Homecoming, WOOOO!! I hope everyone enjoyed their long HC
weekend as much as I did. I heard that Lombard was the "place to
be" this past weekend. I'm still a little jealous I didn't get to
partake in the festivities, but as you can see from the picture
this week, we did our best to have some fun down here as well.
(L-R) Margo, Dr. Jourdan, Dex, and
Guy.
Dr. Michelle Jourdan implemented a "Classy HC Day" here
Thursday. (Apparently classy to me is an old sombrero I used to
wear when I was 5 - ha ha). As for the rest of the weekend I took a
little R&R, had a pool party with some pals, saw "The Hangover
Part 2" (hilarious), and even squeezed in 9 holes on Saturday. One
thing about St. Pete and nearby Tampa, is that they always provide
something to do. I'm sure Chicago is a pretty happenin' place also,
but being born and raised here in Tampa, I'm a tad partial.
A Little Geriatrics
Unfortunately, this weekend wasn't all fun in the sun; some
schoolwork was peppered in as well. This trimester, a "Special
Populations" class is part of the schedule. During this class we
learn how to deal with geriatric, pediatric and pregnant patients.
The first part of the class deals with the geriatric community,
which is especially pertinent to us down here in Florida. Florida
plays into its stereotype of the retirement capital of the U.S.
rather well, and because of that, learning how to deal with the
older community efficiently is key. I'm lucky enough to have all 4
of my grandparents still alive and kicking, and this weekend I put
what we've learned thus far to the test, when I sat down to
interview my grandfather for a case report project.
For this project we had to take a complete past medical and
social history of our patients, hone in on a chief complaint,
evaluate the patient, and come up with differential diagnosis and
treatments (you know, doctor stuff). I've always suspected that the
most interesting man alive (from the Dos Equis commercials) was
based off my grandfather, and after this project I confirmed my
suspicion. One thing about the geriatric community I've realized,
they may not be able to tell you what they had for breakfast this
morning, but if you ask them what color shirt they were wearing on
June 13, 1956, they could tell you not only what they were wearing,
but everyone else in the room also.
Needless to say the majority of the case consisted of past
social and medical history, with some vitals and orthopedic tests
tossed into the mix. Learning how to deal with this part of society
is a process, but at the end of the day it's extremely rewarding,
not only to the patient, but the doctor as well. Taking one's time,
listening, being empathetic and respectful goes a long way with the
geriatrics, and will teach you a lot outside of the classroom, and
ultimately make you a better doctor.
Congrats to all you Dallas Mav fans out there! The Mavs played a
killer series against the Heat to pull out their first NBA
title. And how about those Florida State Seminoles puttin' a
hurtin' on Texas A&M, 23 to 9 in the superregionals for NCAA
baseball! Hopefully the Rays were taking notes! We need some
"W's".
Everyone take care and best of luck on midterms.
Dex