Tough month on ob/gyn
05/26/07 06:21 Filed in: Medical
I've been busy with my ob/gyn rotation, so it's been
tough to post. I've had some long days where I
haven't been able to pump, eat, or even pee (I know
it should be easy to just go ahead and walk away, but
sometimes we get caught up in the moment and it is
very difficult to take a break even for a few
minutes). I'm trying to be better about all that
(would hate to have bladder or other health issues),
so I am making an effort to stay hydrated, carry
snacks, and empty my bladder regularly throughout the
day (sad that I have to consciously plan this into my
schedule).
I hate how medical professionals often don't prioritize taking care of our own bodies and I am just going to to have to stop adhering to everyone's crazy expectations about working hard. I don't usually talk about myself like this, but I work pretty damn hard. It's ridiculous that I have been told to "enjoy my long weekend" even though I was post-call on a Friday (last weekend, not this one), and to "take an easy lunch" when I had 20 minutes between operating and clinic (and hadn't pumped or peed all morning). Pumping is a total pain in the you-know-what (butt and boob), but I'm determined to get to a year so A can transition directly to cow's milk, rather than have to start him on formula first. I don't like how the medical student schedule is so different from the residents' schedule, which makes it even harder to find a free moment, since we're always running from place to place (not always with the team). I'll post more about my experiences after the rotation, but this is a tough month. I know that I should just speak up and say something, and no one would or really could object, but the few times I have requested to take 20 minutes to go pump (when I was on call, for example), the residents didn't really seem to welcome the idea (none have babies) but allowed me to leave anyway. It left me feeling uncomfortable about it to the point that I am only pumping very minimally at the hospital (once every 8-10 hours) and playing catch up when I get home (every 3 hours, including in the middle of the night).
Since I am in rant mode, I'll just mention another thing. Medical school is totally do-able. It baffles me when students get really stressed out about how much they have to do or study and how busy they are. Everyone in medical school is busy. Heck, everyone I know is busy. Medical school is not the center of the universe.
I can't remember if medical school ever consumed my entire life like that (I doubt it) but trust me, there is plenty of time to study for school when you are a student without too many other extraordinary responsibilities (especially a typical single twenty-something-year-old medical student). Really. I remember as a preclinical student how everyone would get all worked up about how much studying they'd have to do and how there were only 4 weekends left before the exam. Four weekends! Assuming that you put some effort into it and study 12 hours each day (3 blocks of 4 hours and 8 hours sleep will still leave 4 hours to eat and take breaks), there is a potential 48 hours or more of studying there, and that is a lot of learning. And let's say you splurge and go out to dinner and a movie one night (~5 hours), that's still over 40 hours of study time, which is substantial. And I haven't even added in the hours during the weekdays yet. So yes, there is enough time to study. I'd love to have just 5 hours of uninterrupted time to study, having had a good night's rest.
I mention this because the other med student on my team (I am grateful that we get along really well) mentioned that she was really worried about the shelf (about 4 weeks away) and really needed to read more and that she was going to have to read all Memorial Day weekend. We have learned about managing patients on our service, but we have barely learned any textbook stuff yet. Lots of scut so far. I, too, am concerned about the shelf and was immediately envious because she could read all weekend if she wanted to, and probably still have time left over for some fun because of the holiday. Since I only study after the kids go to bed (or before they wake up, which is why I am up at 5am this morning), it doesn't give me a lot of time. Either that, or I make J take them out for a while, but residents have to study too (he's got Boards to take in June).
The boys go to bed around 8pm and are up around 6am, so if I wanted 8 hours of sleep (ha!), I'd have 1 or 2 hours of study time (dishes, laundry, shower, pumping included). So I usually stay up until 11pm or midnight and try to squeeze in about 3 hours of study time. I like to get up early to study nowadays since at night I find myself fighting to stay awake at night, which is pretty ineffective. And while I am tired when I get up, it is a little bit easier to read in the mornings than it is as night (at least for me).
I certainly don't want to complain (in response to my teammate, I smiled politely and acknowledged that studying all weekend was a good idea), since it's another pet peeve of mine when people get angry at other people's situations for circumstances that they can't necessarily control. "You think one baby is tough?! Try twins!" or "Don't complain about the work hours, we used to sleep at the hospital on non-call nights!" It would be totally awful of me to start ranting and tell her "What?! I only get to study two hours a day if I am lucky so don't complain!" She's got every right to vent about her stress as much as I do. But, I still feel quite envious.
I chose to have two babies in school, so I have to balance the consequences. But I have two adorable little boys in return (and can avoid worrying about infertility or being an older new mom), so there are lots of perks for me too. Besides, how much someone else studies really shouldn't affect me (although I guess the percentiles of shelf scores are based on averages across the country, so who knows). As long as I do the best I can, I can't really complain. But it's still very tough, and few people can really empathize so it is easy to feel isolated. And I know I could and should be studying more, but I am just so exhausted at the end of the day. I hope I am absorbing more but just don't know it yet.
