Don't Talk to Strangers

especially if they look like this:


Just kidding!



Turns out Ronnie James Dio , much like the other singer from Black Sabbath -- Ozzy -- is a harmless fuzzball...

Don't believe me? Then check this video for "Love Is All" from Roger Glover's Butterfly Ball children's album and listen to Dio's infamous and ominous pipes as he takes the form of a ... frog? I really dig this song -- has always striked me as a tip of the hat to the Beatles tune "All You Need is Love."



Now that we've all thoroughly enjoyed our Dio, you may be wondering what's with all the kid's stuff? Well, I started my rotation today in Pediatrics. I am at a very nice and modern doctor's office and think I'm going to really love it. In the interest of anonymity and confidentiality of the patients, I am going to refrain from being too specific as I talk about my clinical experience. That being said, it was a busy and eye-opening 1st day. We ended up doing 3 circumcisions before lunch -- wasn't expecting that off the bat, but was pretty fascinating to witness to be honest. Also saw a myriad of common cases involving things like asthma, sinusitis, otitis media, and dermatological conditions. There were also many well baby/child visits, which usually corresponded with the current round of immunizations.

I have a really great preceptor. He's an MD who has been practicing for 20+ years and has a nice little practice with very loyal and appreciative families. He speaks fluent Spanish as well, and we saw several Spanish speaking families already, so I am hoping that I can continue to improve in my grasp of that language. He has a great sense of humor, is very easy-going, and loves to teach -- he is going to provide a mini-lecture every day before lunch on various topics which will help prepare me for his office, my upcoming pediatric exam, and also just to share his own style and preferences. The office staff is all very friendly and encouraging as well, and made me feel very welcome right from the start. I am feeling really good about this rotation -- it should be a great start to a very exciting upcoming year.

Medical Term of the Day: Urticaria

Urticaria is the medical term for hives.

Get on the Good Foot

PA School Part Deux: the Clinical Year

Last post I mentioned that I had officially passed all of classes of my didactic year and was on the cusp of entering the next phase of my post-graduate education. Let me further elucidate by providing my rotation schedule:

Rotation 1: Pediatrics
Rotation 2: Emergency Medicine
Rotation 3: Primary Care
Rotation 4: Surgery (Orthopedic)
Rotation 5: Dermatology (Elective)
Rotation 6: Internal Medicine
Rotation 7: Psychiatry
Rotation 8: Women's Health

This is my own personal rotation schedule -- every student in my class has their own unique schedule as well -- there is no set order that they need to fall in, so it all depends on how they are scheduled. There are 7 required rotations, and 1 elective. Each rotation is 6 weeks in length, and there is both practical and written exams to take at school after each one. Also, I have Master's work (CME's, case studies, conferences, volunteer work, etc) to do -- in case you thought clinical year was just showing up to your residencies, think again. In fact, I think I will probably be busier this 2nd year than I was in the 1st. However, I am told that I will be able to regain some semblance of a personal life again. I have my doubts about that, but it's of minor importance as I love what I'm doing. The above 8 rotations will take me through another full year. Following that, I still have 3 months of school left to complete my Master's track project. Since I chose the clinical track (to clarify for some -- my program allows for a selection of 4 unique Master's tracks -- clinical, research, education, or bioethics -- to further refine your degree), I will have 2 more 6 week rotations to complete. Tentative plans are to complete those and spend the summer of 2010 in Texas, splitting my time between Austin with Kevin, Rachel, and Syndey, and Dallas with Aaron, Ana, and Casper. I am really happy right now with my rotation schedule -- I have some great preceptors lined up, and I'm even fairly happy with how the order came out (Peds off the bat, Women's Health last, etc).

There is a lot of learning to be done in the next year, and the onus now falls on me more than ever to make sure that continues. I think it's finally sunken in that I've accomplished a great feat by surviving the academic year, and I feel ready to put my head down for another year. As Bob Schneider once said, "I've got a long way to get before I get back home."

Medical Term of the Day: Osteomalacia

Osteomalacia is a softeneing of the bones due to inadequate mineralization (calcium and phosphorus). In children, this disorder is known as rickets. A common cause is inadequate stores of Vitamin D, which is obtained through diet or by exposure to the sun.



Scurvy is a deficiency of Vitamin C. Vitamin C (or ascorbic acid) is necessary for collagen synthesis, and this disorder causes fatigue and muscle weakness, joint pain, rash on the lower extremities, and bleeding gingiva (gums). It was common among sailors and pirates as they were deprived of fresh fruits and vegetables for extended periods of time.

A typical Scurvy patient: