I must be the luckiest guy in the world, because not only did I get my first day of Psychiatry off, but I also got my first day of Neurology off to honor our nation's fallen soldiers (by grilling out and watching Kung Fu Panda). By the way, I am terrified of starting my new rotation tomorrow. I read the syllabus to see what I would be doing this upcoming month, and everything I read just reaffirmed the fact that my life will never be as good as it was during my Psychiatry rotations. No free lunches? Rounding on weekends? Calls until 11pm? No free lunches? Problem sets each week? Looking for real physical findings instead of just "impressions" of our patients' personalities?? NO FREE LUNCHES!?!?
Help me.
Psychiatry Recap
At the end of each rotation, I'm going to try to write down all the pros and cons of the specialty so that at the end of third year, hopefully I will be able to look back and actually decide which one I want to pursue as a career for the rest of my life. So, here we go!
Pros:
- The hours are unbeatable. As an attending, you only work 9-5 and almost never on weekends. The residents have more time off than nearly every other specialty, yet they somehow still get paid more than most other residents
- The people are laid back. One time, I was worried about getting something done by a certain deadline, and my resident told me, "Stop worrying about it! This is Psych, not Internal Medicine."
- The patients are one-of-a-kind. Sure, I saw dozens of patients with psychosis, but their hallucinations and delusions were never the same. A new story every day to keep me entertained!
Cons:
- The field of Psychiatry still carries a stigma, and many doctors don't consider it "real medicine." It's highly subjective, and there are few diagnostic tests for many Psychiatric diseases, which sort of makes it the ugly step-sister in the field of evidence-based medicine.
- Not all, but a lot of Psychiatrists don't deal with other medical problems. In the inpatient unit, patients that develop medical conditions are immediately sent to a bed on the medicine floors to be managed by an IM doctor. The psychiatrists themselves rarely have to deal with A-a gradients and PFTs.
- Some of the patients can be really, really annoying. Especially the ones who are malingering. During my brief month in Roanoke, I saw several people discharged and return within days. It can also be very frustrating dealing with people who simply won't quit their drug habits and people who have Borderline Personality Disorder and try to manipulate the healthcare team.
Best Psychiatry Pun I Came Up With:
Out of Psych, Out of Mind.
Next month, I'm on Neurology at UVA. And do you know what that means?
Titan's back!
Pros:
- The hours are unbeatable. As an attending, you only work 9-5 and almost never on weekends. The residents have more time off than nearly every other specialty, yet they somehow still get paid more than most other residents
- The people are laid back. One time, I was worried about getting something done by a certain deadline, and my resident told me, "Stop worrying about it! This is Psych, not Internal Medicine."
- The patients are one-of-a-kind. Sure, I saw dozens of patients with psychosis, but their hallucinations and delusions were never the same. A new story every day to keep me entertained!
Cons:
- The field of Psychiatry still carries a stigma, and many doctors don't consider it "real medicine." It's highly subjective, and there are few diagnostic tests for many Psychiatric diseases, which sort of makes it the ugly step-sister in the field of evidence-based medicine.
- Not all, but a lot of Psychiatrists don't deal with other medical problems. In the inpatient unit, patients that develop medical conditions are immediately sent to a bed on the medicine floors to be managed by an IM doctor. The psychiatrists themselves rarely have to deal with A-a gradients and PFTs.
- Some of the patients can be really, really annoying. Especially the ones who are malingering. During my brief month in Roanoke, I saw several people discharged and return within days. It can also be very frustrating dealing with people who simply won't quit their drug habits and people who have Borderline Personality Disorder and try to manipulate the healthcare team.
Best Psychiatry Pun I Came Up With:
Out of Psych, Out of Mind.
Next month, I'm on Neurology at UVA. And do you know what that means?
Titan's back!
Roanoke By the Numbers
I'm finally back in Charlottesville for good! It didn't really feel like I was gone for an entire month, probably in part due to the fact that I came back every weekend. But now I can finally sleep in my own bed for more than two nights out of the week, and let me tell you, I'm not going to miss my bed in Roanoke one bit. No more waking up in the middle of the night because of my bedsprings squeaking every time I roll over!
