Back to the Heart

So I started the cardiology clinic today and it was suhweeeeet. I really do love the things you can do and see in cardiology. Now, I can even see why pediatric cardiology is interesting - so many congenital defects that can be surgically corrected to give somewhat of a normal life to a child who would have most likely died otherwise. Amazing!

I'm really looking forward to the next month and all that I intend to learn. Don't get me wrong, the NICU was great too but this outpatient stuff is just fantastic! Plus, I have NO OVERNIGHT CALL this month - I'm stoked. Alright, enjoy the following video of a crazy german guy simulating EKG tracings with his body..... wild stuff....



Neal Anson, MD

The weekend

You have no idea how nice it is to actually have a weekend off. I can't remember the last time I had both Saturday and Sunday to recharge for the week ahead... I definately have to try to do this more often. Unfortunately, most of my rotations only allow me to have 4 days off for a whole month so if I take a weekend, half of my days off are used up. Days off are like solid gold in residency. I look forward to sleeping and relaxing on these days. I rarely force myself to do anything work related. I also use these days to do normal things like get my hair cut, go to the dentist, shop for things I need and clean the house. Oh yeah, most of my days off are spent mowing the grass as well.

So this weekend I crammed a whole bunch of things in. We went to see the new batman movie (excellent by the way!). We also went to a cirque du soleil show here in KC. I've laid around and slept quite a bit also. Glorious! The only bad part is that I have to go back to work on Monday and I'm on call. Cross your fingers that it's a quiet one.

Neal Anson, MD

Tests...argh...

So today was my intraining exam for pediatrics. These tests are supposed to show everyone how much you've learned and advanced throughout your residency. Unfortunately my time as a pediatrics resident has amounted to a whopping 4 months compared to a whole year that my classmates have had. Needless to say, I felt a little behind in taking the exam. The good part was that on questions involving teenagers, I think I did pretty well since they usually are treated much like adults. I guess the verdict will be out until I have my mid-year review...

At least it's an excuse to go out and have a few beers to supress my self-pity.

Neal Anson, MD

Back on Peds

"The Switch" - that's what we call it when we go from internal medicine to peds or vice verse. I "switched" last week and am fully immersed back in the world of pediatrics again. I started off this month in the NICU - totally different from the adult world but interesting nonetheless. The NICU is a slightly strange and mystical place. Small people are in incubators hooked up to machines that tend to ding at regular intervals. Strangely enough, it's a relatively quiet place aside from the aforementioned dings. The babies generally don't cry much there - after all, they normally would still be in their mother's wombs.



Here's a very funny youtube video about the NICU set to a MTV cribs style interview:


Anyway, I'll try to post a little more often now that I'm back on peds!

Neal Anson, MD