It's finally NOT 95 degrees out thank goodness! Luca and I had grocery shopped this week with the plan not to cook this week, since it has been so hot. But, even though it is cool out today, I still got to enjoy the mango salsa out of the Moosewood Cookbook that we prepared yesterday.
These are the ingredients:
2 ripe mangoes, cut into tiny pieces
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced
1 tomato, diced
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
1 hot pepper, cut into tiny pieces (I used 2 because I can barely taste the hotness of 1)
1-2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Mix all the ingredients together in a big bowl and eat with chips, or as a garnish to some other dish. Fish maybe would be good? It keeps in the fridge for a couple of days too, after which point I usually eat it by the spoonful directly out of the bowl. Even Boo liked the tiny piece of mango I gave her this afternoon. I'm only giving her a little though, since I want the rest for myself!
The chopping is kind of annoying, but that's what husbands are for, anyway!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Poll
Oh yeah, and I have a new poll too. This one wants to know what your least favorite class was your first year of med school. If your med school has a different curriculum, just put other and write in your answer in the comments.
My least favorite was Physiology. All of those ion channels and that godforsaken Nernst equation that I thought I had managed to leave behind in pre-med. That and that professor we had who TOTALLY had aspergers, who wore too short khakis with his black socks and Birkenstocks. And the exam!! Gah!
Good thing nobody actually ever fails that class.
Good thing it didn't matter AT ALL to the rest of my life as a medical student.
My least favorite was Physiology. All of those ion channels and that godforsaken Nernst equation that I thought I had managed to leave behind in pre-med. That and that professor we had who TOTALLY had aspergers, who wore too short khakis with his black socks and Birkenstocks. And the exam!! Gah!
Good thing nobody actually ever fails that class.
Good thing it didn't matter AT ALL to the rest of my life as a medical student.
Grant
I just found my grant (the F30 to the NHLBI I submitted in April) was scored very (very) well. Hopefully they will have enough money to fund me and I can be funded by that AND the sleep T32 I was just put on. I should find out in the next two months or so about that. Haha.
Now all I have to do is figure out how the heck I'm going to do all those projects!
:-)
Now all I have to do is figure out how the heck I'm going to do all those projects!
:-)
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Ok vets, can you answer a question for me?
So today Luca and I took Boo to the new vet to get her blood pressure measured, which we needed to do because we started her on the pee pills.
So, they took her in the back (for some reason, they don't let the owners see ANYTHING in the back, which I find a little peculiar), and she was there for 15 minutes or something! And when they brought her out, I was told that the vet would call me in a couple of days with the results of the test.
My response was, "A couple of days? Test results? Didn't you just measure her blood pressure?"
Apparently she was not qualified to tell me what Miss. Boo's BP readings were.
Did I mention that this BP check cost $60? I don't think nurses get paid 1/4 of that for a blood pressure reading on a human. Christ, you can do it on yourself for free if you go to CVS. I just found it a little bizarre that this was turning out to be so complicated.
Then I asked about getting additional medication.
"Are you OUT?" the vet tech asked.
"No, but I will be out eventually," I said.
"Oh you can just come back then."
Hmmm.... for another $60 appointment? Or are you telling me that the vet will write me scripts for this indefinitely, and that I will have to just pick them up each time I run out? Either way, it's still another 30 minute trip each way for me every time I have to get a script, and a bit of a pain in my ass. I kind of think if this continues, Miss. Boo can go right ahead and continue peeing on the couch.
Not to be a completely insensitive bitch, but I have better things to do with my weekends (because YES it is only on the weekends that I have access to a car) than schlepping back and forth to Ardmore to pick up pee pills for the Boo.
Anyway, I am approaching this from the human perspective where blood pressure checks are something acomplete moron medical student can do, and for which I would imagine you'd get a year's prescription on your way out the door, with none of this, "you can come back when you run out," BS. And then you'd get refills at your next check-up a year from now. Is that not how it works in the dog world? Is blood pressure measurement really complicated in dogs or something?
What am I not understanding here?
So, they took her in the back (for some reason, they don't let the owners see ANYTHING in the back, which I find a little peculiar), and she was there for 15 minutes or something! And when they brought her out, I was told that the vet would call me in a couple of days with the results of the test.
My response was, "A couple of days? Test results? Didn't you just measure her blood pressure?"
Apparently she was not qualified to tell me what Miss. Boo's BP readings were.
Did I mention that this BP check cost $60? I don't think nurses get paid 1/4 of that for a blood pressure reading on a human. Christ, you can do it on yourself for free if you go to CVS. I just found it a little bizarre that this was turning out to be so complicated.
Then I asked about getting additional medication.
"Are you OUT?" the vet tech asked.
"No, but I will be out eventually," I said.
"Oh you can just come back then."
Hmmm.... for another $60 appointment? Or are you telling me that the vet will write me scripts for this indefinitely, and that I will have to just pick them up each time I run out? Either way, it's still another 30 minute trip each way for me every time I have to get a script, and a bit of a pain in my ass. I kind of think if this continues, Miss. Boo can go right ahead and continue peeing on the couch.
Not to be a completely insensitive bitch, but I have better things to do with my weekends (because YES it is only on the weekends that I have access to a car) than schlepping back and forth to Ardmore to pick up pee pills for the Boo.
Anyway, I am approaching this from the human perspective where blood pressure checks are something a
What am I not understanding here?
Thursday, June 24, 2010
How to fawn over a baby: a guide for the non-baby person
I had a conversation with a med school friend of mine about babies. Actually, it was about her annoyance with the requirement that she be interested in other people's babies. She's 26, and while I didn't tell her this at the time (Hi M! Please don't be pissed that I'm blogging about this!!!), I remember having this EXACT SAME conversation with my friend Trix when I was her age.
Actually I may have been older. 29 perhaps?
Anyway, neither of us are born "baby people." And by "baby people," I mean the type of person who naturally runs shrieking and cooing after any child too young to wipe his or her own butt. We all know this person. I personally find this phenotype highly irritating, but that's just me. It's not that I dislike kids either. Au contraire!! I actually really like kids, and have been told by several sources (!) that I'm good with them.
It turns out that a lot of kids don't do so well with the shrieking banshee type person either.
