Dr. C from MUA called to apologize for the mix-up with my solo honeymoon here in OKC. i appreciated her forthrightness and have since realized it really wasn’t MUA’s fault. it wasn’t The Hospital’s fault* either.

it’s just the way things seem to work.

would it have been a big deal if it hadn’t occurred in the 36-hour window right after my wedding? of course not.

all that aside, things are sorting themselves out and i’m getting settled into The Hospital and my place as a 3rd year med student. 3rd year is actually a pretty good place to be. almost everything is new and you aren’t expected to know too much yet. sweeet. here are a few details about my Ob/Gyn rotation…

daily schedule:
6am – 5pm

actual daily schedule:
5am – early afternoon

get there an hour before your resident to pre-round and write up all the patient notes in their charts. that way, when the resident shows up, they will round and just have to look over your notes and prescriptions to sign and approve. i found that the days rarely extended until 5pm. most residents will let you go home if there is no one in labo(u)r and nothing going on. you may be expected to wait around until noon-ish though, so be sure to bring something to read.

also, be aware of any planned events in the morning (ie: Book Club at 615am on Thursdays or Grand Rounds at 7am on Fridays) and show up extra early on those days to get all your work done.

if you are watching a c-section, jot down the sex of baby, time of birth, weight and Apgar scores on a little piece of paper. hand this paper to your resident as they are exiting the operating theatre and you will make their life much easier.

what to wear:
- scrubs
- comfy shoes
- short white coat
- hospital name badge & access card (the baby ward tends to be locked up like Fort Knox)

what’s in my pockets:
- stethoscope
- small notebook with patient note & prescription formats
- photocopied list of ward room numbers and patient names/status
- pen
- cafeteria food coupons
- phone
- Maxwell’s Reference
- photocopied chapter from Williams with this week’s reading for Book Club

patient notes you will be asked to write:
- initial H&P** on pregnant women (big long form)
- prenatal follow-up care (# weeks along? gravida/para? blood pressure? weight gain? urine protein/glucose? fundal height? fetal heart tones? fetal movement? vaginal bleeding? etc)
- post-partum or post-op (if c-section) 24/48hr progress (nausea/vomiting? bathroom use? lochia? breast/bottlefeeding? fundus firm below umbilicus? lower extremity edema? etc)
- post-partum or post-op 2/6wk follow-up (complaints? plan for birth control? depression? etc)

what to study:
- Blueprints Obstetrics and Gynecology
- First Aid for the Wards

a few unforgettable things learned along the way:
- post-partum moms are entitled to 48 hours in-hospital. post-op moms get 72 if they want.
- never correct a nurse’s spelling. even if they ask you whether “Benedryl” is right.

curious things other students do:
- fiddle with their hair (ponytail up, down, up, down, back up and down again just looks unprofessional to me.)
- check their phones in front of Attendings*** (we only see them for a few minutes each day. can’t that wait?)
- sit in the nurses’ lounge or library to read (be available and visible. your resident will not take the time to hunt you down if something cool happens.)

————
photo: extra large safety pin used by Brandon’s mom for many years to pin her wedding ring to her bra during surgery. she passed it on to me last weekend when we were in Nebraska for the wedding reception. now i never have to worry about tossing any jewelry away with soiled scrubs. i love it!

*although i did receive a gracious apology from the Graduate Medical Education department at The Hospital as well.
**history & physical
***over-seeing and often overly-intimidating physicians.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.