Family Medicine - Oh the DRAMA!

Well, I'm 2 weeks into my family medicine rotation and I'm loving it. I love it all the crazy office dynamics, the crazy patients, and the crazy experiences. There is a dynamic in a Family Med office that I haven't found anywhere else yet. It is great. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I spent 2 years as a medical assistant and can totally relate to the experiences. I feel like I'm home. Maybe that sounds a little corny, but it is so true. I have missed the office banter, the inside jokes, and most of all the crazy, and I mean crazy patients.

So I am currently rotating at Southwest Medical Associates. It is a large multi-specialty group. The office that I'm in has Adult medicine, pediatrics, and OB/GYN. I'm in the adult medicine group. There are probably around 20 doctors in this one building. It is a nice place. Since the Dr. I'm with only does adults, he has me go up with one of the Pediatricians once a week for a couple hours.

Okay, so about the area. Let just say that it has been referred to as "the projects" by several of the employees. There was a car parked outside one of the office windows. Some kids broke into the car during the middle of the day while the Dr was in the room with a pt. They smashed out the windows and took off. Well, that happened before I got there, but the car just stayed there, nobody moved it or did anything. Finally, last week the cops came by and the car was towed off. To give the area some credit, Dr. Orr said if it had been Detroit, where he grew up, there would have only been a frame left out there. It is also a little disconcerting to have a sign on the sliding doors that reads "Please leave your weapons in your cars." I guess one pt did bring a gun in last month. He insisted that the nurse take off 2 lbs for the gun in his pocket. Crazy people.

I haven't had anything that exciting happen yet, but have had some interesting patients. I had one lady inform me that she had been doing "stretches" to prepare for her GYN appointment, since she hadn't been with a man in years. Okay, that was a little too much info, didn't need to know that mam, really. Not sure I quite know what she was referring to, and don't think I want to know. I have had the opportunity to perform 5 DREs (digital rectal exams). Let me tell you, that is a good time. NOT!!! Okay, very gross, especially when the reason for the exam is because the poor guys either have hemorrhoids, or are having problems with leaking. Not fun to get old. I'm sure a couple of the guys won't be back, they were two fairly young Hispanic guys. The Dr. checked them out and then told me to put on some gloves, so before they could pull their pants up they were violated by another finger. Yeah, they seemed a little embarrassed as they left, not sure if they will be back, but hey guys, thanks for the learning experience. :) The funniest one so far was a Hispanic gentleman that told me he wanted his prostate checked. I had been talking to him in Spanish, but apparently didn't explain things well enough concerning the exam, because when I told him to drop his pants for the DRE he about flew out the door. I have never seen a man get so upset and uncomfortable. It was kind of amusing. In explaining that you need the DRE and the blood test for it to be a complete accurate portrayal of the prostate he declined the DRE for the time being. LOL. Oh if you could have seen his face.

Something not necessarily funny, but sad, today I saw a 3 yr old that twice the size of my 3 yr old. Can you believe it, Chase is 35 lbs, he is a good sized kid, tall for his age, not small by any means. Well, this kid was shorter than Chase and weighed in at 71 lbs. Crazy huh?! Poor kid, he was so cute though, with his round face, chubby fingers, and red hair, how could he be anything but cute (wink). Unfortunately the kid has reflux issues at 3 not to mention triglycerides of 300 (normal is less than 150). This kid is in for a rough life, and then try to explain to his mother that it isn't a good thing that he is that big. She said he likes oatmeal and eats it twice a day (two bowls of a day? are you kidding me), apparently "He just loves that peaches and cream kind." Yeah, not quite the same as the good old fashioned oatmeal, and yeah, he definitely doesn't need 2 bowls.

Well there are a few of my experiences so far. It is fun to see Juanita (names have been changed to protect the innocent), Peter, and Angie go back and forth giving each other a hard time. They sit back by my desk. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I have my own desk. Cool huh!!! So I'm going to sign off for right now, but just have to say again: I love family medicine!!!