Now, allow me to tell you the story of my experience in Roanoke in quantifiable terms:
Work
Number of times I was on call: 4
Number of times I actually got called in after going home: 0
Number of times I had to work past 5pm: 1
Eat
Number of times I spent exactly $22.50 in the cafeteria: 2
Number of granola bars left: 63
Number of Vitaminwater bottles left: 107
Play
Number of sports games I attended: 3
Number of times I went to Corned Beef: 1
Number of times I wish I'd gone to Corned Beef: 10,000,000
Welp, I guess it's off to study for my Psychiatry Shelf exam tomorrow morning. By the way, does anybody out there know what a Shelf exam is? Nosheen and I tried to look up the definition earlier, but all we could come up with was this. I mean, that's nice and all, but I'm pretty sure that "SHELF" doesn't stand for "Super-Hard ELF." Or does it??
Now, allow me to tell you the story of my experience in Roanoke in quantifiable terms:
Work
Number of times I was on call: 4
Number of times I actually got called in after going home: 0
Number of times I had to work past 5pm: 1
Eat
Number of times I spent exactly $22.50 in the cafeteria: 2
Number of granola bars left: 63
Number of Vitaminwater bottles left: 107
Play
Number of sports games I attended: 3
Number of times I went to Corned Beef: 1
Number of times I wish I'd gone to Corned Beef: 10,000,000
Welp, I guess it's off to study for my Psychiatry Shelf exam tomorrow morning. By the way, does anybody out there know what a Shelf exam is? Nosheen and I tried to look up the definition earlier, but all we could come up with was this. I mean, that's nice and all, but I'm pretty sure that "SHELF" doesn't stand for "Super-Hard ELF." Or does it??
Hollywood News
Alert! Alert! Catherine is now on the Internet Movie Database! She's working on as the assistant to the executive producer on the upcoming show The Gates. Or, as I like to refer to it, The Show That ABC Keeps Pushing for LOST Fans to Start Watching. But now that I know that Catherine's working on it, I'm more than willing to give in to ABC's wishes. Plus, the show is about vampires... and who doesn't like vampires these days?
Catmo now joins the ranks of Sylvia and Matt, my only two other friends on IMDb. What do you mean I've never met Matt!? We're friends from another life, brotha! Hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk.
Anyway, speaking of television shows, I've watched more Jeopardy! and Family Feud in Roanoke during the past month than I have over the past five years. And, for the first time that I can ever recall, I actually got the Final Jeopardy! Round.
Catmo now joins the ranks of Sylvia and Matt, my only two other friends on IMDb. What do you mean I've never met Matt!? We're friends from another life, brotha! Hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk.
Anyway, speaking of television shows, I've watched more Jeopardy! and Family Feud in Roanoke during the past month than I have over the past five years. And, for the first time that I can ever recall, I actually got the Final Jeopardy! Round.
Category: Opera
Answer: The aria "Pour Mon Ame" by Donizetti includes 9 of these; a few tenors have earned the nickname "King of" them
--highlight below for the question--
[Question: What are high Cs?]
The End
Wow, folks. That was it. Six seasons of masterful artistry (well, except for the beginning of Season 3, when nothing happened for, like, six episodes, and the end of Season 4, when the story arc was interrupted by the writers' strike). Err, where was I again? Oh yeah, if you don't watch LOST, you can just enjoy this video and go along your merry way to explore the rest of the interwebz:
But what can I even say? I'm at a loss (pun always intended) for words. I'm pretty satisfied with how the series concluded, even if I still have approximately 4,815,162,342(!) questions left unanswered. I won't give anything away in case any Lostafarians out there haven't seen the finale already (shame on you), but I will say this: where was Mr. Eko? Where were Michael and Walt? Where was Ana Lucia? I need some closure on those characters, too!
I always knew that the end would be bittersweet, but I had hoped it would be more sweet than bitter. Honestly, I feel as though I have lost (hoho, there it is again!) a brother. And I don't even know what it's like to have a brother!! I feel so alone, so aimless, so inconsequential in this mad world. Where am I? Who am I? How do I get back to the island!? We have to go back, Kate! WE HAVE TO GO BACK!!
But what can I even say? I'm at a loss (pun always intended) for words. I'm pretty satisfied with how the series concluded, even if I still have approximately 4,815,162,342(!) questions left unanswered. I won't give anything away in case any Lostafarians out there haven't seen the finale already (shame on you), but I will say this: where was Mr. Eko? Where were Michael and Walt? Where was Ana Lucia? I need some closure on those characters, too!
I always knew that the end would be bittersweet, but I had hoped it would be more sweet than bitter. Honestly, I feel as though I have lost (hoho, there it is again!) a brother. And I don't even know what it's like to have a brother!! I feel so alone, so aimless, so inconsequential in this mad world. Where am I? Who am I? How do I get back to the island!? We have to go back, Kate! WE HAVE TO GO BACK!!
Riff Raff... Street Rat...
I woke up a little late this morning because I couldn't fall asleep after last night's LOST series finale (more to come on that later). I had to hustle in order to catch the Star Line Trolley at 7:30, but to my great dismay, the driver didn't see me and drove right past me. The next trolley didn't come at the scheduled time, and instead of continuing to wait for it, I just jumped on the next city bus.
The catch: unlike the trolley, the city bus costs money. $1.50 per ride, in fact. And I only had $1.15 in my wallet. So I did what any respectable man in a tie and white coat would do: I put on my best puppy-dog eyes and begged the other passengers on the bus for change. I can't be sure of this, but I'm 70-90% sure that one of the two guys who gave me a quarter was actually homeless. Remind me to buy lunch for one of the guys sitting under the railroad bridge on the Corner when I get back to Charlottesville.
The catch: unlike the trolley, the city bus costs money. $1.50 per ride, in fact. And I only had $1.15 in my wallet. So I did what any respectable man in a tie and white coat would do: I put on my best puppy-dog eyes and begged the other passengers on the bus for change. I can't be sure of this, but I'm 70-90% sure that one of the two guys who gave me a quarter was actually homeless. Remind me to buy lunch for one of the guys sitting under the railroad bridge on the Corner when I get back to Charlottesville.
Chatroulette
It was raining in Charlottesville last night, thus thwarting our plans of going out and painting the town med (haha, get it? It's like painting the town red, only with the word med instead like medical student. Because they rhyme. I'm hilarious!) Instead, a bunch of us congregated for a Chatroulette party. None of us had ever been on the website before, and I have to say that it was definitely a unique experience. Christina and I came up with the phrase "Wink if you're real," which we proceeded to use on everyone in order to protect ourselves from all of the bots out there. Surprisingly, in the sea of guys masturbating (I lost count past 15), we actually found some cool people to chat with. Here are my top five from the night:
5. The guy from France who had just gotten in from partying. We talked to him for a while, we got to practice our French for a few minutes, and he was pretty entertaining to talk to. We actually found another Frenchman later on, but we decided that one was enough for the night and "Nexted" him soon thereafter.
4. The guy from China who was sitting in an internet cafe. He was the only other Asian we saw on Chatroulette the entire night. And what are the chances that the only other Asian we find lives in my home province of Jiangsu? He was embarrassed to practice his English in front of a group of people from the States, so I ended up talking to him for a while in Chinese. The novelty soon wore off, though, and we "Nexted" him as well.
3. The two girls who were eating Doritos and Chex Mix. I managed to sneak in the phrase "60% less fat than potato chips!" before they "Nexted" us.
2. The guy from Australia who was hungover from partying the night before. He was really into Palmer and Christina. He also liked my joke when I asked him, "HOW IS THE FUTURE??" We let both of the girls have a little private chat time before we "Nexted" him to look for a girl who would talk to us.
1. The Middle Eastern guy who did not speak very good English. We only spoke to him for about 30 seconds, but it was the best 30 seconds we had on Chatroulette. When we told him, "Wink if you're real," his response was, "WTF is wink??"
Sadly, our Chatrouletting came to an abrupt end when a giant branch broke off of a tree in the yard and crashed into the roof over Richie's bedroom. I blame it on Sasquatch.
5. The guy from France who had just gotten in from partying. We talked to him for a while, we got to practice our French for a few minutes, and he was pretty entertaining to talk to. We actually found another Frenchman later on, but we decided that one was enough for the night and "Nexted" him soon thereafter.
4. The guy from China who was sitting in an internet cafe. He was the only other Asian we saw on Chatroulette the entire night. And what are the chances that the only other Asian we find lives in my home province of Jiangsu? He was embarrassed to practice his English in front of a group of people from the States, so I ended up talking to him for a while in Chinese. The novelty soon wore off, though, and we "Nexted" him as well.
3. The two girls who were eating Doritos and Chex Mix. I managed to sneak in the phrase "60% less fat than potato chips!" before they "Nexted" us.
2. The guy from Australia who was hungover from partying the night before. He was really into Palmer and Christina. He also liked my joke when I asked him, "HOW IS THE FUTURE??" We let both of the girls have a little private chat time before we "Nexted" him to look for a girl who would talk to us.
1. The Middle Eastern guy who did not speak very good English. We only spoke to him for about 30 seconds, but it was the best 30 seconds we had on Chatroulette. When we told him, "Wink if you're real," his response was, "WTF is wink??"
Sadly, our Chatrouletting came to an abrupt end when a giant branch broke off of a tree in the yard and crashed into the roof over Richie's bedroom. I blame it on Sasquatch.
