Through the Wormhole

Well I'm back. I survived my time in general surgery purgatory and am now on neurosurgery full time forever and ever. Responsibilities and expectations are rising but that's OK. I'm slowly gaining knowledge and experience necessary to be a good neurosurgeon. Also, I have 7 total years to learn it in (extremely depressing). At least I can have study dates with my current/future kids since we'll still be in school at the same time. Aside from learning how to cut, drill, poke, and suck on your brain/spinal cord, I continue to learn/observe more about the hospital and those in it. I will list a few casual observations that have been driven home lately.

• All residents hate consults and think whoever is calling the consult is an utter and complete moron. 
• Neurosurgery residents: "They're calling us about THAT? There are four total red blood cells running loose on this head CT! AAARRRRGGHHH!"
• Medicine resident: "You're calling me for blood pressure management and anemia workup??? Well sure DOCTOR I guess I better come quick so we can figure this mystery out! (epic sarcasm in tone)"
• General Surgery: "You're calling for abdominal pain and you didn't do a rectal exam? There are only two reasons to not do a rectal!  Either THEY don't have a rectum or YOU don't have a finger!"
• OB/GYN: "SHE'S BLEEDING BECAUSE SHE'S ON HER PERIOD! F@#$ YOU!"
• Good, experienced nurses who have been around for a long time ask you questions in a way and progression in order to get you to do the right thing for the patient while thinking it was all your idea.
• Cool, calm, and smart people are cool and calm because they are smart and have worked hard to get that way.
• Loud, rude, and abrasive people who constantly bust everyone's chops are often that way to cover up their own deficiencies. When two of these folks get into an argument, an epic nitpicking battle ensues while patients suffer.
• 1000 good saves or surgeries never overcome the weight on the heart of one mistake that either comes close to or actually harms someone. And they are never forgotten.
• Whether you are perceived as a "good doctor" or not often has very little to do with one's doctoring.
• There is no way to describe the flood of excitement that washes over every resident when the rounding list gets smaller.

That's it for the word diarrhea for now. In other news, my son loves to be read to now which is cute and all but I have nightmares about "Little Blue Truck Leads the Way" leading me into oncoming traffic. I'm getting jealous of my wife assuming a more senior resident role as she enters the latter half of her residency. She looks/sounds/smells more like a doctor while I am still ever the pager monkey. In any regard, life is good.