miss-sassmaster

[miss-sassmaster]

Calvin and Hobbes - It’s July Already

[miss-sassmaster]

[miss-sassmaster]

THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING TO GET YOUR MEDS BEFORE THE PHARMACIES CLOSE

they are going to be CLOSED OVER THE HOLIDAYS and so will the DOCTORS WHO SIGN YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS.

if you don’t have enough meds to last the next THREE WEEKS, put in for your repeats and refills tomorrow! that’s Wednesday! do it! don’t go to hospital at New Year because you ran out of stuff!

[miss-sassmaster]

Wow !! Pediatric neurology??❤️😯What made you choose this specialisation?😃

Hey @tmedic

I always knew I wanted to do something in pediatrics. I've spent this entire year doing adult neurology (it's part of what you have to do to be a pediatric neurologist) and I very much made the right choice to work with kids.

The neurology part, well, I didn't figure that out until I was already in my pediatric residency. You see, I always liked the brain. My major was psychology with a neuro track, I liked the neuroanatomy part of my anatomy class the most however the person who taught the neurology in medical school was a nightmare and specifically had it out for me and another girl in my class (a story of another day) so my 23 year old brain decided bad instructor causing bad feelings = neurology bad.

And so I avoided it for the rest of medical school any way I could.

I matched to pediatrics and 4 months in I made the discovery that I loved neurology. It was the stuff I was most excited to see and think about and got the greatest sense of accomplishment when I could help make a diagnosis and actually help a child. Most of the cases from residency that impacted me hard and that I'll always remember are the neurologic ones.

It's kind of history from there and now I'm in a pediatric residency program almost done with my adult year and about to really start my pediatric neurology training and I am pumped. The training for pedi neuro is different than all other pediatric specialties in that way but it's really great and I wish more people had the chance to explore it!

[miss-sassmaster]

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Look buddy, i’m just trying to make it to Friday.

[miss-sassmaster]

*patient in fulminant status epilepticus that still hasn't stopped after third line meds* me: can I pause the game please

Playing doctor with my kiddo when she starts doing the potty dance.

Me: it looks like you need to use the bathroom, let’s pause the game.

Her: do doctors even get to go to the bathroom?

[miss-sassmaster]

Hi I'm in 4 th year med school ,it's really exhausting and I keep forgetting stuff I have learnt. I start from the beginning and forget it again , it's almost like a never ending loop

Have you got any tips that could help

Any time anyone says "Remember when you learned this in med school?" I have to resist the urge to rip the skin off my face. Medical school, for me, was where I built a very shaky foundation as I chased exam after exam trying to keep up. I, like you, had to do a lot of relearning and rehashing information I thought I knew well. It doesn't feel good.

I don't have a lot of great tips for this specific point because your education is so transient, assuming you're a 4th year US med student. You generally a month or two of a single specialty but sometimes it's week to week or even just a day, and no one really talks about how challenging it is to constantly be slung around and still have to be on top of learning. The best I can say is to take your time, try to relate the clinical things you're seeing to things to things you're book learning. The experiences can help solidify concepts that feel more abstract. Don't try to cram more information in to "make up" for lost time. And of course, repetition. Work on topics or concepts as a group rather than just mushing information together as it comes to you.

It truly wasn't until I started residency that the information started to really stick and stay. I think a lot of people feel the same. You get a lot of repetition, you see a lot of similar pathology, you get asked the same questions over and over. You still read, you still study, your learning is more focused. Be easy on yourself and give it time. Medicine is tough skill to master.

I know it wasn't the most direct answer and if anyone else has any other good ideas feel free to chime in. Hopefully it helps some and good luck.

[miss-sassmaster]

i love when i “make a mental note” of something. it’s gone within 20 seconds

[miss-sassmaster]

I never used to understand what “making connections” looked like but it turns out it’s standing at a party and saying “I’ve been thinking about getting into the film industry” and someone saying “Oh, Sarah works in the film industry” and Sarah yelling from accross the room “Did someone say my name?!?!?!”

[miss-sassmaster]

Wayfaring’s Laws* of Medical Superstition

1. Upon utterance of the “q-word,” (a word too heinous to commit to writing here, even in the disguised form of one of its many synonyms), the Emergency Dept, clinic, or medical unit in which it was uttered will become inundated with emergencies, difficult patients, and a census out of ratio to staff within the hour.

2. Cloud color dominance submits to the traditional medical educational hierarchy. Thus, a white cloud resident paired with a black cloud attending on call will suffer the effects of the attending’s stormy weather. Medical students, like weathermen, are merely present to record the day’s events for posterity. Cloud forecasts from medical students have a positive predictive value of 14% and are not to be trusted.

3. A seemingly random fleeting thought regarding a patient of particularly disdainful character or of frequent visitation to one’s facility is bound to result in producing said patient’s presence in one’s clinic or ED before the end of the shift. Pronouncement of the patient’s name in the presence of colleagues will result in contact with said patient within the hour.

4. Precipitation precipitates precipitous deliveries. Inclement weather not only brings on labor but also predicts baby booms 9-10 months into the future. The same can be said for Full moons and full ERs and psych wards or Friday the 13ths and emergencies in clinic.

5. Bringing work to be done during one’s “downtime” is a guarantee of a busy day with no downtime.

6. If the functioning of a pager is in question, all that is required to elucidate an answer is to drop one’s pants in a bathroom stall or sit down to a meal. If one is able to complete their bodily eliminations or enjoy a full meal uninterrupted, the pager is surely in need of fresh batteries.

7. The more severe the weather, the more likely all scheduled patients will show up. Conversely, the more pleasant the weather, the less likely scheduled patients will show up. See also: the pre-chart principle, in which pre-charting on a patient prior to their arrival to clinic substantially increases the likelihood that the patient will not show up.

*Laws are still in the research phase and have not yet been found to be universally true, though the frequency of their occurrence and observation by medical personnel from a wide array of specialties and locales supports their factual nature.

[miss-sassmaster]

Hello friends,

After a wild few years I will making an attempt to get back into posting which is something I really enjoyed doing for a long time.

I believe a re-introduction is always helpful after a time away. Since I've been really active I've been pediatric chief resident, had a kid, matched into a pediatric neurology, moved to a brand new city and continue to live through pandemic training.

Even as changes come I hope we can all still figure it out together!

[miss-sassmaster]

[miss-sassmaster]

My team, neurology, consulting vascular for help with a complicated patient: please offer help?

Vascular med: oh this is a tricky one. you should consult neurology.

Us, neurology:

[miss-sassmaster]

I am going through the interview season and I will have to choose between "happiness" and "fellowship opportunities." Is it okay to go to a seemingly toxic program just for better opportunities? It's just 3 years, right? Or a big no?

NO. Huge big NO.

“Just” 3 years is a long freaking time to be unhappy.

I felt like my life and emotions had completely unraveled within 6 months of starting my previous job. By 12 months I was ready to resign and by 18 months when I did leave I thought that each day I had to stay there was a week off my life. I absolutely do not believe that I could have made it through my 3 year contract without ending up in a psych hospital.

Do NOT sacrifice happiness for prestige.

When you’re unhappy and in a toxic work environment, your performance suffers. People around you notice and it affects your reviews and test scores. That also affects your ability to get fellowships. When you’re happy you do good work and attendings can truthfully say you were an excellent resident. It’s not all about scores and name-brand residency programs.

Find your people. Find a place where you can enjoy work. Obviously residency is going to be hard anywhere and you are going to have crappy weeks and months. But having people you like around you and having a supportive work environment absolutely makes those crappy months do-able.

[miss-sassmaster]

You blog is lovely and funny and captures all the crazy things I'm going through. Six months into medical school and I already feel my mind melting, haha. Keep up the amazing work, and thank you for making Tumblr a better place.

Thank you so much for such kind words! Good luck in med school!

[miss-sassmaster]

Hi! I don’t have a Tumblr account, and I’m not sure how long this page has been around. Nevertheless , I really wanted to thank you for making it. I’m two years in my undergraduate degree, and starting to realizing applying for medicine is no longer a far-fetched goal in the distant future. I’ve been binge reading your posts, and you’ve addressed many of the emotions and internal struggles I’ve felt in my quest to become a doctor. So thanks again, you’re truly an inspiration.

Thank you so much, that means so much that anyone can use my experience to help them get through theirs. Its really what I wanted out of this blog in general. 

Hopefully I’ll get a chance to keep adding since I have many new experiences to share too.  

[miss-sassmaster]

Hi I want to become a clinical psychologist but my family is kinda forcing me to be a Doctor. How should I convince them. I have been trying for 3 months. Every conversation ends in an argument. Thanks

Hey anon,

This seems like a much more complex issue than a some advice from an internet stranger can solve. It very dependent on what the factors are, what expectations you have and that they have, where you are in life...there’s just a lot of pieces that no one but people close to you would know. 

One of the things that may be worth trying if you haven’t already is to work on conversing rather than convincing. It may not change anyone’s stance but it may help the tension concerning it. 

And in the end if nothing works, it’s still your life and your career and you should be the one to choose. Becoming a doctor to please someone else or because you felt forced into it usually doesn’t end well. It can feel like your family runs you life long after you hit adulthood but remember your life belongs to you and being a clinical psychologist (which is still a medical professional) is what you want then go for what you want. 

I hope every thing works out for you. Good luck