Thirsty Thursdays
What do you do on a Thursday night in Roanoke? Well, if you're a med student in Roanoke, you might check out Martin's Downtown Bar and Grill. We visited it last night, where we had an interesting conversation with our waitress. She taught us the definition of "munging," something I had never heard of before. I'm too embarrassed to post the meaning of it or even link to its definition on Urban Dictionary, so if you really want to know what it is (which you don't), you'll have to go find out for yourself.
We eventually decided to go to Corned Beef, another local bar, but on our walk there we were stopped by a girl who jumped out nowhere and yelled, "Come on in!" Surprised and a little curious, we entered The Shadowbox, a small concert venue where a small but pretty talented band was playing. Lee, Greg, and I took a seat, and no more than 30 seconds later, a guy ran down to us from the stage and started playing the trombone in our faces. I can't describe it any better than the woman who was sitting behind me, who screamed, "I FEEL LIKE I'M AT THE CIRCUS!" Truer words have never been spoken, ma'am. Overstimulated and somewhat frightened, we quickly tried to make our escape. Before we reached the door, however, an 8-foot-tall woman introduced herself to me as the owner of the place. She directed me to the bar, where the bartender offered to put my beer on the owner's tab. The catch: it was the foamiest, most terrible beer of all time. Hence, the nickname created by Lee: "frerrible beer."
In the meantime, the rest of our friends had already made their way to Corned Beef, so Lee, Greg, and I left to meet up with them. As soon as we walked in, the live band started playing "Man of Constant Sorrow," immediately followed by "Wagon Wheel." You can imagine my surprise/elation/excitement/exuberance/inappropriately loud singing when I realized they were playing the same two songs that Lee and I had performed with the Blue Ridge Medicine Boys at the VMed Talent Show. The rest of the night was spent singing along to this guitar-playing country duo.
And that, my friends, is what you do on a Thursday night in Roanoke.
We eventually decided to go to Corned Beef, another local bar, but on our walk there we were stopped by a girl who jumped out nowhere and yelled, "Come on in!" Surprised and a little curious, we entered The Shadowbox, a small concert venue where a small but pretty talented band was playing. Lee, Greg, and I took a seat, and no more than 30 seconds later, a guy ran down to us from the stage and started playing the trombone in our faces. I can't describe it any better than the woman who was sitting behind me, who screamed, "I FEEL LIKE I'M AT THE CIRCUS!" Truer words have never been spoken, ma'am. Overstimulated and somewhat frightened, we quickly tried to make our escape. Before we reached the door, however, an 8-foot-tall woman introduced herself to me as the owner of the place. She directed me to the bar, where the bartender offered to put my beer on the owner's tab. The catch: it was the foamiest, most terrible beer of all time. Hence, the nickname created by Lee: "frerrible beer."
In the meantime, the rest of our friends had already made their way to Corned Beef, so Lee, Greg, and I left to meet up with them. As soon as we walked in, the live band started playing "Man of Constant Sorrow," immediately followed by "Wagon Wheel." You can imagine my surprise/elation/excitement/exuberance/inappropriately loud singing when I realized they were playing the same two songs that Lee and I had performed with the Blue Ridge Medicine Boys at the VMed Talent Show. The rest of the night was spent singing along to this guitar-playing country duo.
And that, my friends, is what you do on a Thursday night in Roanoke.
Word of the Day
Mania - (n.) a period of elevated, expansive, or irritable mood lasting at least one week and characterized by at least three of the following:
(1) highly inflated, grandiose self-esteem
(2) decreased need for sleep
(3) pressured speech
(4) racing thoughts and flight of ideas
(5) easy distractibility
(6) increased goal-directed activity
(7) high excess involvement in pleasurable activities (sex, spending, travel)
If I'm not at least hypomanic, then gummy bears aren't the best ice cream topping in the world. And they are.
But seriously, I've noticed a severe decrease in the amount I need to sleep recently. I'm back down to high school-era levels, i.e. 5-6 hours a night without feeling tired during the day. I also recently purchased an Ibanez IJV100SNT to replace my guitar that got stolen from the Mulholland Student Lounge with money I technically have on loan from the government. But she's so beautiful...
And I don't think I need to convince any of you about my inflated sense of self-worth, my fast rate of speech, or my easy distracti...LOLCATS!?
