My first day of residency

[DreamLover]

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Well...July 1st was pretty painless for me. I showed up at the VA this morning ready to do whatever they told me to do. I'm in the CCU this month. I think they took it easy on me since I'm on call tomorrow. I didn't have to see any patients before rounding with the attending and I picked up one existing patient to see tomorrow morning before morning report/rounds. My call starts at 7am though so I could have more patients before then. There were 2 codes at the VA in my first 30 minutes at the hospital...about 10 min apart resulting in one death. Tomorrow....I carry the code pager. Wish me luck guys!!

How was everyone else's first day experience??

 

[Jeeper04]

My first day was great....because I don't start till tomorrow! Psych rules!!

 

[Shah_Patel_PT]

My first day was great....because I don't start till tomorrow! Psych rules!!

Same here.....my first day tomorrow at a level 1 trauma center (ER).

 

[IFNgamma]

Well, I'm doing surgery and my 1st day was not what i had expected. Rounded w/ an R2 for a while, then he told me to go see and wrote notes for 3 patients. I wrote the note and some orders. Then rounded w/ the chief, and then the attending, my day was over at 10 AM.

I stayed around until about 1:30 PM helping out my co-intern who is on-call today. I feel bad for the guy, being bombarded w/ pages and running around everywhere. And a patient coded on him.

I think I got lucky since Jul 1 is Sunday, or else I would've been hella busy.

 

[Bevo]

my first day was breakfast. 1 resident intern is on call for the med floor and i think there is a surg intern on call today as well.

Start tomorrow on one of the med floors with a fellow intern. First call isn't for another 10 days. Then its q5 from there.

my friend got screwwwwwwwwed. One of her fellow interns or TYs showed up preggos. She got stuck with 2 of her medicine floor months instead of electives.

 

[Tired]

Does anyone else's program make a big deal about the distinction between "internship" and "residency"? I don't know if it's just a military thing, but it's pretty clear that I am to never refer to myself as a resident or going through a residency; I am an intern in internship.

Just curious.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Tired...

I've not seen that although in all of the programs I've been affiliated with the first year resident or PGY-1 is still referred to as "the intern".

But I cannot say I've seen it taken to such lengths as you are experiencing. I thought you Ortho guys were a buncha fun...sounds like your program is a bit more staid.🙁

 

[random-dude]

First day in the ICU went okay.....I think I've forgotten everything I learned in med school. It was cool not having anyone sign my notes or orders though. I'm on call tomorrow and am packing an extra pair of scrub pants.

good luck to all!

 

[umza]

I started in Peds today. We joined the team for signover so that we would know the patients and then our senior laid it out for us... "others were unsure of the expectations" uhoh. I hope we can cut the mustard.

First call tuesday, however they did ask if I wanted to come back for call tonite. Unfortunately, too short notice, for childcare arrangements. If I would have taken it, I could have a weekend out of the way and then a day in Lieu for our Canada Day. Oh well. More notice, people!!!!

 

[Tired]

But I cannot say I've seen it taken to such lengths as you are experiencing. I thought you Ortho guys were a buncha fun...sounds like your program is a bit more staid.🙁

Don't get me wrong, we're a ton of fun. I think it's probably a function of the way the military works. We actually have to reapply for PGY2 (ie - "residency"). Since it's a competitive process, I suppose it makes sense to distinguish intern from resident.

My PD gave me candy the other day. If that keeps up, they can call me whatever they want.

😀

 

[swimguy23]

I start tomorrow as well.....i'm hoping i don't have 1 huge brainfart and can remember something

 

[colbgw02]

my friend got screwwwwwwwwed. One of her fellow interns or TYs showed up preggos. She got stuck with 2 of her medicine floor months instead of electives.

did this intern let the program know ahead of time? if not, then that's absolutely inexcusable and i hope she has that misery visited back upon her 10-fold.

there have been threads about this before, but chicas, if you get pregnant, don't keep it a secret. this isn't 1954; your fellow interns will understand you going on maternity leave. what they won't understand is having their schedule drastically changed at the last second because you kept mum.