Now that I'm 33 and am THINKING about having babies one day myself, I find that it's a lot easier to fake interest in other people's children. So easy, in fact, that it's really not fake anymore, and I have begun to genuinely enjoy the ritual. You can make a woman really happy by fawning over her baby! It feels good to make people happy.
Anyway, in light of the fact that despite one's possible lack of interest in other people's children, it is considered polite to make a socially appropriate remark when confronted with a baby or baby picture, I decided to compile a list of socially appropriate remarks that the non-baby person can fall back upon when confronted with this situation. Most can be adapted with other physical/personality attributes. Focus on the positive!
1. Look at those chubby cheeks! (or thunder thighs)
2. He/she has the most beautiful curls! They're just like his mommy's/ daddy's!
3. He/she is getting so big!! (never comment that someone's baby is small)
4. He/she has his daddy's big head!
5. He/she is so cute you could just eat him/her!
For toddlers, many of the same comments apply. You can also say something to the toddler who may then hide from you. This is normal. Feel free to talk to the adults then, perhaps making eye contact with the toddler or waving if they emerge from behind their parent's legs. If the parent tries to get the kid to wave or say hi, and the kid refuses, you can shrug and say, "He/she has a mind of his/her own!"
And most of all, try to be understanding of the fact that when people have kids, that's what their lives revolve around now. It's not meant as a slight against you that all they can talk about is the baby. It's like when you go to med school and you alienate all your non-med friends because you can't think, much less talk, about anything besides school.
One day -- even though you say now you'll never be like that -- that may be you.
Actually I may have been older. 29 perhaps?
Anyway, neither of us are born "baby people." And by "baby people," I mean the type of person who naturally runs shrieking and cooing after any child too young to wipe his or her own butt. We all know this person. I personally find this phenotype highly irritating, but that's just me. It's not that I dislike kids either. Au contraire!! I actually really like kids, and have been told by several sources (!) that I'm good with them.
It turns out that a lot of kids don't do so well with the shrieking banshee type person either.
Now that I'm 33 and am THINKING about having babies one day myself, I find that it's a lot easier to fake interest in other people's children. So easy, in fact, that it's really not fake anymore, and I have begun to genuinely enjoy the ritual. You can make a woman really happy by fawning over her baby! It feels good to make people happy.
Anyway, in light of the fact that despite one's possible lack of interest in other people's children, it is considered polite to make a socially appropriate remark when confronted with a baby or baby picture, I decided to compile a list of socially appropriate remarks that the non-baby person can fall back upon when confronted with this situation. Most can be adapted with other physical/personality attributes. Focus on the positive!
1. Look at those chubby cheeks! (or thunder thighs)
2. He/she has the most beautiful curls! They're just like his mommy's/ daddy's!
3. He/she is getting so big!! (never comment that someone's baby is small)
4. He/she has his daddy's big head!
5. He/she is so cute you could just eat him/her!
For toddlers, many of the same comments apply. You can also say something to the toddler who may then hide from you. This is normal. Feel free to talk to the adults then, perhaps making eye contact with the toddler or waving if they emerge from behind their parent's legs. If the parent tries to get the kid to wave or say hi, and the kid refuses, you can shrug and say, "He/she has a mind of his/her own!"
And most of all, try to be understanding of the fact that when people have kids, that's what their lives revolve around now. It's not meant as a slight against you that all they can talk about is the baby. It's like when you go to med school and you alienate all your non-med friends because you can't think, much less talk, about anything besides school.
One day -- even though you say now you'll never be like that -- that may be you.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Insufficiently Delicious
We have dog school again tonight, and I just finished preparing Miss. Boo's treats for the evening. Since last week's treats were woefully inadequate compared with the trainer lady's smokey cheddar cheese, resulting in Boo paying rapt attention to her and blowing us off, I decided to up the ante.
With hotdogs and some sharp cheddar of my own.
It's amazing how obedient my ferocious pit bull becomes when I carry the scent of processed meats upon my hands. The command "watch me?" So totally unnecessary, as her gaze is determinedly fixated upon, if not my eyes, my hands.
At first I was worried that Miss. Boo would become obese being stuffed with treats every week. Somewhat revolting, fois grois inducing treats at that. However last week she puked not once but TWICE on the ride home, a motion-sickness-bulemia if you will, and purged her very obedient body of the pound of treats she'd just consumed. It was highly odiferous smokey cheddar cheese puke, and it was all I could do to restrain the Boo from re-consuming it.
We have a system for dealing with the puke in the car, since this is not an uncommon occurrence and we're not about to load the Boo up with drowsiness-inducing anti-emetic for every car ride we take with her. We take a plastic bag, and loop one handle over Miss. Boo's neck. Then when she pukes, it's easy to position the open bag below her mouth so that all the puke is caught.
I have mixed feelings about the puking. On the one hand, I hate to see my fur child puke her guts up, as I know that motion-sickness is no fun. On the other hand, I can't say that I was sorry that I wouldn't have to deal with the torrents of diarrhea that were most certainly going to follow the administration of so much people-food.
Anyhow, we'll see if her obedience -- and her puking -- is any better this week. We've been practicing "watch" "here" "find it" "sit" and "down" all week, at home AND in the dog park. Hopefully she'll flip out a bit less when she sees the other dogs this week since our new treats will be so much more enticing to her.
With hotdogs and some sharp cheddar of my own.
It's amazing how obedient my ferocious pit bull becomes when I carry the scent of processed meats upon my hands. The command "watch me?" So totally unnecessary, as her gaze is determinedly fixated upon, if not my eyes, my hands.
At first I was worried that Miss. Boo would become obese being stuffed with treats every week. Somewhat revolting, fois grois inducing treats at that. However last week she puked not once but TWICE on the ride home, a motion-sickness-bulemia if you will, and purged her very obedient body of the pound of treats she'd just consumed. It was highly odiferous smokey cheddar cheese puke, and it was all I could do to restrain the Boo from re-consuming it.
We have a system for dealing with the puke in the car, since this is not an uncommon occurrence and we're not about to load the Boo up with drowsiness-inducing anti-emetic for every car ride we take with her. We take a plastic bag, and loop one handle over Miss. Boo's neck. Then when she pukes, it's easy to position the open bag below her mouth so that all the puke is caught.