(1) highly inflated, grandiose self-esteem
(2) decreased need for sleep
(3) pressured speech
(4) racing thoughts and flight of ideas
(5) easy distractibility
(6) increased goal-directed activity
(7) high excess involvement in pleasurable activities (sex, spending, travel)
If I'm not at least hypomanic, then gummy bears aren't the best ice cream topping in the world. And they are.
But seriously, I've noticed a severe decrease in the amount I need to sleep recently. I'm back down to high school-era levels, i.e. 5-6 hours a night without feeling tired during the day. I also recently purchased an Ibanez IJV100SNT to replace my guitar that got stolen from the Mulholland Student Lounge with money I technically have on loan from the government. But she's so beautiful...
And I don't think I need to convince any of you about my inflated sense of self-worth, my fast rate of speech, or my easy distracti...LOLCATS!?
An Instant Classic
Every now and then, a movie comes along that you know was just made for you. For example, I'm pretty sure I was the target and perhaps sole audience for such films as Kung Pow: Enter the Fist and The Librarian: Quest for the Spear. Well, as of tonight, you can add a new movie to the list: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
Seriously, if you haven't seen it, you need to go rent it THIS VERY MOMENT (currently available at the redbox) and watch it IMMEDIATELY. Especially if, like me, you're in your early 20s but still have the maturity of a 9-year-old. I mean, I dare you to come up with lines more clever than these:
"The Weather News Network: Weather It's News or Not."
"You may have seen a meteor shower, but I bet you've never seen a shower 'meatier' than this."
Oh, it's all so punderful!
Seriously, if you haven't seen it, you need to go rent it THIS VERY MOMENT (currently available at the redbox) and watch it IMMEDIATELY. Especially if, like me, you're in your early 20s but still have the maturity of a 9-year-old. I mean, I dare you to come up with lines more clever than these:
"The Weather News Network: Weather It's News or Not."
"You may have seen a meteor shower, but I bet you've never seen a shower 'meatier' than this."
Oh, it's all so punderful!
DISASTER!
I came back to my dorm tonight to discover that the area above my window ledge is leaking. I don't have any pots or bowls I can use to catch the water, so right now I'm just using a hand towel and my (clean) underwear to absorb the water that's dripping from the ceiling. Plus, it dampens the sound so I can actually fall asleep.
Okay, so it's a bit weird and socially unorthodox, but it's also very practical!
Okay, so it's a bit weird and socially unorthodox, but it's also very practical!
Outdated
I'm not young anymore. Okay, I guess I'm still young, but I'm not as young as I used to be. On Friday night, I met up with my residents from when I was an RA during my third year of college for one last hurrah, and let's just say that I can't keep up with those kids anymore. Not that I was expecting to be able to hold my own against a group of fourth year college students who have spent the last year of their lives training their livers to handle any and all means of assault, but you know...
Anyway, the moral of the story is that my body can no longer process the forced consumption of large amounts of alcohol like it could when I was in college. Not that I was ever very good at it, but at least I used to be able to bounce back the next morning for a 9am lecture with ease. Sadly, this is no longer the case. Now it takes me several hours to recover the next day, during which I may attend both a UVA baseball game and a UVA lacrosse game, swear to myself and everyone around me that I'm not going to go out that night, and feel good enough by 9pm to repeat the cycle all over again.
Anyway, the moral of the story is that my body can no longer process the forced consumption of large amounts of alcohol like it could when I was in college. Not that I was ever very good at it, but at least I used to be able to bounce back the next morning for a 9am lecture with ease. Sadly, this is no longer the case. Now it takes me several hours to recover the next day, during which I may attend both a UVA baseball game and a UVA lacrosse game, swear to myself and everyone around me that I'm not going to go out that night, and feel good enough by 9pm to repeat the cycle all over again.
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
The other night, a bunch of us took the evening off (as if we were going to do real work anyway) to go catch the Salem Red Sox game. There was really no reason not to go: the tickets were $1, the hot dogs were $1, the popcorn was $1, and the domestic beer was $1. I had the best time that $5 could buy, and I didn't get any hot dogs or popcorn. Get it? Get it?? I drank four beers! No, actually, I purchased five admission tickets. Sigh.
In spite of the fact that the Frederick Keys beat the Salem Red Sox 7-2, we still managed to have a great time. Especially Lee, who once again, in the words of Sunny, looks like a "beautiful albino angel" in this extremely awkwardly-framed photo.
In spite of the fact that the Frederick Keys beat the Salem Red Sox 7-2, we still managed to have a great time. Especially Lee, who once again, in the words of Sunny, looks like a "beautiful albino angel" in this extremely awkwardly-framed photo.
