Snap, Crackle, Pop!

Well, over the past couple of weeks, I've become something of an "expert" in the arts of holding tissue retractors in surgery, cutting sutures, moving patients from the operating table to beds, and trying not to make a fool out of myself.

And now, a couple of thoughts about life, after having spent a few weeks on the orthopaedic service:

• People shouldn't shoot each other so much
• People are crazy. Not the "haha, its funny, you're crazy" kind of crazy--I mean actual mental disease
• Sticks and stones can break your bones, but so can falls, osteoporosis, gunshot wounds, semi-trucks, motorcycles, tumors, zip-lines, etc.
• When you move someone's leg around when they have a broken femur, it feels crunchy
• There kind of is a femur ward
  

It's been pretty good for the most part, I've been spending most of my time in the hospital (which is OK, I guess), and not doing a whole lot else. Although I did go to the state fair last friday night, where I saw a whole bunch of people eating things like "chocolate covered bacon" and "deep fried pizza". I tried neither of these, but I do think my cholesterol level about doubled just looking at them.

In other news, this past weekend I got hired as a "medical student extern" at the emergency department at one of the hospitals on the north side of town. So, I'll actually be working, and making actual money! Although, not a ton of it, and I won't really be working all that often. And I won't even be starting until September at least. But at any rate, I think it will be a good experience, since the job is basically just seeing patients and treating them for whatever they have wrong with them (under an ER doc's supervision, of course).
So, that's about it... I'm still on the orthopaedic surgery service until Friday, and after that, I have 2 weeks of anesthesia. So, I've got a busy couple of days ahead of me, and then I get a couple of weeks that are reportedly pretty laid back. Like, come in at 7 and leave by noon kind of laid back. Can't wait!