"Superb"

I feel validated.

Today we got some new registrars and as the head psychiatrist of the department was introducing them to me he said "And this is DrJ... this is only his 2nd week out of med school... but he's superb"

I am superb. I am a 'superb' doctor.

Now I know it was probably just a trivial social nicety... but hey... I need to catch these moments when they happen. And when the boss says you're 'superb'... it's time to milk it for all it's worth (cos no one else will say so).

Today on the 'ward' round I felt so important because the old reg was on holidays so I was the one who knew what was happening with the patients... so all of a sudden the boss was asking ME what was happening... and for once... I KNEW!

Gone are those days of sleeping in the vertical on those lengthy ward rounds. No longer do I dream of lunch to pass the time. Now I am a doctor! I have to pay attention on the ward rounds and actually DO stuff.

So today becasue the new reg's had no idea... I took it upon myself to order the Clozapine bloods (without having to be reminded) and I even had a nice chat to one of our long-termer patients (Ms Blah) about her health problems.

In the afternoon, another one of the shrinks said "Ms Blah says she doesnt want me as her doctor anymore... she wants YOU!"... I felt so embaressed (but also very cool... that I have the patients preferring me to their psychiatrist). It's the little things that make this job worth it.

But just in case you think I'm getting a big head, today at lunch the interns had an orthopaedic presentation. usually we just eat free food and snooze... but today the surgeon was firing off questions at us. Man I can't believe how much ortho I'm forgetting!... argh!

Weekend was very relaxed... watched way too much payTV and ate out too much.

But found a great church to go to up here... it's so relieving to go to church after living in the psych wards... meet with my brothers and sisters and be reminded of what's 'real' in life. The church E and I went to was really good. Super friendly and they made us feel very welcome. Think I'll def go back there.

Whoop Whoop Hospital is a dump though. On Friday E was put on call without the legally required protection of a backup medical registrar to call. So basically poor Dr E was covering the ENTIRE hospital by herself for her very first overtime shift with no one to call for backup. Not only was this highly illegal (on the hospital's part) but it's very dangerous for patients and stressful for E. Thankfully it was an event free evening until one of my psych patients decided to overdose on his medications. (Medication compliance is a BIG issue in my ward)

Anyways, the pool is calling and I'm off to go lapping*

Ciao!

*NB "Lapping":
-1. swimming up and down a pool
-2. driving one's car between two roundabouts in a country town