Words with Friends
My friends and I have recently become obsessed with Words with Friends, an app for the iPhone and the iPod Touch that's basically a generic version of Scrabble. If you don't have it already, you need to get it and start a game with me (username sammas21).
Lee and I have already played 12 games together, and the results have formed an interesting pattern. Lee won the first game, then I won the next, then Lee won two in a row, then I won three in a row, and Lee has won the last five. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5... does that look familiar? I guess the Fibonacci sequence really does occur naturally. Well, as long as you consider the latest tech gadget from Apple something that's "natural."
Lee and I have already played 12 games together, and the results have formed an interesting pattern. Lee won the first game, then I won the next, then Lee won two in a row, then I won three in a row, and Lee has won the last five. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5... does that look familiar? I guess the Fibonacci sequence really does occur naturally. Well, as long as you consider the latest tech gadget from Apple something that's "natural."
Shutter Island
This afternoon, I attended lecture and shadowed a doctor at Catawba Hospital of The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. The building was originally part of the Roanoke Red Sulphur Springs Resort, so the hospital allegedly sits upon a beautiful campus. I say "allegedly" because today it was shrouded in rain and fog. I had to drive over Catawba Mountain to get there, and most of the time I couldn't see more than 20 feet in front of me. Upon my arrival, I found the hospital sitting eerily in the mountainside. Yeah.
Catawba Hospital is a mental health hospital that primarily services the geriatric population of Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. It also cares for people who have escaped convictions from the legal system by declaring legal insanity. So, is this starting to sound like Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane to you yet?
At the end of my visit, the doctor I was working with had to let me out of the building, because all of the doors are locked. Funny story: one time, an elderly woman was visiting her friend at the hospital. When she left to go home, the security team wouldn't let her out. She said, "I swear, I'm not a patient!" only to be told, "Yeah, that's what they all say." They brought her back upstairs to one of the floors, where the nursing staff recognized that she really wasn't one of their patients and let her leave.
Hmm, too soon.
Catawba Hospital is a mental health hospital that primarily services the geriatric population of Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. It also cares for people who have escaped convictions from the legal system by declaring legal insanity. So, is this starting to sound like Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane to you yet?
At the end of my visit, the doctor I was working with had to let me out of the building, because all of the doors are locked. Funny story: one time, an elderly woman was visiting her friend at the hospital. When she left to go home, the security team wouldn't let her out. She said, "I swear, I'm not a patient!" only to be told, "Yeah, that's what they all say." They brought her back upstairs to one of the floors, where the nursing staff recognized that she really wasn't one of their patients and let her leave.
Hmm, too soon.
To Answer Your Question
With the weather becoming nicer and nicer, I guess it's not too surprising that the topic of rolling down the window vs. cranking up the air conditioning has come up in conversation several times in the past few weeks. So, even though you probably weren't wondering, here is the official answer to the age-old debate:
According to this article from Bankrate.com (hey, don't ask me, it was just the first hit on Google), "motorists should avoid using the air conditioner at speeds below 40 mph and travel with their windows down." However, "as your speed increases to 45 mph, or highway speeds, wind drag becomes an issue." In fact, "drive at speeds over 55 mph with windows down and you'll decrease fuel economy by up to 20 percent or greater."
So there you have it. These findings were also confirmed in MythBusters Episode 38, so you know they're correct. Happy driving, folks!
According to this article from Bankrate.com (hey, don't ask me, it was just the first hit on Google), "motorists should avoid using the air conditioner at speeds below 40 mph and travel with their windows down." However, "as your speed increases to 45 mph, or highway speeds, wind drag becomes an issue." In fact, "drive at speeds over 55 mph with windows down and you'll decrease fuel economy by up to 20 percent or greater."
So there you have it. These findings were also confirmed in MythBusters Episode 38, so you know they're correct. Happy driving, folks!
Call Me
Being "on call." I've always wondered what that meant. Well, I wonder no more! I was on call on Thursday night, which apparently just meant that if someone showed up to the Emergency Department and was assigned to my unit, I would have to go and admit the patient. Luckily for me, we only had four patients come in on Thursday night, and they were all assigned to other psychiatric teams. I got a nice, long sleep and didn't even get awoken once by my cell phone. Psychiatry rotation, you are too good to me.
Okay, if you haven't seen Kick Ass yet, you REALLY need to go see it. Like, right now. Greg, Lee, and I watched it last night, and I've basically been thinking about it nonstop. Mostly in the context of child development, since that's what I'm studying this weekend. Hit Girl: she's in a phase of transition to self-care, she's in the foreclosed subject of identity in which her commitments are received from a parent instead of from within herself, and she's prone to risk-taking behaviors due to changes in dopamine regulation resulting in previously pleasurable activities becoming less rewarding, leading to a compensatory search for new and more intense forms of stimulation. GAH, I'M SUCH A NERD.
