Touch of the flu

First day back from vacation, and it comes as no surprise that the big topic today was swine flu. (Phrase of the day from morning conference: "death clusters.") We activated the negative pressure room, reviewed CDC guidelines, argued the merits of various antiviral strategies. Numerous worried patients presented, and several healthcare providers were armed with the heavy-duty face masks we use with tuberculosis patients. Meanwhile I'm trying to remember whether I got my flu shot this year....

Reno 911

Posting from Reno, where I'm taking my advanced trauma life support class. Most of the folks in the class are practicing emergency medicine docs and PAs, but even as a lowly intern I feel like I've been able to hold my own. Kind of a confidence-builder, actually. Hmm, perhaps during the past ten months of brutally intense training I've managed to learn something about emergency medicine.

Vacation, all I ever wanted

Haven't had a vacation since September, and -- finally! -- I've got another one coming: I have next week off. So after work today I'm going to rent a car and drive to Reno. Why Reno? Because I get to spend the weekend of my first vacation in seven months taking a required two-day trauma course. In Reno. Yes, I get to leave the hospital for my vacation and keep working! But I'm not bitter or anything.

I just love being an intern....

There's no "U" in "team"

I've been on an anesthesia rotation, where the other day I heard a surgeon say to the surgical resident, "We have to work as a team here. You need to do exactly what I tell you."