ER Vet

Tuesday I started my new ER rotation. Of course, I had to go in at 7am and take care of my leftover neuro patients first...one of my classmates was starting neuro soon and asked how it was...I tried to be optimistic but told her it was the toughest rotation I had done yet. Then she told me that a bunch of my classmates and her were having lunch together the other week and I guess I came up and were all terrified of neuro since they had seen me running around and never leaving the hospital. yeah, I eventually admitted to her that I cried almost every day of that bloody rotation.

Before I go in to the ER details, the weekend before was a three day weekend. I had to work every morning, but only 3-6 hours each day. Mark and his mom and sister and I went to the Italian St. Anthony's festival in Little Italy. Then Sunday I came back and helped Mark move little stuff to his new apartment for 6 hours. The only rough part was when the landlord's wife came back to wax the floors and we had just started unloading the cars and she told us to hurry up, so I ran up and down the two flights of stairs with load after load and wanted to die, but I say that counts for some speed training! We went to a nice dinner, and story of my life, i got a little too drunk. I still can't decide if it was a good or bad thing that I acquired such a taste for beer 2 years ago.

Well Tuesday's ER shift was 10-8. I was terrified, typical deer in the headlights. And yet it went amazingly well. I loved it! I even got out by 9pm and had time to go see Mark at his new place.

Yesterday I was on 1-10, and it was a little more rough since I didn't actually leave until 12:40am. I really like most of the ER people. But there are a few that irk me...I met the first intern that I didn't like yesterday. One of the elective students who is visiting from NC state was overwhelmed with a case she took on. She didn't know how to manage it and get all the paperwork done, so I tried to help her out. Then the intern asked her to go get chest x-rays on the dog, and the girl admitted to me her shift had ended over an hour earlier. I offered to do the x-rays for her, and when she told the intern her shift had been over but I would do the x-rays for her the intern went off on her saying "I know your flight just got in last night, so I will let you go this one time, but I want you to know that this is the exception. Normally we expect you to stay and finish up your case no matter what. Leaving before all the tests and paperwork is not acceptable but I will let you this one time cause I am nice." All I could think is "Nice my ass, there was NO need to raise your voice and reem in to this poor visiting student who just needs to sleep."

Well, trying to be nice, I asked the intern "When does your shift get done?" (At this time it was 9:10pm). "(" she answers. Trying to be nice AGAIN (big mistake) I say "Oh, I am sorry." Well, then she reemed in to ME saying "Well, I am used to it, I never get out of here before 2am. ANd you should get used to it too. When you are on ER you never leave on time. And when you are a real vet, you will never leave at the end of your real shift either. If you think that is the case then you are in the wrong career missy." I sat there and smiled nodding, but all I wanted to say was "No, you listen hear bitch, no one calls me missy, and I think after 6 months of clinics I know better then most of my classmates that you never leave on time, and patient care should come first, but that is NO reason to make others feel like shit and to run around acting like you are god's fucking gift to veterinary medicine." Wow, it feels nice writing that, I really didn't like this intern. Luckily she is the only doctor of the 8 I have met on ER so far that I don't like.

And sure enough I was there 2.75 hours late. But it was ok. Surprisingly, as I drove home at 12:45am, instead of feeling angry at being there late, sure, I was super tired, but I felt quite content. ER is so rewarding. You stabalize some animals, save some lives, sadly send some patients to kitty or doggy heaven, deal with sweetheart as well as nasty bitch clients, but at the end of the day, it is over, and all you can do is smile at all the good work you did as a doctor and look forward to what surprises the next day in the ER will bring. This is great, maybe I can handle an internship.