First Shifts

The beginning of July marks a special event in the genesis of the doctor: spanking new interns work their first shifts as actual physicians.

As one of those interns, it's terrifying. And exhilarating. And exhausting. Once a lowly medical student, you've gone into the chrysalis of fourth year and emerged on the other side a butterfly who doesn't really know how to fly. Fragile. Awkward.

But very very pretty. (Just kidding.)

Some things I saw in my first two shifts as an emergency medicine intern:

• thrown from horse, landed on head
• psychotic patient becoming violent with family members (chief complaint was decreased urination)
• vaginal bleeding x 1.5 months
• abdominal pain in 18 year old female
• drunk, demented old man fell down stairs, cut open forehead
• neck laceration from broken beer bottle
• firework exploded into eye - globe rupture
• drug rash
• accidental finger amputation
• blurry vision x 1 week
• generalized itching with a "rash" that was invisible to my eyes
• out of percocet (x2)
• facial abscess
• urosepsis
• dog bite

Could there be a better field than this??? (I will give you a hint. The answer is no.) OK, so it takes me a ridiculously long time to sew up a small lac (I had to put in some deeps, though). And to write a basic prescription. And to dictate anything. I'll get better with time. And those crazy, funny, heart-warming, smelly, sweet, fantastic patients will still be there.