(no subject)
So, an update.
I've started dermatology. Very nice schedule--8:30-5 on weekdays, no call, no weekends. Gives me time to duck into the anatomy lab a couple of times a week, which is nice. I've seen some pretty interesting things, I guess. Plenty of skin cancers, both bad and not so bad (no melanoma, I don't think). Several people with psoriasis, a few acne, one or two atopic dermatitis, some folliculitis. I'm feeling a little more confident in identifying benign lesions, although I'm not comfortable at all with basal cell carcinomas. They come in a ton of different shapes and styles, and my image of a "pearly border with central ulceration" is true only a tiny percent of the time, it seems. So far, I've only seen BCC suspected in patients with a history of BCC, which really doesn't help me with the patient presenting for the first time. However, tomorrow there is a clinic at the VA, which should be great, because the old men at the VA don't care so much how they look, and I'll probably have the chance to do some biopsies in addition to seeing all sorts of skin lesions.
Dr. Wesson, the attending, is very good. He really enjoys teaching, and he's great with the patients. The good side is that if you're his patient you should leave the room feeling very comfortable with the treatment plan and his opinion on your condition and prognosis. The down side is that if you have a question, it isn't going to be asked until you hear two or more stories, which may or may not be related to the question. Let's say he likes to talk. For example, a seventeen year old girl coming in to start on Accutane got the story about arctic explorers who ate polar bear livers and died. Related to the issue? Slightly. Enlongating an already long visit? Certainly. Yesterday, Kim and I were two on one with him for three hours of didactics. It was funny because it turned out to be the exact same power point presentation he gave us in second year, although it made a ton more sense and was more interesting this time around. It was also a lot longer, and while it was very good and I really wanted to learn the information he was talking about, it's a lot of pressure to be in that position. We both had to fight to stay awake the whole time.
Speaking of Kim, her mother is having surgery tomorrow. They have serious concerns for an ovarian malignancy, and naturally their whole family is freaking out. It's especially tough on her, I think, because she has to be strong for them and be their source of medical knowledge, while at the same time she's terrified. I really hope they get good news. The GYN oncologist was less hopeful than they were expecting when they saw her on Monday. Hopefully the surgery will be short because it looks good (I just realized that if they open her up and there are terrible mets, they might close early, so even hoping for a quick surgery isn't detailed enough). Very scary.
Still waiting to hear from St. Vincent about an interview. Right now, I'm getting more excited about the thought of working for Mayo. I really don't know anything specific about their program yet, but it sounds pretty cool, right? Kind of impressive? Plus it's in Jacksonville, and the idea of a single rent and set of bills soudns really nice right now.
This Saturday we're going shopping for bridemaids dresses for Katie's wedding. I think we're leaning more toward a blue/purple theme, probably with an emphasis on blue. Sarah's wedding pictures came in, and they're beautiful. She was such a pretty bride! I'll have to post a couple when I get a chance. I know she didn't like her bouquet because it wasn't what she thought it would be, but I think it was beautiful. There are some shots from outside that are absolutely lovely.
And this Friday is the season finale of Doctor Who! It's been such a great season--for the past several weeks Melissa and I have ended each episode squealing. From the one set in 1913, to the scary one that I made Victor watch, to last week which was awesome and had the Master married and passing out jelly babies (!). They just better not kill off the Master . . .