. . . Psychiatry, much like most other clerkships is not at all enjoyable. I am completely out of steam. Gas tank is empty. I can't feign anymore enthusiasm; empathy as pretending to care isn't working anymore.
Anyone else just... out?
Wow. Usually psychiatry rotations are good because the attendings don't yell at you, (I had one psych. attending yell at me because I couldn't be running two groups at the same time, but then she chilled out when she realized her mistake i.e. that I can't be two places the same time). I think we all have a certain level of enthusiasm for all our rotations (otherwise why did we apply to med school, do two years basic science), but rotations suck when they accusse you of not being enthusiastic enough, (i.e. didn't watch the same baseball game as prof), not knowing enough (i.e. don't laugh at attendings lame jokes). Seriously, you have to learn how to have fun on rotations, even when attendings are mean and the rotation is starting to drag, someways to lighten up the load:
1. Ask attendings why did they go into psychiatry, listen to their story, put on solem face and say, "did you regret your decision?" at end of conversation. Then ask them same question three weeks later, claim you don't remember previous conversation, ask them again in same tone of voice, "do you regret your choice?"
2. Volunteer to bring in bagels for breakfast on Tuesday, when they ask you why say, "Tuesdays are always special for me, it was the day I first decided to . . . fill in blank with X"
3. Ask a psych resident if a patient's feelings about their feelings are important in their psychiatric treatment. Then tell them you were just kidding after resident tries to explain some complex emotional theory.
4. Eat a big lunch/brunch in a.m., come to rotation with empty brown paper bag and plastic wrapper and ask everyone, "Who ate my ham sandwhich?" Search high and low. Repeat every 2-3 days.
