People with life-threatening problems almost always wait until the night time to come in. Lab and radiology tests are not so routine at that time (and are simply used less in Denmark (I have only ordered one CT scan so far)), so it is my hands, stethoscope and Danish that need to make the diagnosis. There is always of course a more experienced doctor who can be consulted if needed. I was really nervous, but honestly nights like these are extremely fun and challenging. THIS is why I became a doctor, I thought to myself a few times.
But here's the best part: After two nights of call, I have five days off. One 18 and one 19 hour shift add up to 37 hours, so I am done. Not only can I have an exciting, educational job, but I can have a life with my family, too.
If you ask me, medical residencies in the US and many other westernized countries turn young women into depressed, stressed, overweight or unhealthy people with no family or a dysfunctional one. The thought of working 80 hours a week again as a mom leaves me nauseated. What is it exactly that is so good and educational about working so many hours, I wonder.
Anyway, in our time off, we'll be running a 10k race and then going to Söderåsens national park in Sweden for 3 days.
I imagine it will look something like this...
Lorax update: At 14 months, our guy is over 23 lbs and over 60th percentile in weight. I guess there was no reason to worry when he was born at 6 lbs. I just hope he doesn't continue hopping through weight percentiles at this rate.
Then...
and now...
Running song of the Day: The Gardener by The Tallest Man on Earth
4 comments:
I am jealous of your sweet schedule! Of course, I have a pretty sweet schedule now (though 5 days/week) but I know the horrors of 80+ hour weeks all too well. Good luck with the 10k! Your knee and whatnot are all healed up I assume?
Thanks, Danni. Yeah, the knee is all better. Swimming instead of running is what healed that injury (which I think was tendonitis).
Ya know, the American system's not so great for guys, either; it's not just moms that suffer.
Still, residency only lasts for a few years (one hopes). When I complained to my major professor in grad school about working 110 hours per week, he gave me a key to his office, so I could sleep on his couch and wouldn't have to waste time going home. Residents actually have rules about how much they can work, grad students don't.
This is one of the main reasons I never took a board exam and residency. Couldn't bear a thought about 80hr/week with family. Heck, even without one. Have fun on that forest.
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