“Why can’t I just work here?” is a question that many physicians may ask at the end of a long day. There are many tasks to be completed. There is a never-ending supply of work to be done. On top of that, no matter how much work we get done, it seems like there is […]
Author: rkhmd
10 Commandments of Orthopaedic Surgery
According to Ryan K Harrison…. (In no particular order) -Don’t ignore pain out of proportion to your exam -Don’t varus. -When you can’t see the skin, you’ve applied enough padding. -When the nurse asks you to come and see the patient, just go. -Touch every bone and move every joint, you’ll never miss anything. -Don’t […]
Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life!
You spent 13 years in K-12, four years as an undergraduate student, and four years in medical school, plus/minus whatever other education or sidequests you may have been on. You survived writing a personal statement and going through interviews, creating a rank list, and the age-old ritual of opening that envelope to find out where […]
Don’t Drown in the Suck
When talking to students considering medicine as a career, I talk about all of the advantages or taking care of patients. I also say to everyone – “Remember, it is still a JOB.“ Physicians are stuck in the middle these days. The expectations are high, and rightfully so. Our patients’ lives and livelihoods are on […]
Paralyzation or Triumph in Difficulty
We’ve all been there. We’ve been at the difficult junction in a case or found surgical progress stalled. We’ve planned for all possible paths a procedure might lead us down, but we operate on the human body, and not everything is predictable in every case. Perhaps something irreplaceable has fallen onto the floor or is […]
The Patient, A Doctor and Their Shadow
The doctor-patient relationship is a truly remarkable bond. On regular days, patients come into clinics and hospitals and tell a relative stranger about their life, sometimes details they do not tell their closest friends and family. On their worst days, patients are transported to emergency departments and trauma centers in extreme duress, with life and limb-threatening […]
Choosing Where to Go To Medical School
When it was time to choose where to go to medical school, I didn’t think all that hard. Indiana is unique. There is only one medical school in Indiana, at least there was when I was applying. (There is now IU, offering an MD degree and an osteopathic program affiliated with Marian University in Indianapolis.) […]
Excelling During an Orthopaedic Surgery Rotation
Trying to get a job in the middle of a pandemic is less than ideal. Given that, when you get an opportunity to work with residents and faculty one-on-one, it is crucial not to waste that time. Don’t get black-balled before you’ve ever even walked into the hospital! It’s essential to understand who is usually […]
I Don’t Understand Guns
This post is different from what I’ve been posting so far, but I want to share my thoughts. This post is my opinion. Some people may not agree. That’s ok. We don’t all have to agree. “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to […]
Academic Failure Is More Frightening
It’s one thing to fail at a goal to participate in a sports program. It’s quite another for a student interested in getting into medical school to experience academic failure. There’s no place where this is more likely to happen than in battle with every pre-medical student’s arch-nemesis: organic chemistry. I was a good general […]