Okay, if you haven't seen Kick Ass yet, you REALLY need to go see it. Like, right now. Greg, Lee, and I watched it last night, and I've basically been thinking about it nonstop. Mostly in the context of child development, since that's what I'm studying this weekend. Hit Girl: she's in a phase of transition to self-care, she's in the foreclosed subject of identity in which her commitments are received from a parent instead of from within herself, and she's prone to risk-taking behaviors due to changes in dopamine regulation resulting in previously pleasurable activities becoming less rewarding, leading to a compensatory search for new and more intense forms of stimulation. GAH, I'M SUCH A NERD.
New Home
Ready for a virtual tour of my new dorm room? YES YOU ARE!
I have a giant sink and massive counter space! Don't kill me, Liz. Also, check out my burgeoning Vitaminwater and Powerade collection. That, my friends, is where all of my extra meal money goes toward at the end of every day.
I have my own shower! Don't kill me, Kim. As you can see, I can sit while I bathe each day. A little unnecessary, but a lot cool.
I have not just one closet like everyone else...
...I have two! Don't kill me, Daniel.
Here is my hospital-room-turned-dorm-room in all its glory. Yes, my corner room is quite possibly the best room on the hall. And yes, we took a trip to Target my first night here and bought a ladder golf set. Are we five years old? I don't know, goo goo ga ga!
I have a giant sink and massive counter space! Don't kill me, Liz. Also, check out my burgeoning Vitaminwater and Powerade collection. That, my friends, is where all of my extra meal money goes toward at the end of every day.
I have my own shower! Don't kill me, Kim. As you can see, I can sit while I bathe each day. A little unnecessary, but a lot cool.
I have not just one closet like everyone else...
...I have two! Don't kill me, Daniel.
Here is my hospital-room-turned-dorm-room in all its glory. Yes, my corner room is quite possibly the best room on the hall. And yes, we took a trip to Target my first night here and bought a ladder golf set. Are we five years old? I don't know, goo goo ga ga!
New Routine
I have to say, of all the rotations I could have started on, Psychiatry was an excellent choice. While some people like Lee and Kimberly have to show up for pre-rounds at 6:30am and don't get off of work until 5pm, my schedule today was the following:
7:30 - Discuss patients admitted from the Emergency Department during the night
8:30 - Pre-round with the resident
9:15 - Round with the attending
10:00 - Free time
12:00 - Pharmaceutical presentation with free lunch
1:00 - I'm done!
To add icing to the cake, it was so nice outside when I finished that I went for a run on the trail next to the hospital, and I even lifted weights for an hour before returning to my dorm room. Man, I could really get used to these kinds of hours!
7:30 - Discuss patients admitted from the Emergency Department during the night
8:30 - Pre-round with the resident
9:15 - Round with the attending
10:00 - Free time
12:00 - Pharmaceutical presentation with free lunch
1:00 - I'm done!
To add icing to the cake, it was so nice outside when I finished that I went for a run on the trail next to the hospital, and I even lifted weights for an hour before returning to my dorm room. Man, I could really get used to these kinds of hours!
My First REAL Day of Work
I'm a real third year! I can't believe I'm finally on the wards... and let's be honest, I'm completely clueless as to what I'm supposed to be doing. Most of the day was spent sending and receiving text messages like "ZOMG what am I doing here??" to and from Lee. Because, seriously, could second year of medical school have prepared me less for real interactions with doctors and patients?? AHHH!!
Okay, freaking out aside, today was actually really cool. I'm the only medical student on the psychiatry rotation in Roanoke right now (there are normally three), so for better or for worse, I'm getting a lot of one-on-one attention. I spent the morning being oriented by Dr. Rea, whose team I will be working on, and I spent the afternoon seeing outpatients with Dr. Hartman, the first blind physician in the country. Is this real life!?
Okay, freaking out aside, today was actually really cool. I'm the only medical student on the psychiatry rotation in Roanoke right now (there are normally three), so for better or for worse, I'm getting a lot of one-on-one attention. I spent the morning being oriented by Dr. Rea, whose team I will be working on, and I spent the afternoon seeing outpatients with Dr. Hartman, the first blind physician in the country. Is this real life!?
