I had a few minutes of downtime this evening and I decided to hop onto the blog to see how things were going. Not from a numbers or views standpoint, since I've never really been one to focus on how many readers I have or for monetary purposes. Nor because I wanted to make sure … Continue reading Don’t worry, be happy!
Entering my first multi-disciplinary rounds (MDR) of the month on my second inpatient medicine rotation of residency suddenly became a lot more stressful. Not only was I expected to lead the discussion of all 18 of our team's patients (of whom only 7 I was actually taking care of personally), but the CCO of the health system, the second-in-command doctor and top dog of the non-physician clinical policies and practices, was there, too. If I bombed this meeting, it would surely mean the end of my chances to get into the Emergency Department here.
In this third installment of the Lessons Learned trilogy, we will once again explore invaluable life lessons that we can learn from observing and spending time in the Emergency Department.
Residency is a time of exponential growth and learning for a physician in training. More than anything else they've done, the resident physician is pushed, stretched, grown, and molded from a student into a doctor. This process isn't easy. It isn't quick. But it's necessary.
The Electronic Residency Application Service is open, and for the second year in a row, my name is among those thrust into the inbox of Program Directors across the country.
The drone of alarms becomes like the white noise of the rain on your roof. Who knows if the alarms are new, or if they are even accurate. You hardly hear them anymore. But then you realize, beyond the background noise, the department is quiet. The 10th busiest ED in the country. Is quiet. Though we are still full.
If I were to sum up residency so far, it's this... I've been stretched, humbled, and grown more in the last two months than in the four years that preceded it. And I know that stretching, humbling, and growth will only continue.
One week from today, I graduate medical school. I will officially be Kyle Blomgren, DO. Even writing that still feels like some form of stolen valor or hopeless imitation. I've received many questions about what the next phase of my career is, how it looks, and what it all means. Well, hopefully this will help. Enjoy.
One thing I can say for sure, however, is that 2021 will be a year of lots of changes for me and my family... on March 19th, we'll learn the results of the sorting hat's decision.
While I haven't been able to rotate in PM&R, I've had many experiences in the last year similar to that field. With all of those together, I feel I can make a good decision to pursue physiatry in the upcoming Match cycle.
Blue Hat to White Coat 