anna in med school

Sometimes I have a second to step back and think about what comes out of people’s mouths when I ask, “Anything else?”  I’m on family medicine in Bucks County right now, and I’m seeing the full gamut, and I’m simply floored by some of of what these patients reveal during the “ordinary check-up.”  At the end of the day, my head feels flooded by information these folks have likely never told their family, their best friends, their spouses.

This week I had an otherwise healthy patient with no previous health issues come in for a relatively innocuous concern, for which we able to quickly put his mind at easy.

Me: Is there anything else you wanted to discuss today?

Him: Well, actually…my three greatest concerns are as follows…

And that’s how my 7-minute appointment turned into 45, including a full neuro exam, EKG, and bloodwork.

Forgive my recent absence.   It occurred to me that I’m taking two shelves two days in a row, and I’m trying so much a lot not to fail out of med school.

I’m not sure there’s ever been a time in my life when I’ve been so concerned about exams that were still two weeks ago.  I’m trying not to be hysterical, but it kind of feels like someone dropped Harrison’s in my lap and commanded, “Learn all the things!”

Things are certainly not boring ’round here.