I have mixed feelings about the puking. On the one hand, I hate to see my fur child puke her guts up, as I know that motion-sickness is no fun. On the other hand, I can't say that I was sorry that I wouldn't have to deal with the torrents of diarrhea that were most certainly going to follow the administration of so much people-food.
Anyhow, we'll see if her obedience -- and her puking -- is any better this week. We've been practicing "watch" "here" "find it" "sit" and "down" all week, at home AND in the dog park. Hopefully she'll flip out a bit less when she sees the other dogs this week since our new treats will be so much more enticing to her.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Cleaning
This weekend, instead of cleaning my house, I am cleaning my data. My database has over 600,000 records, and I need to fix the discrepancies between the ICU admission dates and the ICU discharge dates to make sure they occur in chronological order.
All of this is complicated (of course) by the fact that there are innumerable transfers between ICUs with clocks that are not in synch. And since each patient can have multiple admissions and discharges to various ICUs within a single hospitalization....
Well, you can imagine the giant pain in the ass it must be to resolve these discrepancies.
It's one of the less glamorous aspects of working with data.
And you know? I'd have my mentor's data person do the cleaning, but even for him it's a lousy use of his time. Plus then I wouldn't be able to decide the rules of adjudication myself. So in the end I sit in my air conditioned office for an hour's go at a time,beating my head against the wall cleaning my data in the coolness.
All of this is complicated (of course) by the fact that there are innumerable transfers between ICUs with clocks that are not in synch. And since each patient can have multiple admissions and discharges to various ICUs within a single hospitalization....
Well, you can imagine the giant pain in the ass it must be to resolve these discrepancies.
It's one of the less glamorous aspects of working with data.
And you know? I'd have my mentor's data person do the cleaning, but even for him it's a lousy use of his time. Plus then I wouldn't be able to decide the rules of adjudication myself. So in the end I sit in my air conditioned office for an hour's go at a time,
Friday, June 18, 2010
Who are you?
I constructed another poll, yonder. It's about you, dear readers. I am curious about who you all are. Please feel free to elaborate in the comments!
You can check more than one box if applicable.
You can check more than one box if applicable.
Math
2 years post-bac
1 year med school applications
4 years med school
4 years PhD (probably)
3-4 years residency (depending on specialty)
2-3 years fellowship (depending on specialty)
For a total of 16-18 years from the start of this journey back in 2003 until the point where I become a junior faculty member someplace. Hopefully. That's longer than all the years I spent in school prior to starting my post-bac program. I wonder if I'd really done the math at the beginning of this, if I'd have decided it was a good idea.
Haha. Well, I'm, 7 years in now. There's no turning back at this point!
1 year med school applications
4 years med school
4 years PhD (probably)
3-4 years residency (depending on specialty)
2-3 years fellowship (depending on specialty)
For a total of 16-18 years from the start of this journey back in 2003 until the point where I become a junior faculty member someplace. Hopefully. That's longer than all the years I spent in school prior to starting my post-bac program. I wonder if I'd really done the math at the beginning of this, if I'd have decided it was a good idea.
Haha. Well, I'm, 7 years in now. There's no turning back at this point!
Mutt
Did you know that the word for "mutt" in Italian is bastardo?
I thought that was pretty amusing.
Miss Boo, are you my ferocious bastard Pit Bull?
I thought that was pretty amusing.
Miss Boo, are you my ferocious bastard Pit Bull?
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Park
In other news, the wait list has opened up for the Dog Park in West Philly! We have our doggy audition today in order to make sure that our pit bull is not ferocious.
The only thing we can think of that could go wrong is that they will decide that she is TOO interested in the other dogs.... but truthfully she usually tones things down after about 3 minutes or so of wild and crazy running around and promiscuous sniffing, play bowing, and wagging so hard her tail might fall off, to every dog in sight.
We briefly considered giving Boo her anti-emetic before heading over there since it makes her sleepy and calm(er), but decided against it.
Wish Boo luck!
Update: Boo passed! She played with all the dogs there for over an hour, and is currently passed out on the floor under my coffee table. It's cooler down there, you see. We also ran into my favorite neurology resident's wife who had her dogs there too (she's also a neurologist). It was nice seeing her, and we caught up a bit as well. Yay! Happy afternoon. Now, back to studying.
The only thing we can think of that could go wrong is that they will decide that she is TOO interested in the other dogs.... but truthfully she usually tones things down after about 3 minutes or so of wild and crazy running around and promiscuous sniffing, play bowing, and wagging so hard her tail might fall off, to every dog in sight.
We briefly considered giving Boo her anti-emetic before heading over there since it makes her sleepy and calm(er), but decided against it.
Wish Boo luck!
Update: Boo passed! She played with all the dogs there for over an hour, and is currently passed out on the floor under my coffee table. It's cooler down there, you see. We also ran into my favorite neurology resident's wife who had her dogs there too (she's also a neurologist). It was nice seeing her, and we caught up a bit as well. Yay! Happy afternoon. Now, back to studying.
PPD
I just found out that my friend starting her intern year is allowed to READ HER OWN PPDs.
I am so jealous, there are no words. Going to student health every year to get that done (not to mention the separate trips for the PAP smear, the flu shot, the OTHER flu shot) is the bane of my existence. Because OF COURSE they cannot manage to schedule all these things on the same visit. Because that would be convenient.
That and the personnel who work there aren't terribly pleasant. I'm not sure why so much active ass kissing is required in order to squeeze out a smile from the staff, but there it is.
What an unexpected lovely benefit of being an intern.
I am so jealous, there are no words. Going to student health every year to get that done (not to mention the separate trips for the PAP smear, the flu shot, the OTHER flu shot) is the bane of my existence. Because OF COURSE they cannot manage to schedule all these things on the same visit. Because that would be convenient.
That and the personnel who work there aren't terribly pleasant. I'm not sure why so much active ass kissing is required in order to squeeze out a smile from the staff, but there it is.
What an unexpected lovely benefit of being an intern.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Hedge
Until about a month ago, we had an incredibly heinous hedge on the border between out property and the neighbors. It had been damaged by the heavy snow last winter and was in the process of expiring.
It needed to be trimmed back big time.
However, since this process was likely to make it temporarily ugly as hell, and because it was on the border of our property, we talked to our neighbors about it to make sure they wouldn't arrive home one day to a trimmed hedge and freak out about it. Especially since the house was on the market.
