diverse interests?

[24fps]

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I have a bit of a weird question. I know that EM inherently tends to attract individuals with diverse outside interests or pursuits, but I was wondering whether anybody knew of programs that, for whatever reason, tend to attract people with interesting outside pursuits, backgrounds, worldview, etc. I imagine most programs have residents with interesting stories, but I'm curious as to whether anybody noticed this trait sticking out at any of the programs they visited.

 

[Sessamoid]

I have a bit of a weird question. I know that EM inherently tends to attract individuals with diverse outside interests or pursuits, but I was wondering whether anybody knew of programs that, for whatever reason, tend to attract people with interesting outside pursuits, backgrounds, worldview, etc. I imagine most programs have residents with interesting stories, but I'm curious as to whether anybody noticed this trait sticking out at any of the programs they visited.

Interesting question.

Answer? We're all weird.

 

[DrQuinn]

Interesting question.

Answer? We're all weird.

He's right. Up on the wall in front of me in the ER call room is my Britney Spears "Hit Me Baby One More Time" Clock and next to that is a poster of Jenna Morasca from Survivor and a menu from the local pizzaria. I play video games incessantly and type at 120 wpm. I eat Korean squid like its going out of style, and am addicted to reality shows on TV. Weird indeed.

I think most EM programs like to have a well-rounded class, so you're not going to find a bunch of hippie crunchy liberals from Boulder who hike in their birkenstocks at the Denver program.

Example: We have 12 people in our program, (only two classes):
1 is 37, Med/Peds attending
1 is ~37, did mass casualty stuff for military, GMO in Navy
1 is ~30, did internship, was a paramedic
1 is ~33, straight outta medical school but ran his own business
7 are ~26 and straight outta medical school
1 is ~30s and is an infectious disease attending

all have varied interests, VERY different personalities, and varied hobbies, which makes it a lot of fun when we get together.

Q, DO

 

[Sessamoid]

I play video games incessantly and type at 120 wpm.

Doom 3 comes out in a week and a half! UT2004 just never held my attention.

 

[DrQuinn]

Doom 3 comes out in a week and a half! UT2004 just never held my attention.

Hope my video card can handle it. I'll have to get it and just upgrade. Hm, there's a 10% off coupon for Best Buy floating around the internet that is valid this weekend, perhaps its time to upgrade.

I love UT2k4. I love onslaught and the vehicles.

Q, DO

 

[Sessamoid]

Hope my video card can handle it. I'll have to get it and just upgrade. Hm, there's a 10% off coupon for Best Buy floating around the internet that is valid this weekend, perhaps its time to upgrade.

I love UT2k4. I love onslaught and the vehicles.

Q, DO

Onslaught is pretty damned cool. If the card can handle UT2004 it should do D3, judging by the preliminary reviews. Have you played Far Cry?

And so we don't get too off topic, one guy in my class was pretty... well, different. Good doc, but kinda weird. He had the most extensive VHS porn collection I've seen outside a video store, all proudly displayed in racks on his living room wall. He had a nearly-as-impressive gun collection which included a live Tommy gun with the circular drum (which spits 50 calibur bullets, or so I'm told). As you might expect, he had this very quiet, dry sense of humor that left you thinking, "OMG, I can't believe he just said that." Not to patients of course, but still....

One of the guys in the class behind me, in addition to being a huge FPS gamer, was in his previous career a Navy F-14 pilot. He had a habit of occasionally saying inappropriate things, as might be expected of a guy who flies the same fighters featured in "Top Gun." He got in trouble once for writing the following discharge instructions for a patient in police custody: "Go to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200."

One guy I work with at my part-time gig is also an active duty Los Angeles Police Department cop. He collects guns, cars, and motorcycles. He has this amazing 50 calibur sniper rifle, designed to stop vehicles by going straight through the engine block.

 

[ERMudPhud]

I think most EM programs like to have a well-rounded class, so you're not going to find a bunch of hippie crunchy liberals from Boulder who hike in their birkenstocks at the Denver program.

Actually when I was there I think 4/13 of us might have loosely qualified as crunchy,liberal, hikers with a connection to Boulder but we mostly snuck in by applying from other parts of the country. The truth is when selecting applicant you look for people who will be fun to work with and do a great job. After all, nothing sucks worse as an attending than to be stuck with a resident who doesn't have a clue. You could have solo'd Everest on rollerskates but if you can't work in the ED we wouldn't want you no matter how interesting you are.

That being said, take a look at the current classes as you interview. If their range of interests match with yours there is a good chance your class will be similar. Even without the Boulder hippy connection we could have put together an absolutely smoking skiing/boarding team

 

[ERMudPhud]

He got in trouble once for writing the following discharge instructions for a patient in police custody: "Go to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200."
.

One of my classmates once wrote Dx: probable demonic possesion Instructions: Get an exorcism. (It was on a fake chart designed to see if the attending signing charts would notice-this in the days before the attending was supposed to see every patient)

 

[DrQuinn]

One of my classmates once wrote Dx: probable demonic possesion Instructions: Get an exorcism. (It was on a fake chart designed to see if the attending signing charts would notice-this in the days before the attending was supposed to see every patient)

Wow. Totally going to have to try that next month.

Q, DO

 

[spyderdoc]

After work, I just love to get on my Santa Cruz Blur and hit the Santa Monica Mountains...Makes all the evil spirits go away!
Prior to med school, I was a cop for 3 years...Had an AR-15, but I hocked it for a semester of schooling. Still got my Sig .45 though. I will never part with that one...