Monday:

AM Lecture, AM Office, PM Lecture, PM Office…. All in all saw around 13 patients on my own and probably another 3o with the Attending I was following that day.  Pretty normal stuff at this point and time.

Tuesday:

AM Surgery… Things started looking a little better when the physician actually let me step up to the patients side and cut some sutures and hold back tissue.  PM was spent covering labor and delivery…  Very slow day until around 5 when we performed an emergency C/S which I was also able to assist some with suture cutting and tissue holding.

Wednesday:

AM office… Another day comparable to Monday only I was handed a Doppler and asked to find fetal heart tones on the patients.  PM off

Thursday:

AM office.  Got to see a new form of sterilization called Essurre.  Definitely, a very impressive procedure that shows medicine is definitely still in advancement even for rudimentary procedures.  Whole process took about 30 minutes and was done with little sedation.  If you’re interested you can look up the procedure on Youtube.

PM Labor and Delivery.  Yes, the big day finally came.  At 12:55 I delivered my first baby.  Very interesting event.  I got such an adrenaline rush I was still shaking about an hour or so after.

Anyway.. Time to hit the books…

C Section – 4
Normal – 3
Total – 7

AM Rounds:

So today was actually the first day I was able to make rounds with my Attendings since a majority of the week I’m involved in mandatory meeting that are apparently an integral part of my learning experience at the hub site, even though the first meeting I attended was about how to code and how to use electronic medical records.  Huge waste of time for a third year student that will not be working with insurance coding anytime soon (*keeping fingers crossed).  It’s essentially a huge mess of arbitrary numbers that are a essentially a mystery to me of their origin and purpose in life other than making a physicians job that much harder and tedious.  Anyway rounds were interesting, its very odd to see a patient doing so well after the traumatic experience know as birth.  Of the three babies delivered on Tuesday two are still without a name and are referred to as it or he/she.  Also, even with the little contact I’ve had with these patients, it was a terrible experience to learn that one of the babies tested positive for narcotics.  Obviously, the little guy has a short road through detox before he can get back to being a normal newborn, if thats even possible with the possible situation that awaits him at home given his drug screen.

AM Office:

So the Attendings apparently thought that I had seen enough OB patients with them to actually turn me loose on a few patients today (a few meaning around 30).  Of course, they crossed my T’s and dotted my I’s to cover both my patients and themselves, but it was a very rewarding experience.  To all of those who may eventually read this that are drowning in the sea of endless knowledge to be consumed during the didactic years of medical school, there is hope and a light at the end of the tunnel.

The day eventually slowed as we made it to the PM hours of office work and around 3 I was off to labor and delivery to witness another delivery.  The whole process is still an amazing event, and it is especially gratifying to see the faces of the new parents.

More later…

Day 1:

Early morning meeting at the hospital with the DME before heading off to the office of my preceptors.  Arrived at preceptors office around 9 AM and began the work day.  30 patients later, lunch break.  30 patients after that I was allowed to go home and prepare for the next day, AM Surgeries and PM covering labor and delivery.

Day 2:

5:30 AM came around a lot quicker than I expected.  Quick shower and then out the door for the short drive to the hospital.  Jammed out to some Eric Clapton unplugged before the shuttle arrived at my bus stop in the hospital’s employee parking lot.

Elevator to surgery ward where I waited for my physicians.  Thought never crossed my mind to inform the head nurse in OR 3 that I would be scrubbing in.  After the 6 minute scrub, I proceeded to experience my first good tongue lashing since I started medical school.  (note to self: always tell the head nurse of the room that you’ll be scrubbing in)  After a nice 2 hour abdominal hysterectomy, up to pediatrics for a circ.  Back down to surgery for a lap bilat salpingo.  3 hours later I arrived at the Labor and Delivery ward where I began call.  5 hours and 2 babies later I was home free or so I thought.  After dinner the phone rang and back to the hospital I went for baby number 3.

Day 3:

AM lecture followed by rounds.  Off to the office for some patients.  Off till 5 when I’m on call again.

That about covers it for now, but just a quick note about this whole process.  Essentially this is my first rotation, and more importantly it’s the first week, so I’m pretty much on the shadowing side of work now.  Learning all the bells and whistles.  Preceptor said he expects me to be assisting starting next week and to deliver my first baby by the third.

Of course, some of you may remember my brief attempt at blogging over a year ago when I decided I would discuss current medical issues (socializing American medicine *cough cough*) as they arose and post my opinion of such matters.  That, unfortunately, was a failed effort due to the lack of time and growing course work.  So it seems a more laid back approach to blogging may suit my circumstances a little better.

Enough with the brief introduction, its time for me to set off into this new experience and finally have some personal contact with patients.

Obstetrics and Gynecology begin August 3rd, 2009.