This May, I am participating in the March of Dimes: Walk America. This walk is to raise money for research on preventing birth defects and prematurity. It's a great cause and something that's important to me. So, I am asking if you would donate a small amount of money to sponser me in my walk. It's a 10K run/walk. So if you don't want to donate to the research, donate to make me do the walk. I've been working out and am hoping to be able to run part of it. That's a lofty goal, I know. So, here's the link. Please, if you can afford it, think about donating. If not, I understand that too.

not again

Man, I got so frustrated at clinic today. You know, that seems to be a recurrent thing, me being frustrated. But anyway, here's what happened. All of the M2's at clinic are supposed to take turns throughout the year spending a day shadowing the other departments. This means on your day, you don't see patients you just follow the nurses and medical records staff around. Since my last name begins with Z, guess who was the last person to do this. Everyone else had their day off already and today was mine turn. So of course at 3:45 the nurse comes in and tells me that she just gave me a patient. Nice, we are supposed to be out of there by 4:30. No way is that going to happen. Now some of you may be thinking, what's the problem. That's 45 minutes, it shouldn't take that long. Well, you would be wrong. Because I go in and see the patient first, which takes maybe 20 minutes. But then, I have to present my patient to the doctor and then he must see the patient. Most patients are scheduled for 1 1/2 hours. So I grab the chart and go in the room. Turns out she has a sore throat. That's it. Okay, so the nurses already did a strep test (which was kinda pointless because it's unlikely someone over 40 would have strep) so it was pretty easy. I was in and out of there by about 4:10. Well, then I have to wait about 45 minutes for the doctor to be free so I can present and he can see the patient. Here's the frustrating part. I know for a fact that this is viral and there is nothing we can do besides tell her to drink fluids, try a throat lozenge and take ibuprofen. But, I have to wait for the doctor. So after so much waiting, he asks me what I think it is and what we should do. I tell him, he says "You're right." Then we went for him to tell the patient. I guess it's just frustrating because I could have told the patient that and saved all of us some time. Anyway, so I left clinic late on my "easy" day. Damn it.

The only thing that could be worse is if I get that damn virus and am sick over my long weekend this week. That would be my luck.

Health Care frustration

After reading a friend's blog, I feel the need to respond. Actually I have three reasons to write my opinons about the health care system and insurance. 1)because I am very opinionated 2)because I've had good and bad experiences with it and 3) because I've had two glasses of wine and am feeling very chatty. Yes I know,I'm a light-weight, but I don't drink often so two glasses does it for me.

Okay, before I start on my soapbox, I have to say that we (i mean America) have some very talented people working within our health care system. There are some amazing nurses and techs and doctors. People who go above and beyond what they are required/expected to do in order to give their patients the care they need and deserve. Now I'll say it, our system is a disaster. We have 46 million people uninsured (16%). This doesn't even include those people who were underinsured. That is, have insurance that doesn't even come close to covering their expenditures. And about 70% of these people had someone in their family with a full-time job. My age group is the worst about having people uninsured. Fresh out of college and your parents insurance, you start a new job that either doesn't offer insurance or you just can't afford to pay it. I have gone a few months here and there without insurance and I've gotta say that it's scary. Of course with my luck, I accrued some major medical expenses during that time. And America is the only developed country that has this much of a problem with health care. Most other developed countries have some form of universal/government subsidized health care. And they don't have that because they are spending more money than us on health care. I'm making comparisons with Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. Our government actually pays a higher % of our GDP (16%) for health care than other countries (the closed being Germany and Switzerland with 11%). So maybe our trade off is that we pay more money out-of-pocket but we get better care. Well not exactly. We have a shorter life expectancy and a higher infant mortality than all of these countries. Plus we have more medical errors and less access to the doctor for acute care (i.e same day appts). The only thing that we do have is a shorter wait for a specialist. So, if you're sick then you are screwed, but if you need to get your botox then come in right away.

I guess right now I am just frustrated. Frustrated that the very people who need help can't get it. Frustrated that I live in one of, if not the most powerful countries in the world but my family, friends and I can't afford to get the health care that we need. Frustrated because I am going to be working in this mess of a system. I'm going to have patients that I know I have the capability to help but can't because they can't afford to pay for treatment. I know that it is going to break my heart to turn people away, but I know that I just can't not charge for care. And I'm frustrated because no one is doing anything about the problem. The Republican (Health Savings Account) plan will help the middle-class and healthy people but do nothing for the people who really need help. And the democrats, well I don't know that they have a plan.

