Archived column.
Columnist Emeritus and in-Training Staff Member
Loma Linda University Medical Center
A Taste Of Your Own Medicine is a column that gives you a taste of medicine. It focuses on important and interesting topics relating to medicine and being a medical student.
Valentina is a general surgery resident at Loma Linda University Medical Center. She graduated from University of California, Irvine School of Medicine.
My latest obsession is “Doc Martin,” which is a British series taking place in a fictional sleepy seaside town in England called Portwenn. The main character is grumpy Dr. Martin Ellingham (played by Martin Clunes), but is known to his disdain as Doc Martin by the villagers. Paradoxically, Martin was a surgeon working in London but had to relocate to the quiet town for one reason: his phobia to blood. Unfortunately, it developed during his …
The OR is exciting for some, scary for others, and boring for the rest. No matter what you think before going into the OR, there are a few things you need to know to enhance your experience. 1. Show up on time to the procedure. It’s awkward introducing yourself in the middle of the procedure while the surgeon’s head is down and is intensely operating. 2. Find out the type of procedure before attending it …
My most recent rotation on internal medicine emphasized the importance of working on a team, which is an integral part of residency. The team not only consists of you, the residents and the attending, but it also includes nurses, social workers, the pharmacist and other consulting teams. Ideally, team members should interact with each other in a professional and respectful manner. It’s even better if the team gets along and enjoys each other’s company. This …
Believe it or not, but cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is a real diagnosis. I will describe a patient I encountered who fits the classic description. The patient is a male in his 50s who presented to the emergency department with one week of intermittent vomiting and epigastric pain. He has a few of these episodes every year and was diagnosed with CVS during his previous hospitalization, but was unaware of his diagnosis. The current episode …
One day, I was walking across the medical center campus when I suddenly burst out laughing. I couldn’t help it when I saw a white furry dog with a blue bandana wrapped around his neck, from which hung a badge with his name and photo. I was too far away to see his name, but I imagined it to be something like “Buddy.” I wasn’t aware that the medical center used animal therapy, through a …
Studying for the boards is like preparing for a marathon shelf. Your stamina, knowledge, guessing skills and sanity will all be tested, although these are not formal topics listed on the syllabus. At first, you’re gung-ho and ready to crack open your freshly bought books. Then, you slow down as you stare out the window wanting to be outside enjoying life. Lastly, you stare at your calendar wishing your test date was already here so …
When most people think of the labor and delivery department (L&D), they probably have thoughts of babies, laughter, tears of joy, happiness, and pink and blue onesies. My experience on L&D was quite different. A woman who was 26 weeks pregnant walked into the hospital at 10 p.m. on a Monday night, claiming that her water broke. But how could that be? She was only 26 weeks along. It was determined that she had preterm …
Awkward. is a witty TV show about the awkwardness of being a teenager and surviving high school. Sometimes I feel like the awkwardness of being a medical student and surviving medical school is worthy of a TV show. Medical school is particularly awkward when starting third-year clerkships. Depending on how prepared you are for the wards, you may not know where to go, what to do, or what to say. Some students will dive in …
If you have the chance to work with veterans during your medical school career, take it. I had the unique opportunity of working with veterans during my psychiatry rotation where I was confronted with the reality of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. I saw the effects of PTSD on veterans who served in past or current wars. It didn’t matter whether they served in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan or Iraq — they were all haunted by …
I remember when I was young, my parents told me they wished to be a kid again. Now I understand why. Do you miss the days when your only task was reading one of Aesop’s Fables? I do. Do you remember “The Cobbler Turned Doctor?” If not, I’ll refresh your memory. It’s about an unsuccessful cobbler who decided to move to another town where no one knew him so he could work as a doctor …
Columnist Emeritus and in-Training Staff Member
Loma Linda University Medical Center
A Taste Of Your Own Medicine is a column that gives you a taste of medicine. It focuses on important and interesting topics relating to medicine and being a medical student.
Valentina is a general surgery resident at Loma Linda University Medical Center. She graduated from University of California, Irvine School of Medicine.