It's interesting to me that nobody else seems to feel the need to tell their neighbors when they are doing things like this.
For instance, our new neighbors on the right just installed a chain link fence in the back alleyway so they can let their beautiful purebred Rhodesian Ridgeback get stolensit outside all day while they're at work. It makes it about 10x more difficult for my husband to get our car into our garage.
The neighbors on the OTHER side, have decided to JACKHAMMER THE CONCRETE IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE THIS F***ING MORNING (right outside our window). It might have been nice to know this in advance since I could have planned to study at school this week, since I need to hire the dog walker when I'm going to be out of the house for more than 6 hours at a time.
I am pretty annoyed right now.
Any suggestions about how I can get back at them (either of them)? Not that I will actually retaliate in any way, but I was thinking that a little fantasizing might make me feel better about the situation.
It needed to be trimmed back big time.
However, since this process was likely to make it temporarily ugly as hell, and because it was on the border of our property, we talked to our neighbors about it to make sure they wouldn't arrive home one day to a trimmed hedge and freak out about it. Especially since the house was on the market.
It's interesting to me that nobody else seems to feel the need to tell their neighbors when they are doing things like this.
For instance, our new neighbors on the right just installed a chain link fence in the back alleyway so they can let their beautiful purebred Rhodesian Ridgeback
The neighbors on the OTHER side, have decided to JACKHAMMER THE CONCRETE IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE THIS F***ING MORNING (right outside our window). It might have been nice to know this in advance since I could have planned to study at school this week, since I need to hire the dog walker when I'm going to be out of the house for more than 6 hours at a time.
I am pretty annoyed right now.
Any suggestions about how I can get back at them (either of them)? Not that I will actually retaliate in any way, but I was thinking that a little fantasizing might make me feel better about the situation.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Boo Kelly*
Many of you may remember that about 6 weeks back, we took Miss. Boo to the vet to have her incontinence evaluated. Diagnosis: Hormone Responsive Incontinence, and we were given meds for her to take.
Since we were going on vacation, and then our in-laws were going to be here, we figured that the disruptions in her schedule were enough that we'd hold off on starting the med until things settled down. And in fact, we had NO ACCIDENTS during that time. Luca and I were hopeful that this might not end up being a problem after all.
Ha.
This weekend, the three of us were sitting on the couch watching a movie, and then I noticed that my pants were all wet. And I looked, and there was urine actively dripping out of my sleeping dog.
Then it happened the next day, and the next.
On the positive side, perhaps this means that she has been very relaxed this weekend. On the not so positive side, I think it may be time to start the pee pills.
:-P
*You guys know about the R. Kelly scandal where he was acquitted for urinating on underage girls, right (caught on video and everything)?
Since we were going on vacation, and then our in-laws were going to be here, we figured that the disruptions in her schedule were enough that we'd hold off on starting the med until things settled down. And in fact, we had NO ACCIDENTS during that time. Luca and I were hopeful that this might not end up being a problem after all.
Ha.
This weekend, the three of us were sitting on the couch watching a movie, and then I noticed that my pants were all wet. And I looked, and there was urine actively dripping out of my sleeping dog.
Then it happened the next day, and the next.
On the positive side, perhaps this means that she has been very relaxed this weekend. On the not so positive side, I think it may be time to start the pee pills.
:-P
*You guys know about the R. Kelly scandal where he was acquitted for urinating on underage girls, right (caught on video and everything)?
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Reading
Ever since I've started my PhD, I've been having trouble finding books to read that I like. I started Anna Karenina, which is good.... but then someone told me the ending, so now I'm not so interested in plowing through 1000 pages.
Then I started reading The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Also good..... but no plot to speak of. Good character development though. But again, every time I put it down, I could care less whether I pick it back up again.
Then I started reading BRS Pathology -- you know, the one that's so great for step 1? Anyway, it was *ok* but really not what I was looking for.
So I started reading Pocket Medicine. I get through about 2 pages per night before I go to sleep. And you know? I've actually been enjoying it.
I think this is a sign of some kind of psychopathology, but I really can't help it.
Maybe at this rate, I will finish it in two years, by the time 1/2 of it has become obsolete?
In the mean time, does anyone have any literary suggestions? I'm really most interested in fiction, but traditionally I have not been especially fond of any of the classics (Dickens is a double wretch, for instance, and I won't touch anything by Jane Austen). Also I'm really not interested in reading anything medically related (i.e. no Paul Farmer, or House of God, please).
Little help over here?
Then I started reading The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Also good..... but no plot to speak of. Good character development though. But again, every time I put it down, I could care less whether I pick it back up again.
Then I started reading BRS Pathology -- you know, the one that's so great for step 1? Anyway, it was *ok* but really not what I was looking for.
So I started reading Pocket Medicine. I get through about 2 pages per night before I go to sleep. And you know? I've actually been enjoying it.
I think this is a sign of some kind of psychopathology, but I really can't help it.
Maybe at this rate, I will finish it in two years, by the time 1/2 of it has become obsolete?
In the mean time, does anyone have any literary suggestions? I'm really most interested in fiction, but traditionally I have not been especially fond of any of the classics (Dickens is a double wretch, for instance, and I won't touch anything by Jane Austen). Also I'm really not interested in reading anything medically related (i.e. no Paul Farmer, or House of God, please).
Little help over here?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
On dog school
I was going to write a post on how dogmatic my dog school teacher was about certain things (chain collars = evil, invisible fence = evil, dog parks = never EVER take your pit bull), but then I decided that doing so would invite readers to chime in with their own opinions on whether these things are evil. And also how I am a bad dog owner for doing some of them on occasion.
Since I didn't want to open myself up to that (though, I just did anyway, didn't I?), I thought instead about how listening to the dog teacher talk reminded me of why it's so important not to be dogmatic with your patients. And why it's so important to listen -- to REALLY listen. Because if you don't you not only might miss something important, you will also alienate them and discourage them from telling you important information.
I still think the class is going to be worthwhile, but I did have moments of extreme annoyance on Monday night....
I think the moment that I found most alienating was when I was asking her about the Gentle Leader. She had already chastised me for using a chain choke collar (purchased by my husband -- which I OPPOSED -- except that it seemed to work pretty well....), and then accused me of telling her that the Gentle Leader didn't work -- which I did NOT say. It actually works really well.
