Clinic day

Okay, I know I'm slacking on the posting. I meant to write this last night, but, well, forgot. Sorry.

Yesterday was my first real day on PM&R. We started with rounds (eh), and then went to a panel session, which was about an hour and a half meeting about the patients with the doctors, social workers, therapists, etc. It was incredibly boring, and my co-med student and I were both struggling to stay awake. After that, our attending, Dr. Fugate, taught us how wheelchairs should be fitted to the patient, and then demonstrated the full wheelchair exam on one of the patients. It's quite a bit more complicated than one would think.

After lunch I had clinic, which was rather difficult. Not because of anything I was doing--clinic is clinic, not too hard--but because of the patients I was seeing. Everyone had had some sort of traumatic brain injury that left them somewhat not-normal. Most of them weren't the brightest bulbs in the box to begin with, but now can't even hold even a menial job, and have very poor impulse control--and they know this isn't normal. After our last clinic, the attending and I talked about this and about how lucky we were that we could "think for a living", and I said I didn't know what I would do if I couldn't think for a living anymore. If I were in an accident or something that resulted in permanent brain damage and leaving me obsessive-compulsive or impulsive or something...well, losing my mind (literally) is one thing that I hope never happens to me.

Anyway, I need to go get ready for another fun and exciting day in Dodd Hall.