Random thoughts
It's been a bit since I've blogged, so there's a few things I'd like to talk about:
1) Dermatology. It's boring. Here's the bread-and-butter:
-psoriasis- combo of creams, shampoos, and UVB light therapy
-atopic dermatitis a.k.a eczema- hydrocortisone cream
-warts- burn them off with liquid nitrogen
-seborrheic keratosis ("age spots")- cosmetic concern only (so no treatment)
-actinic keratosis- very small chance of transformation to skin cancer, so burn them off
-basal cell carcinoma- benign, burn them off
-actinic lentigo a.k.a sun spots a.k.a liver spots- laser can reduce their appearance, harmless
-various types of nevi aka moles- concerning to the patient, but harmless
-melanoma- dangerous malignant skin cancer that can look like moles (see above)
Everything else is weird and unusual and only dermatologists need to know them.
2) Our changing climate
Obviously our winter weather pattern is due to the fact that we keep pumping out pollution that warms our atmosphere, causing the city I live in to have 14 hurricane-force storms, power outages, boil water advisories, a bout of flooding, and 2 severe snow storms that dumped a total of 85cm. These have left our poor city and famous city park in shambles! Have I mentioned that this has only been in the last 2 months? Did I also mention that usually at this time of year, our average temperature is between 5-10 degrees, our average snowfall for the whole winter is 0mm, and the crocuses are usually starting to bud? Meanwhile the other side of the country (that normally fits into the class of "quintesential Canadian Winter") stole our weather???? They think they're so smug with their golfing and their fleece vests without jackets! They should be ashamed of themselves!
3) I have started introducing myself to patients as a student doctor because I am annoyed. I can't say how many time's I've had this conversation with a patient:
Me- I Mr/Mrs/Ms So-and-So. I am Me and I am a medical student. I hope you don't mind if I talk to you before Dr.Such-and-Such comes in to see you?
Patient- Oh, that's not a problem at all! So, you're in medical school are you...well, good for you! So what kind of nurse do you want to be?
Many patients make this assumption that because I am female, medical school must mean that I will become a nurse. If I wanted to be a nurse, I would be in NURSING school, not medical school. My male counterparts don't run into this problem. Old Boys' Club rearing it's ugly head.
Well, I think that's all I have att he moment. I think I can find something else to bitch at though!!!!
1) Dermatology. It's boring. Here's the bread-and-butter:
-psoriasis- combo of creams, shampoos, and UVB light therapy
-atopic dermatitis a.k.a eczema- hydrocortisone cream
-warts- burn them off with liquid nitrogen
-seborrheic keratosis ("age spots")- cosmetic concern only (so no treatment)
-actinic keratosis- very small chance of transformation to skin cancer, so burn them off
-basal cell carcinoma- benign, burn them off
-actinic lentigo a.k.a sun spots a.k.a liver spots- laser can reduce their appearance, harmless
-various types of nevi aka moles- concerning to the patient, but harmless
-melanoma- dangerous malignant skin cancer that can look like moles (see above)
Everything else is weird and unusual and only dermatologists need to know them.
2) Our changing climate
Obviously our winter weather pattern is due to the fact that we keep pumping out pollution that warms our atmosphere, causing the city I live in to have 14 hurricane-force storms, power outages, boil water advisories, a bout of flooding, and 2 severe snow storms that dumped a total of 85cm. These have left our poor city and famous city park in shambles! Have I mentioned that this has only been in the last 2 months? Did I also mention that usually at this time of year, our average temperature is between 5-10 degrees, our average snowfall for the whole winter is 0mm, and the crocuses are usually starting to bud? Meanwhile the other side of the country (that normally fits into the class of "quintesential Canadian Winter") stole our weather???? They think they're so smug with their golfing and their fleece vests without jackets! They should be ashamed of themselves!
3) I have started introducing myself to patients as a student doctor because I am annoyed. I can't say how many time's I've had this conversation with a patient:
Me- I Mr/Mrs/Ms So-and-So. I am Me and I am a medical student. I hope you don't mind if I talk to you before Dr.Such-and-Such comes in to see you?
Patient- Oh, that's not a problem at all! So, you're in medical school are you...well, good for you! So what kind of nurse do you want to be?
Many patients make this assumption that because I am female, medical school must mean that I will become a nurse. If I wanted to be a nurse, I would be in NURSING school, not medical school. My male counterparts don't run into this problem. Old Boys' Club rearing it's ugly head.
Well, I think that's all I have att he moment. I think I can find something else to bitch at though!!!!
posted by MSI (Med Student Intern) @ 6:15 PM
6 Comments:
At 8:31 AM,
Anonymous said…
Believe me, a lot of us in Ontario would love to have our normal weather back! It's downright creepy being able to wear spring jackets in the middle of January. And boring. There's no ice to play shinny on and no snow to go skiing on.
Is it mostly elderly patients who are making those nursing comments? Or is it younger ones too?
At 10:39 AM,
Anonymous said…
Ah...the classic so you're going to be a nurse comment. Sometimes I feel like I'm back in the 50s. Incidentally some of the emergency staff doctors have started treating me the same way since I have ditched the white coat and just wear a lulu jacket to keep warm.
I look forward to the long white coat starting in July--maybe then people won't call me nurse and address me as Dr? A little scary though...
4th year med in alberta
At 10:08 PM,
Anonymous said…
I have had this "so, you're going to be a nurse -- how nice!" comment so many times. I found it happened the most frequently on internal medicine. Especially funny because our team had a male attending and then a female senior, junior, and 3 female med students.
It drives me crazy - especially because it's not a problem the men in our class have.
This rotation, I have introduced myself as "Hello, I am Clerk, a medical student, part of the surgical team working with Dr so-and-so." This seems to help...
At 6:57 PM,
MSI (Med Student Intern) said…
Reply to Anon in Ontario:
I can't complain about all the snow we're getting...it's one of the best ski seasons in a long time! Sorry...maybe you can come and do an elective in BC?
PS Most of the patients who make the nursing comments are older males, but its sort of unpredictable. I've had it from yourger pateints as well.
At 7:01 PM,
MSI (Med Student Intern) said…
Reply to 4th year in Alberta
I wear the white coat to keep warm...avoids the confusion and surprisingly toasty!
I'm afraid that after I get the prized "long white coat" people will mistake me for a lab tech!!! Hope you get your top match in CaRMS!
At 7:02 PM,
MSI (Med Student Intern) said…
Reply to Clerk
I hope I work with a male nurse soon...confuse the heck out of the delirious patients!
I wonder if our male counterparts have any gender issues???
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