Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Nightcrawler

As the night passes by I think thoughts that I am sure many have thought before me, and many will continue to think for ages to come. These thoughts pretty much range around causing some sort of bodily harm to my pager, perhaps flinging it far into Lake Michigan. It is my first day - rather, night of my night float rotation. I haven't slept a wink as the minutes tick away and the clock shows 3:36 AM. Still 4 long hours to go. The lack of sleep is partly due to the job description of an intern and partly due to my complete inability to sleep on the on call bed or couch(As my resident just told me, I'm going to be in a lot of trouble if I can't learn to do that). So I use some minutes of relative silence to pen (type, really-but that doesn't sound too authorly - i know thats not a word, before any of you smartasses correct me) my thoughts and break what has been a pretty long silence for my blog. I think I'll have to send emails to all my readers reminding them of its existence.

The news from my end is that I survived the first 2 months as an intern and the better news still is that so did all my patients. Whether that represents my skills as an internist, or those of my residents/attendings, or just plain old good luck is anybody's guess. Residency has had its moments thus far. Some good, some bad, some funny, some exasperating(yet funny), some easy, some rough but almost none dull. The people here are a very eclectic mix and make for some very interesting company. (I know everyone expects it but I shall refrain from saying anymore. If I was a 16 year old girl it is at such an occasion perhaps that I would draw a smiley)

As for the city of Chicago, I have unfortunately not been able to see much(the job description of an intern again, can rather come in the way of that. "Patients before Sears tower" is my motto) but I have no complaints (this is a rare magnanimous mood where I refrain from airing my complaints. Even those against USPS) as I have 3 (what promise to be really long) years here before life figures out where it shall take me next.

I think I shall stop this midnight sleep-deprived ramble here as it dangles precipitously at the point of getting philosophical and finish on the note that I'm doing fine and think I'll manage to survive the Year of the Intern, including this month of 'the nightcrawler'. Besides, as one of the Indomitable Gauls of Michael Reese, my only fear is that of the roof falling on my head one day.