Internal Medicine: first few weeks

The first few weeks of Internal Medicine have been okay. Probably 80-90% of the patients in the clinic are Spanish speakers, so it hasn't been the best for me since I don't speak Spanish. However, the doctor that I am assigned to allows me a lot of physicals and I do get to do the whole history when the patient speaks English (or the doctor sends me into the room with the nurse, who can translate).

I had to do my first ER rotation last Sunday from 3pm until 2am and then I had to report to the clinic at 8:30 for my regular work day. It seems like everyone else is excited about these ER shifts, but I don't really like the ER all that much. It just isn't my favorite area in the hospital. In this Internal Medicine rotation, we are suppose to be assigned to an outpatient clinic for one month, to an inpatient physician for one month and to the ER for one month. I don't understand why they are scheduling us for the ER every month when we are suppose to have an entire month of ER. Also, the people doing the ER rotation are also having to go to some inpatient work. It would make more sense to me to do inpatient during the inpatient month and ER during the ER month. Even if I had to do four or five twelve-hour ER shifts per week, I think it would be better. I guess it doesn't really matter because I really don't have anything to do other than study and go to clinic so if I have to do ER for three months, I guess I do ER rotations for three months. Speaking of ER rotations, I was lucky enough to be assigned to an ER rotation this weekend. I really wish I didn't have to go into the ER this weekend because the traffic on Miami Beach is crazy. I hope that Farley and I have the weekend of the 4th of July off--not because I want to do anything all that exciting, I just don't want to drive anywhere!