Peds: Day 12

Another day of inpatient is through...pretty much like every other day. I had a patient with a groin abscess, an infant with increased frequency of seizures, and my infantile spasm kiddo. 2 of them were discharged home today, so I was busy with paperwork for a portion of the afternoon. There's only 1 day left and it is with a heavy and disappointed heart that I admit that I have not actually learned anything from my teachers. I can't tell you how sad this makes me. When I am an attending (and even while I am a resident), I will not treat my students as poorly as I have been treated. If you know me, you know how eager I am to learn, how happy it makes me to see patients and to learn from them. But I just haven't been given any guidance throughout this rotation, and I am afraid that my education has suffered. I only have 2 weeks left of peds, and I may never have patients like this again, and I have missed out on so many good learning opportunities. SO, in an attempt to correct this deficiency, I have decided that: I will take even more initiative in approaching my residents and attendings so that I may ask them questions or review my cases or topics with them; I will take the time to teach my students at least one topic that we encounter during rounds each day; I will pimp my students; and I will encourage them to challenge themselves with things they are uncomfortable with doing.

Oh I should probably explain what "pimp" means...its when an attending asks a student questions regarding his patient or just questions about anything, really. And when you get asked these questions, you are put on the spot, and you are singled out of the group and need to answer in front of your peers. So if you get it wrong you feel like a real idiot, and if you get it right but show that you aren't confident you appear incompetent in front of your peers. It's so uncomfortable to me, to be asked questions and have to answer while in front of a bunch of people, but I learn things so much better this way. If I get it wrong, I never forget it; if I get it right, I get a huge confidence boost. Too many wrong questions makes me want to go off into a corner and cry, but otherwise I really like this approach to learning. It really solidifies your knowledge, and I would rather get these questions wrong in front of an attending than in front of my patients...so it's making me a better future physician, and that's what matters most.

One day left. Thank God. ;)