Family Medicine: Day 1, 2

For my Family Medicine rotation, I am working at a rural hospital about an hour away from my apartment (and about a half hour away from my mom & dad's house).

 I love working in the rural hospitals for a few selfish reasons:

1. I'm encouraged to do stuff. I'll be doing proper doctor stuff for the next five weeks, including providing a differential diagnosis, selecting the most likely diagnosis, offering a treatment plan, and determining appropriate follow-up testing and appointments. I will also be doing loads of pap smears, wart removals, and other procedures that family doctors routinely do.
2. Free food. All the time. And it's decent food.
3. Patients mistake me for a real doctor because I wear a white coat. They don't even realize it's a short one! They just see white and immediately warm up to me.
4. Pharmacy reps are allowed on the hospital grounds. Which means more free food, and sometimes I also get fun little demonstration kits! I have one in my apartment which demonstrates how to properly insert a copper IUD - it sure makes for a good conversation piece!
5. The hours are pretty great. I work like an attending, not like a dog resident.
6. There are literally no pretentious doctors around. They don't get paid just for being smart, they get paid for being an effective (and likable) doctor. So they tend to be a lot of fun to be around.
7. Free food. Like, breakfast/lunch/dinner. I cannot stress this enough!

The physician I'm with for the next 5 weeks also has 6 women who are due to deliver sometime in the next 2 weeks. That means this girl will get to catch some babies! Beyond excited!!!!