My issue with the Gentle Leader is that when it's hot out and Boo pants, she cannot open her mouth as wide with it on as with a non-head collar. She also makes this horrible strangling noise when she breathes that people comment on when I walk by. ("Is she growling?" "Why are you strangling your dog? You're so mean."). She doesn't appear to be harmed by it, but before I go whole hog and use it all the time, it'd be nice if someone who actually knew what they were doing looked and listened to tell me if my dog is fine like that, so I can tell the random commenters to bug of in good conscience.
Her response was a tirade on how I "must have fit it improperly." See, the thing is, I'm pretty sure this isn't the case, which is what I tried to say. Of course she didn't believe me. Which made me feel like she thought I was incompetent.
It was at that time that I thought to myself, "Why am I telling this lady anything at all if she'd just going to belittle me, give me a lecture, and not listen to what I have to say?"
Then the lightbulb moment. I wonder how often patients feel like this when they're at the doctor. I wonder how often they stop telling their doctor the truth because they don't like to be judged or lectured. And I wonder how often doctors think they're listening, but really fail to, and thus alienate their patients, like I felt alienated at dog school.
Luca said to relax, that this was how she makes her money -- by convincing people that their way of doing things is completely wrong and that her way is right. That I should just nod along, take what she says with the grain of salt, not personalize her message, and then do what works best for us.
I guess that's the pragmatic approach. I also guess that's also what a lot of patients do with their doctors when they fail to follow some piece of advice that the doctor considers to be completely critical.
Anyway, I know this is all probably quite obvious to most people, but it really made me think.
On the plus side (I guess) I learned that pit bulls often become dog selective when they get to be around 3 years old, and that the only reason my dog does so well at the dog park is because she hasn't reached maturity yet. Yay? Oh wait.
Since I didn't want to open myself up to that (though, I just did anyway, didn't I?), I thought instead about how listening to the dog teacher talk reminded me of why it's so important not to be dogmatic with your patients. And why it's so important to listen -- to REALLY listen. Because if you don't you not only might miss something important, you will also alienate them and discourage them from telling you important information.
I still think the class is going to be worthwhile, but I did have moments of extreme annoyance on Monday night....
I think the moment that I found most alienating was when I was asking her about the Gentle Leader. She had already chastised me for using a chain choke collar (purchased by my husband -- which I OPPOSED -- except that it seemed to work pretty well....), and then accused me of telling her that the Gentle Leader didn't work -- which I did NOT say. It actually works really well.
My issue with the Gentle Leader is that when it's hot out and Boo pants, she cannot open her mouth as wide with it on as with a non-head collar. She also makes this horrible strangling noise when she breathes that people comment on when I walk by. ("Is she growling?" "Why are you strangling your dog? You're so mean."). She doesn't appear to be harmed by it, but before I go whole hog and use it all the time, it'd be nice if someone who actually knew what they were doing looked and listened to tell me if my dog is fine like that, so I can tell the random commenters to bug of in good conscience.
Her response was a tirade on how I "must have fit it improperly." See, the thing is, I'm pretty sure this isn't the case, which is what I tried to say. Of course she didn't believe me. Which made me feel like she thought I was incompetent.
It was at that time that I thought to myself, "Why am I telling this lady anything at all if she'd just going to belittle me, give me a lecture, and not listen to what I have to say?"
Then the lightbulb moment. I wonder how often patients feel like this when they're at the doctor. I wonder how often they stop telling their doctor the truth because they don't like to be judged or lectured. And I wonder how often doctors think they're listening, but really fail to, and thus alienate their patients, like I felt alienated at dog school.
Luca said to relax, that this was how she makes her money -- by convincing people that their way of doing things is completely wrong and that her way is right. That I should just nod along, take what she says with the grain of salt, not personalize her message, and then do what works best for us.
I guess that's the pragmatic approach. I also guess that's also what a lot of patients do with their doctors when they fail to follow some piece of advice that the doctor considers to be completely critical.
Anyway, I know this is all probably quite obvious to most people, but it really made me think.
On the plus side (I guess) I learned that pit bulls often become dog selective when they get to be around 3 years old, and that the only reason my dog does so well at the dog park is because she hasn't reached maturity yet. Yay? Oh wait.
Indoctrination
One of the things that you learn as a medical student is to keep your mouth shut. Nobody cares about your opinion for the most part. You should do what you're told, not ask too many (or any) questions, and look things up on your own.
*Incidentally, one of the things that I liked -- and was shocked by -- during my sub-i was that my resident actually asked me about and listened to my opinion regarding my patients. It felt positively miraculous compared with my experience as a clerkship student!*
Anyway, I was reflecting the other day on how and when this change came about during my time as a med student. I remember taking this intro to epi class with a group of fellows between 1st and 2nd year of med school, before I'd really ever set foot in the clinics. It surprised and baffled me that nobody in the class ever asked the teacher any questions. Some were clearly annoyed when I did.
Fast-forward two years, and I'm again taking classes with a group of fellows. And again, very few people asked any questions. However this time, I also did not ask. AND I found myself feeling mildly irritated when other people asked what I considered to be silly questions that they could just look up themselves.
Huh.
So it seems that indoctrination takes place during the clinical clerkships, and is just one of the many things you learn in medical school. It's funny how years out of the years of schooling and work experience I had before, it took medical school to finally teach me how to keep my mouth shut.
Not that I'm 100% positive that this is a good thing. And I really don't keep my mouth totally shut. I do have this blog after all.
I suppose it's all part of the unwritten curriculum of medical school.
Interestingly it has taken me a year out of the clinics in order to once again feel comfortable asking my physician mentor questions about my research. He remains noticeably irritated when I persist with my questions, in a way that my non-clinician mentors don't. It's interesting how his expectations of how I should act towards him reflect his expectations of me as a medical student rather than as a doctoral student.
Too bad that's not terribly conducive to getting any work done.
*Incidentally, one of the things that I liked -- and was shocked by -- during my sub-i was that my resident actually asked me about and listened to my opinion regarding my patients. It felt positively miraculous compared with my experience as a clerkship student!*
Anyway, I was reflecting the other day on how and when this change came about during my time as a med student. I remember taking this intro to epi class with a group of fellows between 1st and 2nd year of med school, before I'd really ever set foot in the clinics. It surprised and baffled me that nobody in the class ever asked the teacher any questions. Some were clearly annoyed when I did.
