baby, four weeks**! (As the great Monica Geller once said). I can’t believe it. Honestly, I cannot believe that these past four years are coming to an end. It simultaneously feels like it took somewhere between 30-40 years and went by in the blink of an eye. It still amazes me that I can answer questions my family throws at me and more than that, being confident in my answers. I’m not saying I don’t do something stupid or forget to ask a patient with abdominal pain if they’re throwing up equally as often but it’s nice that the confidence is catching up to the “ummmmmmmm”s and blank stares. 

I’m currently writing to you from poolside at my Uncle David and aunt Maria’s lovely house in the Hamptons after a two week ER... immersion here in NY. It’s been an experience. From accidentally booking a basement with no AC in August to intubating a patient after they swallowed all of their teeth, there wasn’t a single dull moment. 

One of my most notable patients was a mid 30s gentleman who “slipped while holding a knife” and somehow gauged a giant laceration from ear to ear. You know, as one does. The police were skeptical about his story but, what are you gonna do? Arrest the girlfriend with blood on her hands? While that might have been the logical course of action, the police decided it wasn’t worth it and voila I stitched up a man’s neck for two hours. (Ok I helped the surgical resident but I got to do SOME). 

I think that story really encapsulates life in the ER, it’s never what you expect and SOMEONE needs stitches. (If you can’t find anyone, check yourself for wounds). 

One facet of this rotation that was difficult to swallow was treating patients with colds, toothaches, sore throats, etc because they have no other access to a doctor. It’s really frustrating the third time you seem a “toothache” pop up on the computer but I think it’s an important commentary on our health care system and we need to remember that they’re there because they have no other choice not because they want to be a nuisance. Insert healthcare reform line here. 

NOW! Back to the gore. My favorite patient was because of her family - to be fair she had a broken femur so probably not at her MOST charismatic. The patient was young, way too young for a femur fracture, so we ordered some pathology studies and wham - cancer. It was really hard to see such a young patient and know what they were about to go through. However, unlike a lot of patients she had the whole family around her for support. That really made me realize how important it is to me to match somewhere with family. No one else is going to bring you a slurpie and hold your hand to help you get through that kind of news. 

Back to the cheerful! We’re about three weeks later from when I started this post (my bad) and

I’m back in Miami and officially applied to residency. It’s TERRIFYING. I check my email so often I might as well leave it open and FORGET about going somewhere I can’t check or don’t have service. Nuh-uh. Because, you see, as residencies send out interview requests they send them to let’s say 50 students but only offer 10 spots. So it’s stressful. And it’s why I’m writing this on my phone while I sit in front of me email. (Yeah, even on a Saturday!). It’s so exciting though. I can’t wait to see where I’ll be in the next year. 

*hey HIPAA, listen up, I changed my patients ages and genders (but not ALL the genders because then we’d all know they were just opposite and C’mon) so they’re all fake please don’t arrest me. 

**its ONE week now. ONE!!!