 

[dpmd]

The day went ok. It was fun when they assigned the patients to go see this morning (we all met first to run the list, then scattered to see the patients before paper rounds with the attendings-I guess that is what they do on the weekends). I had an hour and a half, and had 16 patients on the ward I got assigned to. Needless to say I didn't get anywhere close to seeing all of them. It turned out ok, though. We just went back after and saw those we couldn't get to (other people didn't finish as well, so it wasn't like I was the only loser). We got stuff done just in time to get a bunch of traumas (minor stuff really). Now I have to try to dictate a discharge summary, as well as a procedure note for a port-a-cath removal. Good thing I don't really know how😱. Could have been worse, at least no one coded.

 

[pillowhead]

First day was overnight call. Got to the hospital at 6am sunday to round on my 4 old patients that were handed over and then got four more patients begin at 7am. One required a central line and thoracentesis so we didn't finish with that person until the wee hours of the morning. Slept about an hour total, finally left around 1:30pm feeling like an idiot for having so much for my team to still take care of but so grateful for the 30 hour limit.

Folks, overnight call your first day is a pretty brutal way to start. The upside is at least I have it under my belt and over with.

 

[46&2]

Does anyone else's program make a big deal about the distinction between "internship" and "residency"? I don't know if it's just a military thing, but it's pretty clear that I am to never refer to myself as a resident or going through a residency; I am an intern in internship.

Just curious.

I'm at a military/civilian program and never heard of distinguishing intern vs. resident. Then again, some of the military PGY-1s don't even rotate at the military base. Military rules are very commander dependent.

We did get this briefing at the civilian hospital that it was illegal to call ourselves doctor. According to state law, you need a medical license to be "Dr. so-and-so". More egregious, they actually prosecuted a few interns for calling themselves doctor (although it was part of a larger complaint). I understand the difference between calling yourself 'licensed physician' and an intern, but it's a little silly if you're talking to patients.

 

[alphaholic06]

I'm at a military/civilian program and never heard of distinguishing intern vs. resident. Then again, some of the military PGY-1s don't even rotate at the military base. Military rules are very commander dependent.

We did get this briefing at the civilian hospital that it was illegal to call ourselves doctor. According to state law, you need a medical license to be "Dr. so-and-so". More egregious, they actually prosecuted a few interns for calling themselves doctor (although it was part of a larger complaint). I understand the difference between calling yourself 'licensed physician' and an intern, but it's a little silly if you're talking to patients.

Wow, that's interesting. I thought obtaining an MD was what allowed you or anyone else to call you doctor.

 

[FL350]

I'm at a military/civilian program and never heard of distinguishing intern vs. resident. Then again, some of the military PGY-1s don't even rotate at the military base. Military rules are very commander dependent.

We did get this briefing at the civilian hospital that it was illegal to call ourselves doctor. According to state law, you need a medical license to be "Dr. so-and-so". More egregious, they actually prosecuted a few interns for calling themselves doctor (although it was part of a larger complaint). I understand the difference between calling yourself 'licensed physician' and an intern, but it's a little silly if you're talking to patients.

What a load. I assume you have an MD or DO degree. You hold a DOCTORATE in medicine or osteopathy and are therefore entitled to call yourself a DOCTOR. I am also going to assume that you don't introduce yourself as " Hi I am Dr. X, a state liscensed physician" which would of course be false.

Are PhDs in this state allowed to call themselves doctors or do they need a state medical license to use this title also?

Frigin lawyers.

 

[DreamLover]

well....hmmmm....all I can say is that being on call at a VA at night is a little scary in itself. Day 2 of internship and there I am cross covering the unit patients and doing new unit admissions non stop until about 320 am...then I tried to hide and fall asleep...until exactly 427 when I got paged again. Some of them were what I considered good pages and others...not so good....but I went and saw every single person (that's my plan until I feel like I have a MUCH better idea about what's goin on-and I felt like I really had to being that I'm in the unit and really have no idea what I'm doing)

I survived and so did all of my patients...but that may have been blind luck. No codes and ACLS certified or not...I was relieved to hand over that code pager this morning!! I've been trying to sleep since I got home but my non-medical friends and family don't quite understand this schedule thing yet!!

