I just finished my first Integration Shift, of which I must do five. It involves being a "fly on the wall" in the conference room while the doctors, interns, primaries and secondaries discuss cases and do patient visits. I had the opportunity to come into the patient exam room for two patients, one a 35 year old male with high blood pressure, and the other a 77 year old male with high blood pressure. It was really enjoyable to watch and interact with the patients....I find them more likeable than the staff, frankly. I really enjoyed the older gent, and was horribly sad to hear all that he has been through. He is on a pharmaceutical brew not unlike the one my mother is on, and feels pretty bad. He thinks that all the drugs are making him ill and depressed. I am not surprised. It was good to see the twinkle of hope in his eyes as the doctor suggested that they might be able to get him off of some of those meds while still keeping his "condition" under control. So anyway, another 4 hours and 2 patient contacts, done. Doc was M.Miller.