My First Day of Work
...was also my first day of vacation. For some reason, while everybody else began their rotations today, the Psychiatry rotation in Roanoke doesn't start until tomorrow morning. I basically had one more day of vacation but nobody to enjoy it with, so I ended up running errands all day instead.
The errand that I'd been putting off for the longest time was buying new dress shirts. I hate doing it, because apparently the rest of America is much larger than me. Very few "slim fit" shirts are made, and the designs are usually limited to just white, blue, and black. But I persevered today, finding two shirts that actually fit me. Oddly, one of them was at the local Goodwill.
The other thing that bothers me about buying new shirts is all of the pins that are used to tack them in. Does anybody even know why they still use them in the packaging process?? They're annoying to remove, and they're even more annoying when I miss one and it pricks me when I put the new shirt on.
The errand that I'd been putting off for the longest time was buying new dress shirts. I hate doing it, because apparently the rest of America is much larger than me. Very few "slim fit" shirts are made, and the designs are usually limited to just white, blue, and black. But I persevered today, finding two shirts that actually fit me. Oddly, one of them was at the local Goodwill.
The other thing that bothers me about buying new shirts is all of the pins that are used to tack them in. Does anybody even know why they still use them in the packaging process?? They're annoying to remove, and they're even more annoying when I miss one and it pricks me when I put the new shirt on.
Adventures Galore
What a weekend of firsts! Last night was my first time going to a drive-in theater. A bunch of us took a short road trip to see How to Train Your Dragon and Sherlock Holmes at Lexington's famous Hull's Drive-In. Aside from a few raindrops that never amounted to anything, the weather was perfect. And even though I'd already seen both movies, I had a ton of fun, and you can definitely expect to find me there again throughout the summer.
Tonight, Richie took me for my first stick shift driving lesson. It was much harder than I wanted it to be, but Richie told me I did a good job. Hopefully he wasn't lying to me, hopefully I didn't damage his car too much, and hopefully he'll be willing to keep teaching me. You know, because we'll have so much free time during our third year of medical school. Oh, wait...
Tonight, Richie took me for my first stick shift driving lesson. It was much harder than I wanted it to be, but Richie told me I did a good job. Hopefully he wasn't lying to me, hopefully I didn't damage his car too much, and hopefully he'll be willing to keep teaching me. You know, because we'll have so much free time during our third year of medical school. Oh, wait...
Going, Going, Gone!
I just made my first sale on Craigslist! Titan has outgrown his doghouse, and since it was so well-constructed, it sold very quickly. The lady who bought it from me, however, may well be insane. How do I know? Well, she e-mailed me the following three messages within eight minutes of each other, without giving me a chance to reply to any of them:
Yes please, I want it.
Can you accept $65? I can bring my truck to work tomorrow and pick it up.
Please don’t sell to anyone else. I have 5 dogs, indoor/outdoor and even my cats would love the roof on this.
I won’t even bargain. $75 is a fair price.
Does it have a floor? It’s hard to see from the photo if it’s sitting on concrete.
Plywood flooring. You stated in the description I reread.
Perhaps she was afraid that she hadn't fully convinced me that she was a complete spaz, because after I agreed to sell it to her, she sent me the following two e-mails, back-to-back:
Sam,
You back in town?
I have someone who is going to pick up the dog house for me.
He’s a Fire Captain, here in Charlottesville.
Sam,
I really don’t want to have to pay to have the dog house picked up.
Do you think your roommates could lift it up into my pickup truck, either this Saturday or sometime after 3:30pm during the week?
Let me know please.
At least it's now done and over with, and I no longer need to worry about this lady blowing up my inbox with her paroxysms of e-mailing.
Yes please, I want it.
Can you accept $65? I can bring my truck to work tomorrow and pick it up.
Please don’t sell to anyone else. I have 5 dogs, indoor/outdoor and even my cats would love the roof on this.
I won’t even bargain. $75 is a fair price.
Does it have a floor? It’s hard to see from the photo if it’s sitting on concrete.
Plywood flooring. You stated in the description I reread.
Perhaps she was afraid that she hadn't fully convinced me that she was a complete spaz, because after I agreed to sell it to her, she sent me the following two e-mails, back-to-back:
Sam,
You back in town?
I have someone who is going to pick up the dog house for me.
He’s a Fire Captain, here in Charlottesville.
Sam,
I really don’t want to have to pay to have the dog house picked up.
Do you think your roommates could lift it up into my pickup truck, either this Saturday or sometime after 3:30pm during the week?
Let me know please.
At least it's now done and over with, and I no longer need to worry about this lady blowing up my inbox with her paroxysms of e-mailing.
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