28 Days of NYC Summer
Day 2
Just for referential sake, I’m recapping my days as I have time. I’m almost 2 weeks into my program here at NYU, and because I’ve been absolutely terrible in keeping a some what daily log, I’ll jot down my daily thoughts as I have time. Everything is moving so fast, and I can’t believe that in a little over 2 weeks I’ll be back to the daily humdrum of normal life. (Although, there is SO MUCH to be done once I get home!)
Let’s see. June 20: Day 2 of NYC life was Day 1 of the program. Orientation took a while: it was busy and a bit unorganized, but nonetheless provided good chunks of time to just get to know the people around us. We go over general hospital protocols, behaviors, attitudes and expectations. In between information sessions are those countless (what I’m inclined to dub) social sessions. We talk, mingle and find out where everyone’s from. We also have to pass an additional health clearance, which for me, was not so simple. But I’ll detail that mess later.
Anyway! Terrific folks in the program, most from around New York, with a handful of us from the West Coast—and by handful a mean 3. A group of us decide we wanna drink and have a damn good 21 YO time in NYC, and dub ourselves those interns.
The group of about 70 (maybe?) interns splits up by department: nursing, speech patho., pharm., plastics, gen. surg., OT, PT, horticultural therapy, and finally my department, rehab med. As we rehab med interns spend our time exclusively with 1 (or in my case, 2) physician(s), we end up being dropped off individually by the Director to each of our respective offices. One peds, one women’s health, and a couple others, and of course I’m dropped off last. I make my way, meet the receptionist, and wait for my attending to come back from lunch. After about 45 minutes of reading everything current with the NYU Medical School, I meet one of the attendings I’m to observe over the course of 4 weeks.
I had this preconceived thought that I’d have a hard-ass physician and get lost the intensity of NYU, but that was definitely not the case. Little did I know I’d be with the attending who apparently is the super-chill, nice guy on campus who gets along with everyone, and who breaks every young female patient/patient’s daughters heart when they find out he’s married. But that’s besides the point! Point is, even on the first day, he was extremely helpful and considerate of my learning needs. We went over H&P’s, evals, discharges, saw a couple pts and went over the dxs in detail. (Like that notation? I’m starting to get a hang of this language here.) I learn about Adhesive Capsulitis, or in laymen’s terms, Frozen Shoulder, and go over an extremely easy treatment: Codman’s pendulum to passively exercise and move the joint and increase mobility and finger wall climbs to also move the joint. I follow him for about an hour and a half and then leave for our daily group meeting.
Overall, it’s a fabulous first day, and I have no complaints. The Asst. Director goes over a few logistical things and calls it a day.
Back to my health clearance issues. Having been tested positive for TB that was acquired 6 years ago in the Philippines, my PPD will always be positive and thus I require chest x-rays. No problem of course, I have those done every year. However, they lovely folks at NYU EHS didn’t disclose the need for an actual copy of the x-ray itself. So a FedEx/Kinko’s trip, HIPAA faxes and several, in fact way too many, phone calls through Kaiser Customer Services because my doctor’s office has no direct line, I finally, although not re-assuredly, have my records faxed over the NYU EHS, and pray that they indeed received them. It ends up being an opportune moment to explore a bit, so I walk around Park Ave S.
I get a text from one of the girls, and meet them up for a couple rounds of beer. Happy Monday!
