An intern no more

WOW.....it's so hard to believe that it has been a year already, though on the other hand I didn't think this day would ever come. A year ago today, Ientered Children's Hospital in my fresh clean white coat with a bounce in my step and anxiety flowing in my veins. Upon graduation I had in one moment been transformed from "medical student" to "doctor".

The year in review:

July: Outpatient Pediatrics......felt like more of medical school. BOOOOOOOORRRRRING. And I caught the worst virus of my entire life. And personally learned what chills and cold sweats felt like.

August: NICU On call the first day of the rotation. I remember the first phone call from a nurse that required me to make a decision.

Nurse: "Baby Peanut had a 10 mL aspirate".

Me: "Ummmm.....ok, I'll come see the baby" (Internal dialogue, holy crap what's an aspirate?)

Me: {looks at baby, appearing all doctorly} To nurse: "You know I'm an intern"

Nurse: "Yup"

Me: "and you know it's August and let me add I did outpatient last month and learned nothing"

Nurse: "Yup"

Me: "OK, so well, what's an aspirate?"

Nurse explains that an aspirate in undigested formula pulled from the baby's stomach before the next meal is fed to these tiny baby's. Large aspirates can be a sign of serious intestinal infection in a preemie.

Me: "So, what are my choices"

I am presented with three choices and I choose one to which the nurse replies

"Hmmmmmmmmmm"

Me: "I see you don't like that choice, what would you do?"

And thus I made my first decision as a Dr. It' very funny now....not so much at the time.

I became very attached to my preemies...and as a matter of fact I still see 13 of them regularly in my clinic. I lost one baby that month which still brings tears to my eyes but I also witnessed a true miracle. Baby E came into this world weighing 1 lb 12 oz, blue and lifeless. I had to do chest compressions and bag this tiny thing. HIs changes of survival wre less than 20% and his chance of leading a normal life were minicule.

Meet Baby E at 9 months old

Just beautiful.

September: GREEN TEAM This is Adolescent Medicine/Pulmonary/Renal. I hated it, it was miserable. It is over. I have nothing esle to say.

October: Newborn Nursery What a truly happy rotation. I was the little dark thundercloud of doom though. I could bring all the pregnant women in the area into the hospital to give birth on my call nights. I hold the record for the most babies born on a single call day at 17. I also had a 14, 11, and 10. I still see several of these babies in my clinic as well.

November: I bought a house and moved in. Had a rotation of lectures and went on vacation.

December: RED TEAM I was disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more. This rotation was general inpatient pediatrics. Asthma, pneumonia, dehydration. I didn't particular bond with any patients and well I didn't like my senior resident.

January: ER. I had fun, learned alot and was sad to see it end.

February: Heme-Onc The greatest surprise of the year.....this was my favorite rotation. The disease process is interesting though sad. But you get to know your patients well. The relationships I made with these families still continue when I see them in the hospital. I'm returning to heme-onc in August to see if my love of this field is real.

March: Cardiology Not my favorite subject. But I did manage to not let die a 16 year old having a cocaine induced heart attack.....and the page to the cardiology fellw from me was classic "Patient X ont he floor, now complaining of crushing chest pain, ST changes on EKG, need help now" AMazing how fast things happen when something bad is happening. I couldn't find the drugs I needed on the computer eletronic order system so I called the pharmacy and was like I can't find it online but I needed it NOW and presto I had the meds. I recruited a baby to my clinic (see a trend?)

April: 2 weeks of my clinic (bliss) and vacation

May: Neuro.....loved it, bonded with my families. Was sad to see it end.

June: Red team again. Better this time but I don't like the rapid turnover of patient's. I like to get to know my families.

So now that I'm an all experienced 2nd year resident what changes other than I am not called an intern anymore.

Not much. I have fewer call months. (5-6 instead of 9). I'm the senior resident on the wards and have interns that answer to me for 2 months. My other call months are more difficult with sicker kids....surgery, ped ICU, NICU with sicker babies. I have the responsibility of doing more teaching to interns and medical students. And I have to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I also have to take the boards and get my liscense.

So really, completing intern year though I. AM. SO. EXCITED. is just a hurdle in the process and I have 2 years to go.

Stephanie