i can't believe it's only been five days since i started up here in mildura. those days have been filled with so many... decisions. big important urgent decisions that i feel unprepared for, but nevertheless have to be made and there is no one else to make them.
so i just wing it.
do i resuscitate this 85 year old man who's just dropped his gcs and blood pressure in the rehab ward? do i take him to icu and scan him head to toe? just wing it.
do i admit this apparently well (albeit slightly smelly) guy who collapsed between placing his bets at the local tab and drinking at the bar, but with no risk factors on history and no abnormal findings on physical examination? and after i send him home, what do i do when the lab rings me with a positive blood culture for staph aureus in 2/2 bottles? just wing it.
do i advise the gp that it's okay for his patient to stop taking his beta-blocker, even though he came in with ischaemic sounding chest pain, dynamic ecg changes and moderate cardiovascular risk factors, because his enzymes and stress test were negative? just wing it.
and to top it all off: i have a scary intern.
2 comments:
Sure you have backup.. Isn't that what your med school colleagues are for? Extra brains.. (not that I'm advocating you call me.. I don't have the answers either.)
I'm trying not to look into the future, when I'm going to have to make the decisions.. Do we ever feel ready?
And, is that scary good or scary bad?
don't forget your your consultant.
when i started my first ever med reg job, i told my consultant, "I'm sorry but i will be bugging you alot."
-minnie
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