A Morning in the Life, Vol. I

Posted 06:18 PM, February 22, 2007, by jaruiz

By Payam Massaband, MD
(Image courtesy of Mark Riesenberger)

0600. Turn off the alarm.

0615. Turn off the alarm. Automatic coffee turns on.

0630. Turn off the alarm

0645. Wake up. What's the conference today? Let's see, Thursday = MSK. Should be a good one. I don't want to be late.

0735. Second resident to arrive at lecture. What's Krasnokutsky doing up there? Oh $#!+, it's Tuesday today. It's going to be a long week.

0745. I wonder who will read out this morning. Amazing what a difference it makes to know who the attending of the day is beforehand. Something involving mental and psychic preparation, I guess. Maybe like a prisoner of war, knowing when a particular guard will be on duty. ____ is on today? Don't let him see you smile, you might get lucky today.

0815. "Anyone want to take this case? Any second years?" When was that cricket promoted to a second year?

0845. Make the trek from the Lucas Center to the hospital. Almost invariably, I run into an old colleague who looks at me, looks at his/her watch, then looks at me again to say, "Radiology must be nice." I always try to answer, with variable success, that I have actually been in lecture that morning. One time I might just break down and ask: "Hey what the ?!&# are you doing out here, then?" This time, I decide to play into his insecurity. "Actually, radiology is great. At 10:30 someone comes around for drink orders. Too bad you decided to go into ____."

0900: Sign in to PACS. Wonder if GE really cares. Preview a few cases, read out a few cases.

10:30: Kate Stevens brings around shortbread, which goes great with coffee. I make a mean Mocha in the tech break room and come back to dictate.

10:45. Get a visit from the ____residents, who want to review a study. Great, my old colleague is with them. I tip my cup towards him and wink. "These findings are suggestive of colitis, maybe C.Dificile," I tell them. Their response is unanimous; the patient is clinically stable. Why the ?!&# did you order this study, I wondered. "We didn't order the study" was their refrain before walking off. Oops, I guess I wondered too loud again...

11:45. Finish AM readout, go to noon lecture.

12:00. "Advances in functional MRI of Drosophila Amygdala--Kluver and Bucy were Mescaline Addicts." Part of our clinical MRI series, I guess.

Tune in next time for the continuation of the series, "A Day in the Life of a Resident."