Fast-forward two years, and I'm again taking classes with a group of fellows. And again, very few people asked any questions. However this time, I also did not ask. AND I found myself feeling mildly irritated when other people asked what I considered to be silly questions that they could just look up themselves.
Huh.
So it seems that indoctrination takes place during the clinical clerkships, and is just one of the many things you learn in medical school. It's funny how years out of the years of schooling and work experience I had before, it took medical school to finally teach me how to keep my mouth shut.
Not that I'm 100% positive that this is a good thing. And I really don't keep my mouth totally shut. I do have this blog after all.
I suppose it's all part of the unwritten curriculum of medical school.
Interestingly it has taken me a year out of the clinics in order to once again feel comfortable asking my physician mentor questions about my research. He remains noticeably irritated when I persist with my questions, in a way that my non-clinician mentors don't. It's interesting how his expectations of how I should act towards him reflect his expectations of me as a medical student rather than as a doctoral student.
Too bad that's not terribly conducive to getting any work done.
Monday, June 07, 2010
Perfect Pittie
My in-laws flew back to Italy last night. Luca and I are kind of sad. It was nice having them around for a few weeks. We had gotten into a sort of a routine where Luca and I went to work, and then came home, had dinner, and played Scapone.* Perhaps I will get more work done now though in the evenings..... and perhaps I won't.
Boo misses them too. She keeps running up the stairs to investigate their room and say hi. Then she sniffs around nervously when she discovers they aren't there anymore, and looks very disappointed. Her pack just shrank by 50%, and nobody told her. :-(
Poor Miss. Boo! We have been disrupting her routine an awful lot lately. First we took her to NC and the beach. Then we brought her back and the in-laws were here. THEN it was really hot, so we moved her crate up to our bedroom since there is no air conditioning on the first floor.
It was this last part that she seems to find the most confusing. When we tell her crate, she still runs to the dining room where her crate *used* to be, and sniffs around nervously until we tell her "upstairs" and she runs up the stairs to our room. It's pretty cute actually.
And NOW we are FINALLY starting obedience classes. I enrolled her in a class especially for Pit Bulls since she seems to already know everything they teach in good manners (sit, down, wait, come), and I don't want her deciding she wants to play with some poor unsuspecting Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and totally overwhelming the poor dog. The Pittie class advertised itself as teaching the dogs self control and leash walking, which are both areas where she still needs more work. She still goes nuts and wants to play when she sees another dog. It's getting a bit better, but it's definitely a work in progress. The leash pulling recently got better, but I think that's due to the heat and humidity.
Nothing like a little heat stroke to make a dog obey, right?
Anyway, I'm somewhat concerned that the class will be full of pit bulls with aggression and dominance issues. But, there is also a class called "reactive dog" which is supposed to be for that kind of problem. It does however cost twice as much, and since most dog owners are total idiots, it wouldn't surprise me if we ended up with a couple of dogs like this in our class as well.
Hopefully not though. We'll see.
*A traditional Italian card game.
Boo misses them too. She keeps running up the stairs to investigate their room and say hi. Then she sniffs around nervously when she discovers they aren't there anymore, and looks very disappointed. Her pack just shrank by 50%, and nobody told her. :-(
Poor Miss. Boo! We have been disrupting her routine an awful lot lately. First we took her to NC and the beach. Then we brought her back and the in-laws were here. THEN it was really hot, so we moved her crate up to our bedroom since there is no air conditioning on the first floor.
It was this last part that she seems to find the most confusing. When we tell her crate, she still runs to the dining room where her crate *used* to be, and sniffs around nervously until we tell her "upstairs" and she runs up the stairs to our room. It's pretty cute actually.
And NOW we are FINALLY starting obedience classes. I enrolled her in a class especially for Pit Bulls since she seems to already know everything they teach in good manners (sit, down, wait, come), and I don't want her deciding she wants to play with some poor unsuspecting Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and totally overwhelming the poor dog. The Pittie class advertised itself as teaching the dogs self control and leash walking, which are both areas where she still needs more work. She still goes nuts and wants to play when she sees another dog. It's getting a bit better, but it's definitely a work in progress. The leash pulling recently got better, but I think that's due to the heat and humidity.
Nothing like a little heat stroke to make a dog obey, right?
Anyway, I'm somewhat concerned that the class will be full of pit bulls with aggression and dominance issues. But, there is also a class called "reactive dog" which is supposed to be for that kind of problem. It does however cost twice as much, and since most dog owners are total idiots, it wouldn't surprise me if we ended up with a couple of dogs like this in our class as well.
Hopefully not though. We'll see.
*A traditional Italian card game.
Saturday, June 05, 2010
What was your least favorite pre-med requirement: A poll
I'm conducting a poll on which pre-med class my readers liked the *least.* Click away! Feel free to editorialize in the comments here. Also, you can select more than one as your least favorite, so GO CRAZY!!!
My personal least favorite was Physics. I didn't mind Mechanics so much, but E&M? Blegh!!!! If I never have to think about an AC current again or Gauss's law it will be WAAAAAAAYYYYYYY too soon. The labs were horrific too..... though maybe not as bad as gen chem lab with all those ridiculous titration experiments with buffers and stuff.
I loved everything about Organic Chemistry though, including lab. You got to do cool things like make soap, distill stuff, and learn what you'd *theoretically* have to do to make LSD or meth. Also, the waiting in between steps was long enough to allow for socializing.
Even better? The TAs more or less left you alone to do your own thing, and there was hardly anything to calculate (with numbers I mean), and virtually no measuring.
Ah.... Ochem lab. How I miss thee sometimes.
:-)
My personal least favorite was Physics. I didn't mind Mechanics so much, but E&M? Blegh!!!! If I never have to think about an AC current again or Gauss's law it will be WAAAAAAAYYYYYYY too soon. The labs were horrific too..... though maybe not as bad as gen chem lab with all those ridiculous titration experiments with buffers and stuff.
I loved everything about Organic Chemistry though, including lab. You got to do cool things like make soap, distill stuff, and learn what you'd *theoretically* have to do to make LSD or meth. Also, the waiting in between steps was long enough to allow for socializing.
