There is no better high for a medical student than being able to correctly answer a question asked of you by an attending. Today I had the correct reply to "What is that white , cream-cheesy stuff that covers the baby when they come out...?" "Vernix," I replied with confidence and a spring in my step. A small thing, I know. But it does not take much these days. I know some stuff but I am continually disappointed by the periodic realization of how complex patients can be and my baby steps toward being able to handle and just be aware of that. But that is the great thing about family practice. It is not just low back pain or just a tickle in the throat. The back pain and the sore throat come with many strings attached. Some strings are attached to heroin abuse, some attached to an abusive husband. A lot of the time strings are attached to depression and/or anxiety. Chronic medical conditions get attached, like diabetes, hepatitis C or lupus. Some strings attach to a spouse's medical condition, like migraines, or a spouse's substance abuse, like second hand smoke exposure. These strings go in and out in all directions until you are left with a picture of a big sticky spider web sketched out in the chart. It can be overwhelming when I am having a hard time just remembering the names of a few medications. It is fascinating to watch seasoned doctors weave their way through these webs. And then being able to dictate that all from memory is another feat.
2 comments:
Shh... I told dan that it was going to be cheese free.
That's it- I'm waiting in the corridor while you two handle the birth.
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