Time for Birth

One of our local resident lizards surfacing from the stump of a tree after the rain.





Hello again, folks. I have returned again with more to say about this and that. Read on if you wish.

Last week, I finished my OB/Gyn rotation. Stop me if you've heard this all before, but I started out with three weeks on the gynecology oncology (GONC) service. I actually enjoyed those three weeks. Though the days started early, some as early as 4AM, it was in effect much like my passed surgery rotation. We basically took care of women either the day before or in the days after a major surgery to decrease tumor burden. These were women who, while they may not have known it, were quite ill. Few will come around eventually with excellent outcomes; others, perhaps most, will not. Some had benign diseases that were more a nuisance than an actual health problem, but others had horribly malignant disease. Our jobs were to treat these ladies surgically. The chemotherapy and/or radiation therapies would be undertaken with another team of physicians. Well, Brad, if it sounds so bleak, then why the hell did you enjoy it? I enjoyed the surgical aspect. Perhaps I didn't mention it before, but I loved the surgery rotation - and this was much like that. Early morning rounds, followed by a day in the OR. I am a man who wishes to gain surgical talent rather than medical - the main reason I want to be an ophthalmologist. Sure those crazy eye guys must be cognizant of medical conditions which afflict the eyes as innocent bystanders, but I can't wait to cut and repair.

The next three weeks were the obstetrics portion of the rotation. The first week was spent in the outpatient OB clinic - the home of prenatal care. More specifically, I worked in the the community women's clinic - the home of prenatal care for Mexicans and others without insurance. I'm not racist, just saying it as it is. I told Rachel that if and when the day comes that she is a Medicaid patient up there, she will be loved. She speaks English, she isn't a morbidly obese patient on whom some poor medical student must perform a pelvic exam, she won't simply be knocked up for the third time before the age of eighteen by God only knows who, and she will actually give a damn about her baby's health (won't you?)! She and her husband will know how to take a shower - and that's another thing, her husband will probably actually be there, rotation permitting. That about sums up that first week. The next week was spent working 5AM to 5PM on the L&D ward delivering babies. I saw four or five c-sections, and three or four vaginal deliveries. One of the c-sections was a set of healthy, screaming, twin boys - it was heart-warming. Seriously. The following week was to be a week of nights on L&D from 5PM to 5AM. Since I was one of the lucky ones scheduled to do nights on the last week of the rotation, and since the clinic/ward duty technically ended Tuesday afternoon at 5, I only had to work one night. That was fun to rub in the face of disgruntled classmates. I also rather enjoyed my time in the hospital - aside from the many stereotypical L&D nurses who seemed to think their way was the only way, and by God, if they didn't have a say in how something in the hospital was to be run, then it was being run wrong. If the mop bucket (of all things) wasn't working to L&D standards, then somebody REALLY screwed every one's life to hell.

In other medical news, I have been on a search. I am making my way through each ophthalmology residency program, one by one, to decide to which ones I will apply. Ideally, I will apply to 20 to 30, but only interview at about ten or less. So far, I have only investigated programs amongst which some I will apply to, but at none will I interview. I have so far looked at programs in MI, WI, IL, NY, NJ, PA, MS, KY, TN, AL, OH, and IN. Know your states? The one exception to the above statement is Tennessee - I will likely interview in Memphis. Of the 45 programs I have searched, I have selected 11 to whom I will apply. I have MANY more programs yet to look at - roughly 70, so no worry.

Also in working towards residency, I have decided to try to publish another paper before applications are due, only this time I will be the primary author. Seems like an impossible time line, but it's not. The Jones Eye Institute at UAMS publishes the Journal of Ophthalmic Medical Technologists. Not exactly a prestigious publication, nor is it written for ophthalmologists as it's for OMT's, but it will do. I am going to write about the process of corneal transplant, from the time of the donor's death to the time of transplant. The technical aspects the actual transplant surgery will not be discussed. So I have some researching and writing to do. Wish me luck!

Soon, I will post a picturesque blog detailing the mass blooming of greenery out here in the woods. I look forward to that, as I am sure you do.