Trust

A few weeks ago my rotation schedule was falling apart before my eyes. Boston was canceled for reasons unknown to me, NY was no longer a possibility and I received the dreaded email from Tracey (my clinical coordinator) saying she was going to be reworking my rotation schedule. I was holding myself together but was pretty nervous. I trust Tracey, she is amazing at her job and truly cares about ensuring we receive a great clinical experience. Tuesday I received my rotation schedule with a few changes and one hole. This hole is my next rotation... thats right, I am moving in one week and I have no idea where I am going. There were a few changes to my schedule, rotation four will now be cardiology in San Francisco at a Sutter clinic, where it looks like I will receive inpatient and outpatient exposure, and I am no longer going to Las Vegas (unless of course that is where I am going next). I am happy with the changes in my schedule but wish I knew where I will be moving next, mostly so I can find a place to live...

On a lighter note. This week I saw a patient who was menopausal, her last period was over two years ago (by definition menopausal is when a female has not had a period for 12 consistent months). She had a laundry list of complaints, but her entire physical exam was normal. The most amusing part of the visit was when she decided she might be pregnant and that is why she hasn't had a period in TWO YEARS!!!! She also had no other signs or symptoms of pregnancy... I might have had a good giggle when I was a safe distance from the patient room. Sometimes I cannot comprehend where patient complaints come from, but the majority of the time they are warranted complaints that need further investigation. We did order a pregnancy test and several labs to confirm she was menopausal and canceled her procedure because of the possible pregnancy. Patients keep medicine interesting in many ways including, but not limited to the following:  when they present with a condition that is not common, when they present with a common condition but in an uncommon way, when they have absurd complaints that are normal physiology (these usually require a lot of patient education) and when they let their minds wonder and come up with very unlikely explanations for symptoms they may have.

My last day with Dr. Lickness is Tuesday, I drive back to the bay Wednesday, call backs and end of rotation exams are Thursday and Friday. Block two is under my belt, time to pick up and move on again!