Family Med...done

Yesterday I finished my first core rotation as a Clinical Medical Student. My my doesn't that sound swanky. I enjoyed Family, but the hours were very long. I think I only left before 6pm at most three times. Earlier in the week I had contacted Chicago Hope Hospital's director of clinical education, and we pow wowed for a bit while I was doing my laundry. She set me up with a physician who was looking for a flexible, enthusiastic student to start in the Nursery at Chicago Hope hospital on Monday (ie the day after tomorrow). Annnnd she thought of me. Cool. A bit later I get a telephone call from the doctor asking me if I could come in on Saturday (today) so he could go through the lectures with me ahead of time. I didn't really mind because showing a doctor a little enthusiasm goes a long way--and being in the hospital is what I came here to do after all.

So it came time to leave for the hospital. I checked the bus schedule blah blah blah, and scheduled to leave ten minutes before the bus was due. I live on a very high floor, so I need that time buffer in case a lot of people are using the elevators. I get downstairs, about five minutes early...and there's the bus, two blocks past my stop. SINCE WHEN DO  CTA BUSES LEAVE EARLY!!!!! So...being Saturday the Express buses (best thing ever, I can be downtown in ten minutes from my door) weren't running, so I had to wait for the next Snail Bus. This is why I planned to leave over a half hour earlier than it usually takes me to get to the hospital. Normally if I miss one bus there's another express four to five minutes away, no big deal. But today I had to wait almost fifteen minutes for another bus. Complicating things was Michigan Avenue was a ZOO due to some parade plus it just being Michigan Avenue on Saturday. So...it took forever to get down to the loop. After alighting the bus I was walking down Wabash and could see my train approaching the station from overhead from a block away. Ugggghhhh I'm already running late and if I miss this train I'm going to be REALLY late. Time to run!! So I sprinted a block and a half down Wabash, up two flights of stairs (falling at the top of the second) dashed through the turn style and jumped into the train right before the doors closed. And nobody stared!!! I've seen that happen at least once a day so I'm sure everybody has their times!! Indeed it isn't unusual to see somebody hauling tuchus down the sidewalk to chase a bus.

I make it to the hospital, freaking out because I'm five minutes late, and lo and behold the doctor is twenty minutes late. Redemption!! We then start going over slides and he immediately starts quizzing me about certain things, and I'd say I answered about half of his questions correctly. A lot of the information I had to think about for a minute because it has been awhile since I've seen a lot of it, but he seemed to appreciate that I answered the questions that I did. And if I didn't know...I simply said so. No need trying to bluff, the doctors will know that because they already know the answer they're looking for.

About halfway through we got called into the delivery room to examine a baby that was about to be born. And wow, that was interesting. Everything moves so fast! This doctor flies!! A noted change from the doctor I was with in Family, who was very deliberate. It's going to be a busy few weeks!!