Dies illa

Today:

• My attending decided to call me by a girl's name
• I spent my whole afternoon refusing to prescribe Norco to a known addict for a headache
• I asked my senior resident at least 41234 times if it was really okay to write a tylenol order
• I sent a med student home early (somewhat to my senior's chagrin)
• My co-intern's patient had a soft-code in the hallway
• I realized how dumb med-student questions sound
• I was shocked by how easy it is to place an order (as opposed to having three people co-sign it)
• My heart jumped into my throat the first time I placed a medication order (it was a metop dose change)
• My heart jumped even further the next time I signed off on a drug interaction (adding dilt to the metop)
• We tried as hard as we could not to laugh when our attending repeatedly read a patient's name that was also a synonym for a sweaty grundle
• The nurses all gave me high-fives as I finished my first official day as a doctor

Impending Doom

Today is my final day of freedom. Tomorrow begins Residency Orientation, two weeks of CPR lessons and computer training sessions. For my entire educational career, I have dreaded orientations. Endless hours of boredom, trying to make a good impression while hoping that a cataclysmic explosion forces an early conclusion to the day's (in)activities. Meanwhile, here I sit, a pile of PALS and ACLS books sitting mostly unread on a table in the front of Cafe Ambrosia. From here, I have a great view of the sudden thunderstorm drenching Maynard St. I am both excited for the start of real work, and dreading the onset of real responsibility. The guys next to me are telling each other bad jokes as they adjust their bandanas, while the girls by the door discuss the poetry they write and the graduation parties they are not attending. I don't know what to do with myself. More updates to come. For now, it's just the calm during the storm.