MEDVAMC

I'm done with C-sections for a long, long time. It's a little sad, but I was getting bored of them near the end. Maybe I should have clamored to do more.

So why hasn't anyone seen me online/anywhere recently? My sleep schedule is incredibly f***ed up. Let me provide a short summary of what happened today. I don't even know where to start, since "today" started at an aberrant time.

Monday 1150pm - Woke up from a 430pm to 1150pm nap. Beginning of trouble.
Tuesday 6am - Free Grand Slam at Denny's. Possibly the most ghetto situation I had seen/been in forever. All kinds of colorful people showed up there. I was expecting shots to be fired, but it was uneventful. Line was short, I guess. 
Tuesday 830am - Clinic
Tuesday 1pm - MEDVAMC. Patients are more compliant, but probably a bit more combative / openly defiant. One lady told me she was never going to take any medicine a doctor prescribed because "the army fucked her up." 
Tuesday 430pm - Clinic ends
Tuesday 440pm - Arrive in apartment, began sleeping.
Wednesday 1200am - Woke up from nap. Aaannd here we are.

We had mid-clerkship evaluations last week. It was largely disappointing. Not because of a profound # of complaints or criticisms, but of a lack of really, anything good or bad. "Needs to communicate better with Spanish speaking patients" and "needs to read more" (everyone gets that). What makes you think [improving Spanish skills] an overnight/week kind of thing? Disa-fucking-pointing.* I finally just asked my preceptor for an evaluation.

Evaluations should consist of almost all criticisms. It makes no sense to me to start with a list of strengths. What, you pussies need an ego boost? You should know your own strengths. And even if you don't, bfd. Don't drastically change anything that wasn't criticized. Ask if you need to improve on anything.** If your mentor has been watching you very carefully, take that list and assume everything else is more/less ok. I'm glad my preceptor agrees with this, tacitly.

That's a philosophy I stick to as well. Admittedly, it causes some tension here and there. It's a lot more tough love than love. Probably no love at all. I know most people's strengths, though, and I'd never tell it to your face.

Some people though, love the frosting. (It makes me sick.) They want as much of it as you can pile on, and then some. And maybe then can you sneak in a critique or two. Really? You can categorically never expect that out of me. Go fuck yourself***, I might say, and definitely think it. If you knew me well enough, you might pick up the "GFY" face, followed by a very disaffected look.

Back to my preceptor. So she thought about what I asked her and wrote me a long email, which I only had to read once. It's great to have something to work on. It's even better to have these resolved the next week, with maybe a morsel of praise, followed by more things to work on. Preceptor-win. Improvement-win.

Sayonara, bitches. I got surgery in 5 hours.

*: cf. last post.
**: Be careful asking insecure colleagues. Some might take the opportunity to begin the rippage. Kind of a dick move, but most people are disappointing and boring anyway. And I'd never tell it to your face. :P
***: No, don't. Maybe go sit in the corner and think about what's best.