A Whole New Outlook
Lately, it feels like I’ve woken up into someone else’s life. And this someone else’s life is WAAAAY better than mine! Honestly, I worried I’d never get to say this: my job is freaking awesome. I know there will be months I’m on rotations that suck, or rather, rotations with sucky hours. But right now that’s not the case, and the actual work is so fun. My days are full of variety, from freezing genital warts to biopsying suspicious moles to surgery clinics. To clarify, I despise the OR, but I do think procedures are fun and derm surgeries typically involve nerve blocks or local anesthesia, not general (patients are conscious, and we’re not in an actual OR)…and there are TONS of them in derm. Fun, rewarding types of procedures. I’ve already seen some crazy stuff, even a new case of bullous pemphigoid.
My biggest fear in starting derm residency was that I wouldn’t like my colleagues. Every field in medicine has its stereotypes, and I do NOT like the stereotype my field is building. I’ve mentioned this in the past, but medicine specialty reputations are pretty hilarious and most docs would roughly agree on each one’s stereotype. For example, that psychiatrists are often crazier than their patients. Neurologists are severe dorks. Anesthesiologists barely speak English and are socially awkward. Family docs are pie-in-the-sky dreamers. Surgeons are a$$holes who just want to cut and have no bedside manner. ER physicians have ADHD and are adrenaline junkies. Peds people wear bowties and are sweet but talk with funny voices. Orthopedic surgeons are meatheads. Dermatologists are entitled and superficial. There’s a stereotype for every field, and my fear was ending up in a derm residency program where people fit the “type.” Anyone who knows me realizes I wear 3 pairs of shoes (flipflops, running shoes, and Danskos); none has a bow on the toe. I’m not a make-up lover or a fashion diva. Naturally I worried I would like or fit in with my colleagues.
Still feeling like a family doc at heart, I forged ahead after discovering my love for derm itself. So as you can imagine, I was HUGELY relieved to learn my program did not match ANY derm divas. It is full of very cool, very down to earth people and attendings. I have yet to encounter an excessive ego in our department. My program director hosted a party a few nights ago, which was SO reassuring to me. Normal people, fun people, having a good time together and without the hierarchy that’s typical of Internal Medicine and the East Coast. It’s a very tight-knit program (small size helps that) and there are lots of kids and babies amongst the group. I know there will be REALLY tough times ahead still, and I’m already feeling overwhelmed by the amount of material I’m supposed to be absorbing on a daily basis, but I can say confidently that I’m very happy with my choice of specialty and program.
And can I just say, having weekends off is RIDICULOUSLY amazing. What? All I need to work is 5 days in a row and I get 2 off?! Done! Even if they’re long days, that is SUCH a beautiful improvement from the past year of my life. It’d been 5 months since I’d had 2 days off of work in a row. Ahhh, so nice to not have that “Sunday night dread” every single night of my life. No more calling time of death, no more heavy white coat pockets, stethoscopes, rectal exams, diabetes / CHF / COPD management, EKGs, rounds, admissions…the worst is over and it’s up from here.
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11 comments
Congratulations! You made it whole and alive through your intern year! Good luck for your residency and enjoy the time with your family. Can’t wait to read about all the coming Good adventures!
That is awesome! Im so glad you are having fun and getting to enjoy your hard work and family!
So happy to read this post!
So happy for you! And the stereotype descriptions were too funny! Tell me - what are the stereotypes for OB/GYNs and proctologists?
So glad to hear things are going well. Love the anesthesiologist stereotype. We do know a few who fit that description!
I am so, so, so happy for you , Laur. But wait, what is the Internists’ stereotype? How about uptight, OCD rule-followers? I’ll take it. And to answer one of your commenters’ responses….OB/GYN’s are bit**es and GI docs are class clowns who like fart jokes.
LOL! Thanks Mel!
Alright now Laur…where does that leave your friendly pediatric surgeons? A-holes who wear bowties and talk in funny voices? Boooooo….
But seriously, we are so happy that things are looking up for you and **hoping** we get to see you guys some time soon!!
So glad you are having a great life!
Your stereotypes crack me up and I can honestly say that most of the people I’ve met in those areas do NOT fit those stereotypes, but then I wouldn’t return to them if they did. Also, it was a dermatologist who identified my very rare allergy to volatile organic compounds/acrylic compound vapors. He knew within about 90 seconds of our conversation. So glad the allergist told me to go see him. From there I went to the derms at Dartmouth and then my file went to the toxicologists (wonder what their stereotype is!) End result? No treatment. No cure. Intubation could kill me, as each exposure results in a more extreme reaction. Had a couple of “oscopies” in May and they waved the oxygen in front of my face when my sat levels dropped. No reaction, thank God. I’m actually more likely to die from the chronic bronchitis that results from having the rooms outside my classroom painted every year and being told about it AFTER the painting begins (too late for my “alien” looking carbon mask to work). Bet you’re LOVING this as a doc, huh? The dermatologist said they see people like me about every 20 years.
But back to your daily life. Enjoy those weekends. What an unexpected treasure, and a definite reward for all of your recent sacrifice.
Ruby
So glad to hear things are slowing down for you! And I’m happy you’re closer to me - I’d love to go on a road trip and come to see you guys soon. I can’t believe how big the kids are getting!
Lina
YAY!!! just got caught up on the blog… so happy for you guys… Is Jack ready for school??? what did you guys end up doing with him?(I feel like I should know, but I forget) Khai is doing another year of pre-K, he misses the Kinder cut off around here by 2 weeks… one part of me is really glad(he is still my baby, and unless/until Vietnam reopens, he will continue to be, poor guy…) but another part of me feels really bad for him… he is CRAZY smart… and there is a part of me that feels like I/we are cheating him of all he could be learning/growing in…
phew…
that got long…
miss you guys! hoping the beer and sausage are fabulous out there
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