Out With the Outpatient, In With the Inpatient
August 15th, 2005Life changed for good last Monday when we began our 3 inpatient weeks of pediatrics — the prior 3 weeks had been exclusively outpatient. Gone are the 9-to-5 days with no time pressure. Days now begin bright and early at 4:30am when I wake up in order to be at the hospital by 6am, only to start a packed schedule that involves rounds (walking as a team from patient to patient, in order to evaluate their progress), conferences, reading, and oh yeah, patient care.
Inpatient hospital life is the complete opposite of outpatient work. For example, if you show up 20 minutes late in the outpatient environment nobody cared or noticed, especially since the doctor would probably show up after you. Now, if rounds start at 7:15am and you’re not there, the entire team checks their watch every minute that you’re not there yet.
Despite the intensity of the new lifestyle, inpatient work is much more exciting and educational. Stay tuned for more posts…