I can't believe I have to go back there tomorrow...I need sleep and help to find more positive energy

 

[pgg]

Does anyone else's program make a big deal about the distinction between "internship" and "residency"? I don't know if it's just a military thing, but it's pretty clear that I am to never refer to myself as a resident or going through a residency; I am an intern in internship.

Just curious.

I'm a military resident s/p military internship with intervening GMO tour, but I just did an out rotation at a civilian hospital where the same resident vs intern distinction is made.

In the military though, the distinction is definitely more obvious. There's a tendency to think of interns as "pre-GMOs" who are temporary visitors who likely won't be coming back, as opposed to residents who are in the "gonna be here for years, might as well learn their names" category. Also, the whole GMO phenomenon creates a situation where the battle hardened, ribbon heavy, desert weary, smallpox-vaccinated, carried-a-gun-to-clinic, combat veteran residents think more highly of themselves, at least compared to those new 'terns. 🙂 (Of course, it doesn't take long for the attendings to beat the GMO-land ego out of new residents.)

Don't sweat it though, before you know it you'll be treated like the slightly higher grade dirt that is a resident.

re PhDs in this state allowed to call themselves doctors or do they need a state medical license to use this title also?

I thought it was illegal in every state for a PhD to introduce himself as "doctor" in a clinical setting because it's clearly a misrepresentation to the patient?

 

[46&2]

What a load. I assume you have an MD or DO degree. You hold a DOCTORATE in medicine or osteopathy and are therefore entitled to call yourself a DOCTOR. I am also going to assume that you don't introduce yourself as " Hi I am Dr. X, a state liscensed physician" which would of course be false.

Are PhDs in this state allowed to call themselves doctors or do they need a state medical license to use this title also?

Frigin lawyers.

Yeah, that point about a PhD calling themselves 'Doctor' was made. The bureaucrat sheepishly repeated his mantra, that we weren't doctors. The other medical admin people looked embarrassed. I have a feeling this wouldn't happen in other areas of the country.

My favorite call. I was resting on the bed when the beeper went off at 0130. Nurse apparently felt it necessary to inform me that a pt's PTT was therapeutic. I was thinking to myself, (1) would they call an attending at 0130 to tell them that? and (2) Thank God nothing bad is happening.

 

[FL350]

I thought it was illegal in every state for a PhD to introduce himself as "doctor" in a clinical setting because it's clearly a misrepresentation to the patient?

Yes of course it is. I just find it absurd that here you have someone who is an MD or DO, who can by all legal rights call themselves Dr. outside of the hospital but cannot use the title Dr. at an institiution where they can admit patients to the hospital, performs H&P, order tests medications...in other words function as a doctor.

 

[dynx]

Yeah, that point about a PhD calling themselves 'Doctor' was made. The bureaucrat sheepishly repeated his mantra, that we weren't doctors. The other medical admin people looked embarrassed. I have a feeling this wouldn't happen in other areas of the country.

My favorite call. I was resting on the bed when the beeper went off at 0130. Nurse apparently felt it necessary to inform me that a pt's PTT was therapeutic. I was thinking to myself, (1) would they call an attending at 0130 to tell them that? and (2) Thank God nothing bad is happening.

The nurses where I am are actually AMAZING when compared to where I did medical school, I have only gotten one ******ed page. 20 minutes into what turned out to be my total of 45 minutes of sleep that night I got a page to tell me that a cross cover patient's potassium was 6.2. I tell her to get an EKG (maybe too paranoid at 6.2 but Id rather be safe) and trudge up to the room, look at the patient with his cordis for dialysis in plane view, read the chart which has his K at about 6 for the last 4 days and mentions he's scheduled for dialysis tomorrow. Then notice that the chem-7 she finally had time to peruse through at her leisure at 3am was from 6am that morning clearly charted in the day interns note. If only I had a gun...