Thursday, July 23, 2009
Outpatient = Impatient
So going into medical school I had a suspicion that I wouldn't care for outpatient clinic very much. I didn't ever have anything to base this on, but it's what I thought would happen. Sure enough, it's true. At least based on my 3 weeks of outpatient pediatrics, I don't care for clinic very much. The most excited I got for school this week was the morning I spent in the cardiology clinic reviewing echocardiograms and following up on catheter procedures. Outpatient peds interventions are just much more long-term and lifestyle oriented. Vaccinations, lifestyle, diet, safety, and prevention are the mainstays of successful health, but they just don't get me fired up. I'd much rather be the guy guiding a cath or anesthetizing someone. I'm a pretty control oriented kind of guy, and I'd rather have the outcome of a patient depend more on my own skill and knowledge than on their willingness to follow through on my instructions.
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4 comments:
Am I surprised? No, no I am not. Thanks for keeping me updated, inquiring minds like knowing what you are doing.
My 4-year-old daughter, Abby, just had a heart catheter procedure last summer. We have a follow up visit along with an echo this week.
I just read back on your blog to week 1 in the NICU. And, it brought me back to our days there... I feel so blessed as well to have a healthy baby. And, It was heart wrenching to see Dennis in the isolette. I also felt like the place was holy ground- filled with angels helping the little spirits go through their sometimes tramatic transition into this world.
An interesting insight into self-awarness and selecting a field of practice. Patient relationships and interactions are some of the things Dr C (aka Dan's dad) is missing most while he is doings strictly administration this year.Even though he is a urologist and therefore a surgeon, it is the relationships with his patients that bring him significant fulfillment - negotiating large contracts or making other business decisions just doesn't have the same level of satisfaction for him. This is an interesting insight that should be part of a discussion group for every med student. But do keep an open mind as you work through the different rotations- urology wasn't even on Dr C's list of probable specialties until he took that rotation.
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