Let's Not Make Things Difficult

Here's something you should now. If you are not feeling well, and someone happens to be examining you, please let them know when you are about to vomit.

A patient today in the ED gave me only just enough notice to this regard. And remember, as an eye doctor, I tend to examine you sitting very close, face to face with only inches separating us sometimes.

Now don't worry, I did not get spewed on today. But it was close. Close enough that I got to watch it happen, which is also not a pleasantry for me. Nor is the after effect on the breath when I have yet to finish the exam.

There Must be a Name for It

There have been many books published over time written by doctors who also happened to have a knack for writing. They have often come up with their own set of rules, sayings, constants, etc. pertaining to their experiences.

Here is one such constant. It's 4 o' clock, maybe 4:30, and in through the clinic door walks this patient as an add on/urgent care. Inevitably, the problem(s) plaguing this person is (are) not simple. Multiple people have to get involved, special tests need to be ran, and suddenly no one else is available to help.

If you've read any of the above mentioned literary pieces, perhaps you can tell me what this phenomenon has been named. If no name has been chosen, I am also open to any suggestions.

I Might Have a Chance

The Ozark Mountains - if only I could just study there.

It's funny this OKAP thing. It used to be the day would come and go. Some people studied hard for the test, some not at all. And if one did poorly on it, he or she maybe got a talking to, perhaps a gentle slap on the hand, and was told to do better next time. But then this phenomenon called "Faculty Retreat" would come around in the mid- to late-summer months, and certain faculty members would sit around and discuss how lazy or ill-prepared the residents were. Some of the most outspoken faculty members are minimally (if at all) involved with our training/education - but again, that's another discussion all together.  All the while, residents are present at the retreat but with little chance to voice a rebuttle.

So now the stakes are higher. If one does poorly, he or she must do some sort of remediation. Well no one wants to see any of us have to remediate; or at least no one wants to have to take time out of their schedule to remediate us. So now we spend a lot of time having review sessions leading up to the test (hey, anything to get out of grand rounds!).

What it has become, though, is somewhat of a pissing contest. Each facutly who is largely responsible for a particular topic, say cornea or optics or whatever, wants the residents to do the best on that section. I think there have been more review sessions this year than in past years. With all of them to attend, I might have a chance to average out okay in the end.

I need to do well. Firstly, to rub it in the faces of the above mentioned facutly. (Don't get me wrong, I like 99% of the faculty, but there are always those couple. . .) Secondly, wanting to go into oculoplastics, I need to do well. No, wait. I need to do fucking awesome.

Not Sure if I Could Do It

My day of work is done. I have gone for my jog and eaten dinner. The little one has gotten her story and has been tucked in for the night. So now it's time to sit down and study for that OKAP. I've mentioned it before, and you best be prepared to hear it mentioned in the future.

If you know me at all, you know I'm interested in oculoplastics. This would entail a two-year fellowship after the completion of residency. How that whole process works is an entirely different discussion. Suffice it to say, I have to be prepared with a backup plan. I've always thought that if the oculoplastics thing didn't work out, I would seriously consider doing a cornea fellowship. I have experience with the tissue bank and I think I would enjoy being a corneal surgeon.

Which brings me to the point. I'm focusing this week on cornea and anterior segment diseases in studying for the OKAP. And then I sit back and wonder, having to learn all this stuff, could I really become a competent corneal specialist?

I just don't know.

What's With This Test?

With lots of things to discuss, let me just start today with that which is most pressing - the OKAP. This is supposed to be an "assessment tool" in regards to our current progress with learning the required material.

All of this material, that is. The desk where I make my best attempts at studying.

This all occurs on April 16th - a Saturday. Two hundred questions about things I may have learned. Or not. This of course to be followed by a [drunken] post-OKAP celebration.

Who cares? After all, the Academy states that this test is an assessment tool for resident progress only, and should not be used in the evaluation of fellowship candidates (very nearly their exact words). The fact is, fellowships ask questions - lots of them. They're going to want to know if I bombed the plastics section of the test.

So back to it.

Although, I do need an oil change and a haircut. Hmmm. . .

The Return

After a nineteen-month (or so) hiatus from this, and after much forethought, I have decided to revive this blog. I mean, things have changed immensely since then. At the writing of the last entry, I was barely starting my dreaded intern year. Now, I am nearly finished with my first year of ophthalmology.

Things are different now. My goals are the same, but their immediacy and importance have changed. Mia, who was then a small baby, is now a dominating toddler. Rachel is far more advanced and engrossed in her blogging hobby than she was then - which I think is pretty cool. I have since remodeled (nearly) our master bathroom and kitchen.

My goals with this blog are also different. I intend to write more frequently (duh), but perhaps with more actual focus on my career. There are many things to discuss; some things are very behind-the-scenes and others not so much. The fellowship deal is just around the corner, and I know within a few blinks of an eye, residency will be over. Why not comment on its progression in the meantime?

Hey, it's better than playing computer games all the time as an excuse to take "breaks." And aren't the changes pretty cool? I thought so.