Even better? The TAs more or less left you alone to do your own thing, and there was hardly anything to calculate (with numbers I mean), and virtually no measuring.
Ah.... Ochem lab. How I miss thee sometimes.
:-)
Friday, June 04, 2010
This week's to do list
1. Write interview script for Qualitative Study (assignment due Weds)
2. Do readings for Wed class
3. Work on resolving discrepancies in ICU readmission data (meet with data person)
4. Refresh self on disclosure of rationing literature
5. Rothman Ch 5 (finish)
6. Continue working with database to figure out what's in it
7. Continue combing through literature on ICU readmissions
2. Do readings for Wed class
3. Work on resolving discrepancies in ICU readmission data (meet with data person)
4. Refresh self on disclosure of rationing literature
5. Rothman Ch 5 (finish)
6. Continue working with database to figure out what's in it
7. Continue combing through literature on ICU readmissions
Things that make ME grumpy
Ok ok, I know I am ripping this off from Dr. Grumpy's blog. But I feel the title is appropriate in this case.
I really like to swim. While I was doing med school I wasn't able to swim very often, but since starting my PhD I've been able to go 3-6 times per week. I like to go in the mornings, and I've become one of the "regulars" who shows up in the morning most days during the week. The lifeguards know me, and most of the other regular patrons know me -- even if I don't necessarily know them.
The way it works is that it's one person per lane, until it gets busy. Then 2 people can split a lane. These people don't have to be the same speed since splitting means that no passing ever has to happen. If it gets REALLY crowded, then you have to circle swim, in which case it becomes much more useful if everyone is at least roughly the same speed. Alternatively if they're NOT the same speed, then it helps a lot if people go out of their way to be courteous and give way if someone is about to pass them.
Anyway, it's summer and hot therefore more crowded than usual, so I almost always end up splitting. This morning I opted to split the lane with this very nice young woman who wasn't very fast rather than the varsity swim team people to my left. And it was all going great until this guy just hops into the lane without telling or asking us, and demands that we circle. And he's a head-up breaststroker.
When I realized that he had done this, I suggested that perhaps this wasn't going to work very well since there was such a large discrepancy in speed between me and him. Of course he took offense to this and told me that if I didn't like it, I should find someplace else to swim, and got all up in my face about it.
So I called the lifeguard over to ask what to do. Of course the lifeguard refused to say anything to the guy and basically told me that it would be easier for *him* if I moved.
WTF??? I was there first. It is totally not ok to kick someone out of their lane. Would you go to a treadmill and kick someone off of that? Plus, I couldn't very well keep up with the varsity swimmers to my left, so circling with them wasn't going to work either. Furthermore, there were plenty of lanes on the other side of the pool with other head up breaststrokers that would have been far more appropriate for him to swim with. The lifeguard should have at least facilitated this, and also told the guy that he really needs to ask before he just hops into the pool, and that he can't just demand that another person get out of his way.
I briefly considered getting out my paddles and swimming somewhat.... aggressively. Doing a bunch of sprinting and fly, and passing a little too close. Accidentally - on purpose bumping him a little, which often happens anyway when a group of swimmers must swim in close quarters. He did deserve it. But I didn't want to do this with the very nice woman who was a bit slower also swimming in the lane with us. So I didn't.
Fortunately, another one of the regulars recognized my plight, and told me he was getting out anyway, so I moved over to his lane.
I found the whole situation really upsetting, the fact that this bully got in the water and kicked me out of my lane, and the fact that the lifeguard was such a sissy that he wouldn't intervene at all. I really wasn't trying to avoid circling. In fact circle swimming can be great when everybody is a similar speed. It just really wasn't going to work with three people who were of such different speeds. Even though *technically* we should all be amenable to circling anyway, the end goal for everyone is to have a pleasant swim, which just wouldn't have been possible for any of us with the situation the guy wasproposing forcing on everyone else.
What's more annoying is that this guy did MAYBE 10 laps and then got out. Was all that really necessary so he could have his cool off dip in the water?
Sigh.
I really like to swim. While I was doing med school I wasn't able to swim very often, but since starting my PhD I've been able to go 3-6 times per week. I like to go in the mornings, and I've become one of the "regulars" who shows up in the morning most days during the week. The lifeguards know me, and most of the other regular patrons know me -- even if I don't necessarily know them.
The way it works is that it's one person per lane, until it gets busy. Then 2 people can split a lane. These people don't have to be the same speed since splitting means that no passing ever has to happen. If it gets REALLY crowded, then you have to circle swim, in which case it becomes much more useful if everyone is at least roughly the same speed. Alternatively if they're NOT the same speed, then it helps a lot if people go out of their way to be courteous and give way if someone is about to pass them.
Anyway, it's summer and hot therefore more crowded than usual, so I almost always end up splitting. This morning I opted to split the lane with this very nice young woman who wasn't very fast rather than the varsity swim team people to my left. And it was all going great until this guy just hops into the lane without telling or asking us, and demands that we circle. And he's a head-up breaststroker.
When I realized that he had done this, I suggested that perhaps this wasn't going to work very well since there was such a large discrepancy in speed between me and him. Of course he took offense to this and told me that if I didn't like it, I should find someplace else to swim, and got all up in my face about it.
So I called the lifeguard over to ask what to do. Of course the lifeguard refused to say anything to the guy and basically told me that it would be easier for *him* if I moved.
WTF??? I was there first. It is totally not ok to kick someone out of their lane. Would you go to a treadmill and kick someone off of that? Plus, I couldn't very well keep up with the varsity swimmers to my left, so circling with them wasn't going to work either. Furthermore, there were plenty of lanes on the other side of the pool with other head up breaststrokers that would have been far more appropriate for him to swim with. The lifeguard should have at least facilitated this, and also told the guy that he really needs to ask before he just hops into the pool, and that he can't just demand that another person get out of his way.
I briefly considered getting out my paddles and swimming somewhat.... aggressively. Doing a bunch of sprinting and fly, and passing a little too close. Accidentally - on purpose bumping him a little, which often happens anyway when a group of swimmers must swim in close quarters. He did deserve it. But I didn't want to do this with the very nice woman who was a bit slower also swimming in the lane with us. So I didn't.