Hey, check this out. I thought it would be fun. I stole this from a friend.

Update: Okay, please tell me my weaknesses now too. I swear I won't be mad.

Admiration

Today was a fun day. My 8am class was cancelled this morning so I was able to go to the gym in the morning instead of during lunch. Then I got to spend all afternoon with a group of prospective students who were at the school for interviews. It was interesting to listen to their questions and worries about medical school. It made me think about was I was like two years ago. When you're applying, your main concern is just impressing the interviewers so that you can get in. But then you start worrying about what classes will be like? will you have time to relax? how many hours a day do you have to study? are the professors evil? I knew so little about what to expect. All I knew was that I wanted to be a doctor and so I had to go to med school. I had no idea that I would take 10 classes my first year. Or that I would have to take shelf exams and board exams my second year. Or all of the hidden expenses like equipment, licensing, pda's, pagers, white coats, etc. I keep thinking about how naive I was and still am really. I was nice to talk to them and feel like I could impart a little insight and advice. I know that I've said this before but I think that the more I learn the more ignorant I feel. After being exposed to all of this information and these experiences, I realize how much I didn't know and how much I still have to learn. I remember when I thought I was very knowledgeable. The last time I felt like that was high school. You remember, when you thought you were invincible and knew all that you needed to know about life. Man was I wrong. Then in college I learned so much book knowledge and thought I was an intellect (that's funny now, because I am far from it). What I lacked was life experience. Experience is something you just can't fake. I think a lot of people (esp. people my age) forget about the importance of experience. Sure you may know what books/research/experts tell you is right, but until you can apply it to the real world it means nothing. All of the people I look up to, I admire because they have insight from all of these experiences that I haven't had yet. I guess today I just realized that these interviewees looked up to me because I had been through the first part of a journey that they haven't started yet and maybe I could help them out. And today, I spent time talking to M4's about what lies ahead, and they gave me insight from their experiences. I realize that I'm at an in-between stage in my life. I am old enough to have younger people look to me for advice, but young enough that I still look up to older people for help. And I hope I never get to a point when I think I know everything and no longer have people that I admire.

I suppose the whole point of this post is that I think I know my place and I am content. It's a good place to be.

No wit here

Hmm, where to start. Well I guess first I'll complain a little about the fact that I was unable to use my computer for a month. I'm not sure exactly what happened to it. It was working fine and then I downloaded a Windows update and after I rebooted it, it ran really slow. I, well my dad really, took it in to be fixed. All they could tell me is that my virus scans were slowing it down so they removed a bunch of stuff. Okay, I really don't think it was the antivirus program because I'd had that on my computer for a long time, but what the hell do I know. It works now and that is all that matters.

Anyhow, I made it through the pelvic exam unscathed. I finished another round of tests and they haven't kicked me out yet. I've reached my first weight loss goal (and kinda fallen back a little, thanks ma). I went to a formal dance by myself and danced my ass off (yes, KR, I did). Literally, my ass and legs hurt the next day. Let's see what else...Oh I went to Vegas for a weekend, met a really sexy Hispanic man, had a hot and steamy fling and now my name is Senora Martinez. Okay, so I didn't do that but wouldn't it be fun? I guess the most exciting thing for me is that I have a patient that I've seen multiple times. It makes me feel more like a real doctor to have a patient that I've followed up on and can say when I walk in the room, "Hi, Ms. X. How have you been since the last time I saw you? Is your stomach any better? How is your grandson doing? etc." That is what I've wanted to be able to do for years. Not this studying crap.

So my school/work life is moving along, but my social life has kind of been in a rut. But I'm comfortable in that rut I guess and I've accepted that it'll probably be that way for awhile anyway because the only people I come into contact with are my patients and classmates. Although this morning I got a note from the cute neighbor guy. Oh course, it was only a note saying that he hoped I got my keys out of the door from the night before. (Thanks again mom)

One last thing. Has anyone tried Sudoku? Isn't it most horribly addictive game? That's what I spend most nights doing now.

Hey, in case you didn't know, I've been having computer issues lately, but I just got it back and working tonight. So, I promise I'll post later this weekend. Look for a crazy long post. Okay.