Today was my first day on Surgical Oncology...was in from 6a-530p. Did some pre-rounds, made my own SOAP notes (not with a template, but my very own notes!), and visited my patients. One had an abscess in the abdomen, another had a cholecystectomy, and I was following their progress post-operatively, with the goal of discharging them home. From 8-9a, my partners and I had an educational meeting with an attending...we went over the basics of shock (for like the 100th time), and also the clinical importance and relevance of respiratory or metabolic alkalosis or acidosis. Then I was in clinic for the rest of the day (9a-5p), and finished up with a quick round on our patients. I saw a lot of cancer patients, a lot of diagnoses, and a lot of age ranges. I quite like oncology...but I think it takes a special kind of person to deal with that day-in and day-out and maintaining hope and optimism and without becoming a lunatic. It can't be easy to see the ultimate prognosis of so many patients...despite our very best efforts and the best medicine can give them, so many will succumb to their illness - some in a year, some in a decade, some in their later years.
Tomorrow, I will be in clinic and then I will get to possibly see a Whipple procedure! Here's to the start of my time in the OR!!! It's going to be a great 3 weeks of surgical oncology!!! :)
Quote of the day from an attending: "So your fiance went from Liverpool to Toledo...really moving down in the world! I know you're a nice girl, but no one can be worth that!" haha ...but I guess I am! ;)
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