Fortunately, another one of the regulars recognized my plight, and told me he was getting out anyway, so I moved over to his lane.
I found the whole situation really upsetting, the fact that this bully got in the water and kicked me out of my lane, and the fact that the lifeguard was such a sissy that he wouldn't intervene at all. I really wasn't trying to avoid circling. In fact circle swimming can be great when everybody is a similar speed. It just really wasn't going to work with three people who were of such different speeds. Even though *technically* we should all be amenable to circling anyway, the end goal for everyone is to have a pleasant swim, which just wouldn't have been possible for any of us with the situation the guy was
What's more annoying is that this guy did MAYBE 10 laps and then got out. Was all that really necessary so he could have his cool off dip in the water?
Sigh.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
How weird is that
I was procrastinating today (yeah I know, big surprise) when I came across a friend of a friend on face book while trying to locate someone else.
This friend of a friend? I cited her something like 5 times in this grant I just submitted. She's a couple of years older than I am and is an attending in critical care at [important university].
Small world, huh.
Kids, never ever piss off anyone. One day, they may be your boss.
This friend of a friend? I cited her something like 5 times in this grant I just submitted. She's a couple of years older than I am and is an attending in critical care at [important university].
Small world, huh.
Kids, never ever piss off anyone. One day, they may be your boss.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Resolution..... sort of
A couple of days after the 3AM neighbor party fiasco, the girl who owns the house stopped by and apologized for making so much noise that night. She said that she had no idea that sound carried so well between the houses. She also said not to expect this to be a common occurrence.
So, apology accepted. Maybe it's not going to be so bad. And it's true, my husband and I do go to bed abnormally early. And we are curmudgeons.
See, it's not that I hate 24 year olds, or even that I don't understand where they're coming from. I have plenty of 24 year old friends. It can be a perfectly charming age! In fact, I remember when I was 24, I would have probably done the same thing that my neighbor did. Heck, I'm sure I was far more inconsiderate than she was. I can completely understand wanting to stay up late, drink excessive amounts of EtOH, and talk and laugh loudly with my friends. I just don't want to listen to other people doing it at 3AM.
The thing is, that's just what 24 year olds do. Which is why I didn't want to live next to them! *face palm*
So, a couple of tips to my 24 year old audience (hopefully I haven't alienated ALL of you). How to have a party and not piss off your (old curmudgeonly) neighbors:
1. Tell your neighbors that you are planning on having a party in advance. Preferably give them at least 24 hours notice. Having truck loads of friends just show up at 9PM (until 1AM) is more likely to be seen as irritating.
2. If you're feeling all crazy, you can even invite the neighbors. This is not required, though it may increase goodwill should the party continue into the wee hours of the night.
3. If possible, try to keep the guests *inside* the house when it gets late. Noise travels less, and damage to the neighbor's garden is less likely to occur.
4. If inside, close your windows if possible. It was hot this weekend, and I totally understand needing air. However, that is why Man invented air conditioners.
5. Dispose of your trash yourself. If you don't know what the neighborhood procedure is for doing this, ask your neighbor. Don't just leave your trash under the back deck for my husband to drag to the pick up location in the morning so as to prevent vermin from taking residence in our house (hint hint).
6. It looks funny to your neighbors if you just use your new empty house to have a party in, and then go live somewhere else before moving in "for real" several months later. It kind of makes it seem like you've forgotten that *other* people do actually live there (especially if you don't say hi/nod/smile/in some way acknowledge them when you pass them on the stairs outside the house).
7. If possible encourage your guests to argue with each other inside the house rather than on the back deck (I know this can be hard to control, however).
8. Say hi! Be neighborly when you and your 15 friends waltz in (or out) of your house with their sleeping bags and pillows. Don't just pretend like nobody is standing there.
In short, imagine that your were the neighbor, and you had to get up early for some important appointment the following morning, and you had to listen to a raging party all night long. Think of what you'd want your neighbor to do.
So, apology accepted. Maybe it's not going to be so bad. And it's true, my husband and I do go to bed abnormally early. And we are curmudgeons.
See, it's not that I hate 24 year olds, or even that I don't understand where they're coming from. I have plenty of 24 year old friends. It can be a perfectly charming age! In fact, I remember when I was 24, I would have probably done the same thing that my neighbor did. Heck, I'm sure I was far more inconsiderate than she was. I can completely understand wanting to stay up late, drink excessive amounts of EtOH, and talk and laugh loudly with my friends. I just don't want to listen to other people doing it at 3AM.
The thing is, that's just what 24 year olds do. Which is why I didn't want to live next to them! *face palm*
So, a couple of tips to my 24 year old audience (hopefully I haven't alienated ALL of you). How to have a party and not piss off your (old curmudgeonly) neighbors:
1. Tell your neighbors that you are planning on having a party in advance. Preferably give them at least 24 hours notice. Having truck loads of friends just show up at 9PM (until 1AM) is more likely to be seen as irritating.
2. If you're feeling all crazy, you can even invite the neighbors. This is not required, though it may increase goodwill should the party continue into the wee hours of the night.
3. If possible, try to keep the guests *inside* the house when it gets late. Noise travels less, and damage to the neighbor's garden is less likely to occur.
4. If inside, close your windows if possible. It was hot this weekend, and I totally understand needing air. However, that is why Man invented air conditioners.
5. Dispose of your trash yourself. If you don't know what the neighborhood procedure is for doing this, ask your neighbor. Don't just leave your trash under the back deck for my husband to drag to the pick up location in the morning so as to prevent vermin from taking residence in our house (hint hint).
6. It looks funny to your neighbors if you just use your new empty house to have a party in, and then go live somewhere else before moving in "for real" several months later. It kind of makes it seem like you've forgotten that *other* people do actually live there (especially if you don't say hi/nod/smile/in some way acknowledge them when you pass them on the stairs outside the house).
7. If possible encourage your guests to argue with each other inside the house rather than on the back deck (I know this can be hard to control, however).
8. Say hi! Be neighborly when you and your 15 friends waltz in (or out) of your house with their sleeping bags and pillows. Don't just pretend like nobody is standing there.
In short, imagine that your were the neighbor, and you had to get up early for some important appointment the following morning, and you had to listen to a raging party all night long. Think of what you'd want your neighbor to do.
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