I saw this electronic billboard at the Philadelphia Airport:
The demise of E. coli
We will never learn. E. coli will always get the last laugh. And for the record, E. coli is also a “native” of our colon. He makes Vitamin K for us. His nemesis C. diff is just waiting for him to die so that we can be blessed with foul-smelling, runny stools 10+ times a day (pseudomembranous colitis).
While inpatient medicine work hours isn’t as long as surgical hours, I’m still beat at the end of the day. I’m going into my black weekend tomorrow (working on Saturday overnight until Sunday) after having had 4 weeks of surgical floors followed by 8 straight weeks of inpatient medicine. So instead of resting up, I spent the evening doodling.
snooze time
It’s been progressively harder for me to wake up every morning. Can’t wait for vacation to roll around…
I came across an old magazine I inherited from one of my medical school roommates back in the day, and no matter how many times I see this, I always get a kick out of it.
The Insiders' Edge
If you want to know what doesn’t work to shrink your potbelly, you’re going to have to ask!
I pay too much attention to the magazines on the back of airline seats. If you’re fortunate, there are usually the standard three items: (1) a magazine by the airline company, which usually features a random city that belongs in its flight path, assorted in-flight amenities offered, and exercises you can practice to prevent blood clots from forming on your legs (2) a thin cardboard insert detailing the make and model of the aircraft, and (3) Skymall magazine.
typical Skymall cover
Ah yes, Skymall magazine.
Several months ago when I was on the surgical oncology team, we ran the patient list in the surgical conference room on the 4th floor every day. There’s a shiny plaque on the door that looks like this:
4th floor conference room door
I later found out this guy on the door is Mehmet Oz‘s dad, who was also a CT surgeon. Jeez, this guy and his family is everywhere. Mehmet Oz is one of the CT surgeons who’s an attending at my med school. He’s everywhere–on Oprah, on XM Satellite radio’s Oprah channel, on Discovery Health Channel, in books, magazines, you name it. I remember that he gave us a lecture about homeopathic living once. “Put your olive oil in the fridge, drink [nasty-tasting-previously-thought-to-be-nonedible-substance] every morning…etc”. I remember him talking about giving the patient headphones with Mozart playing in the background because it helps speed recovery. Yeah. I’d give the guy headphones too, because we surely don’t want the patient to overhear us jamming out to AC/DC tunes intermixed with occasional swearing by the surgeons in the OR.
Anyway, this guy is a smart man, and a great marketer. Also a weird coincidence that I’d end up in the small town where this famous guy grew up. I feel privileged.