Anyhow, that's plenty of ranting. I'm done pumping, I hear M singing something about heads and shoulders and A is saying "gla gla gla" so I better go see what's going on upstairs. Have a great holiday weekend everyone!
I hate how medical professionals often don't prioritize taking care of our own bodies and I am just going to to have to stop adhering to everyone's crazy expectations about working hard. I don't usually talk about myself like this, but I work pretty damn hard. It's ridiculous that I have been told to "enjoy my long weekend" even though I was post-call on a Friday (last weekend, not this one), and to "take an easy lunch" when I had 20 minutes between operating and clinic (and hadn't pumped or peed all morning). Pumping is a total pain in the you-know-what (butt and boob), but I'm determined to get to a year so A can transition directly to cow's milk, rather than have to start him on formula first. I don't like how the medical student schedule is so different from the residents' schedule, which makes it even harder to find a free moment, since we're always running from place to place (not always with the team). I'll post more about my experiences after the rotation, but this is a tough month. I know that I should just speak up and say something, and no one would or really could object, but the few times I have requested to take 20 minutes to go pump (when I was on call, for example), the residents didn't really seem to welcome the idea (none have babies) but allowed me to leave anyway. It left me feeling uncomfortable about it to the point that I am only pumping very minimally at the hospital (once every 8-10 hours) and playing catch up when I get home (every 3 hours, including in the middle of the night).
Since I am in rant mode, I'll just mention another thing. Medical school is totally do-able. It baffles me when students get really stressed out about how much they have to do or study and how busy they are. Everyone in medical school is busy. Heck, everyone I know is busy. Medical school is not the center of the universe.
I can't remember if medical school ever consumed my entire life like that (I doubt it) but trust me, there is plenty of time to study for school when you are a student without too many other extraordinary responsibilities (especially a typical single twenty-something-year-old medical student). Really. I remember as a preclinical student how everyone would get all worked up about how much studying they'd have to do and how there were only 4 weekends left before the exam. Four weekends! Assuming that you put some effort into it and study 12 hours each day (3 blocks of 4 hours and 8 hours sleep will still leave 4 hours to eat and take breaks), there is a potential 48 hours or more of studying there, and that is a lot of learning. And let's say you splurge and go out to dinner and a movie one night (~5 hours), that's still over 40 hours of study time, which is substantial. And I haven't even added in the hours during the weekdays yet. So yes, there is enough time to study. I'd love to have just 5 hours of uninterrupted time to study, having had a good night's rest.
I mention this because the other med student on my team (I am grateful that we get along really well) mentioned that she was really worried about the shelf (about 4 weeks away) and really needed to read more and that she was going to have to read all Memorial Day weekend. We have learned about managing patients on our service, but we have barely learned any textbook stuff yet. Lots of scut so far. I, too, am concerned about the shelf and was immediately envious because she could read all weekend if she wanted to, and probably still have time left over for some fun because of the holiday. Since I only study after the kids go to bed (or before they wake up, which is why I am up at 5am this morning), it doesn't give me a lot of time. Either that, or I make J take them out for a while, but residents have to study too (he's got Boards to take in June).
The boys go to bed around 8pm and are up around 6am, so if I wanted 8 hours of sleep (ha!), I'd have 1 or 2 hours of study time (dishes, laundry, shower, pumping included). So I usually stay up until 11pm or midnight and try to squeeze in about 3 hours of study time. I like to get up early to study nowadays since at night I find myself fighting to stay awake at night, which is pretty ineffective. And while I am tired when I get up, it is a little bit easier to read in the mornings than it is as night (at least for me).
I certainly don't want to complain (in response to my teammate, I smiled politely and acknowledged that studying all weekend was a good idea), since it's another pet peeve of mine when people get angry at other people's situations for circumstances that they can't necessarily control. "You think one baby is tough?! Try twins!" or "Don't complain about the work hours, we used to sleep at the hospital on non-call nights!" It would be totally awful of me to start ranting and tell her "What?! I only get to study two hours a day if I am lucky so don't complain!" She's got every right to vent about her stress as much as I do. But, I still feel quite envious.
I chose to have two babies in school, so I have to balance the consequences. But I have two adorable little boys in return (and can avoid worrying about infertility or being an older new mom), so there are lots of perks for me too. Besides, how much someone else studies really shouldn't affect me (although I guess the percentiles of shelf scores are based on averages across the country, so who knows). As long as I do the best I can, I can't really complain. But it's still very tough, and few people can really empathize so it is easy to feel isolated. And I know I could and should be studying more, but I am just so exhausted at the end of the day. I hope I am absorbing more but just don't know it yet.
Anyhow, that's plenty of ranting. I'm done pumping, I hear M singing something about heads and shoulders and A is saying "gla gla gla" so I better go see what's going on upstairs. Have a great holiday weekend everyone!
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