Rectify!

From Teslagrl:

"I think you have more posts referencing (Diablo) than me, the gf. I think you must rectify!"

Too right. But when you're working on becoming a medical person and can't really talk too much about the interesting and amusing episodes which comprise that process, then you go for more of the pop culture stuff the readers can get a little more involved with (hi, reader/s!). I mean, here's a partial list of cool stuff I can't really get into:

I can't describe patient encounters. At least not until some more time passes, and the details get better-obscured by simply not mentioning when they took place.

I live, and shadow, in a small town. Sure, I tend to scramble the identifying details when I talk about patients, but I can't do it right until I've seen hundreds of people who fit every one of the phenotypes I might describe. In trying to protect the identity of the burly dairy farmer, I might wind up describing the bratty teenager instead, and if they're both among the last 400 people I saw, then so what if the story as told has them switching maladies (or dialogue)? Nope, better to say nothing about anyone. Sorry. It'll have to come down years later as "oh yeah, this one time, I saw somebody who..."

I can't talk in too much detail about school. There are of course the frustrations and triumphs of any situation where you're locked into a path (maybe a little less locked in, in my case, but still) which lasts a year and involves a core of 12 people. Again, these stories will be great, eventually. For now I need to do this thing. Plus the process of writing my essays and think "competitively" has me paranoid enough to believe that musings and clever turns of phrase out here in piecemeal form could be picked up by another kid headed where I am. I want this blog to be of use to people in the future... just not too much use, and not in my app cycle.

I probably should make at least a weak attempt at anonymity. I have nothing to hide, and in fact I plan to follow in the footsteps of good medical writers. But again, for now, while I'm preparing to be evaluated and scrutinized, as well as having to just function well, it seems smart to compartmentalize the writing and the schooling. I promise I'll wear a t-shirt reading 'Febrifuge' once I'm safely in school. I'll wear it on the day I lead a tour for prospective newbies, or if I'm giving an inservice at my hospital to students. Someday I might gain the underground celebrity I'd be so good at. But for now, to paraphrase Douglas Adams: hey, I'm just this guy, you know?

So, I'll talk about my experiences with the process of school and applications. I'll talk about issues in medicine, like all the other med-bloggers. I'll talk about stuff I've seen and heard when it's safe. I'll talk about movies, music, books, the Web. And also, more about T-girl and our adventures, sure. Though I bet she wants some editorial control...