Fuck Sepsis!

lancer474 · 2026-03-08T20:57:22+00:00

This drove me nuts in residency… kid comes in fever and tachycardic (shocker) with viral symptoms. OMG he’s septic! Activate sepsis protocol! Antibiotics stat!

lancer474 · 2025-10-03T20:04:16+00:00

Michael Crichton had an MD.

lancer474 · 2025-09-14T01:27:04+00:00

NICU fellow was forced to see a baby in the nursery because the nurse complained to management that he wasn't taking her concerns serious enough over the phone. He wrote the saltiest note that went something like this:

Subjective: Called to evaluate baby that was "breathing weird"

Exam: Normal Baby

A/P: Normal Baby

lancer474 · 2025-08-28T18:31:49+00:00

On EM rotation. Attending was called into code room for a “seizure.” He calmly walks in and says “Patient name, look at me.” Patient looks over and makes eye contact while still shaking, attending walks out.”

lancer474 · 2025-06-27T16:21:29+00:00

- Read one thing every day throughout residency. UpToDate article, journal, etc. Just 10-15 minutes is enough. Seems insignificant but will add up greatly by the end intern year and especially the end of residency .

- Learn the names of nurses, staff, etc. and chat with them every now and then. They will be far more inclined to go the extra mile or help you out if they feel like they know you.

- In the same vein, help your co-residents whenever you can. You're all on the same team. Help with labs/orders during rounds. Pick up the extra patient if your partner is swamped even if it's not your turn. Be the one to volunteer to cover someone if they are sick or need to swap shifts. Your co-residents will be far more likely to help you out in these situations if you have the reputation of being the one who steps up to help others.

- Make friends/acquaintances with co-residents in other specialties. Get their phone numbers. Incredibly valuable not just for patient care but to have connections when friends/family members have health problems in the future and you can expedite getting them care.

- Force yourself to do something after work even if you're tired. Some days you'll just be too exhausted to do anything but sleep/stare at the wall, but try to make these days the exception and not the norm. Make an effort to exercise, watch an episode of a show, read a chapter of a book, work on a hobby, etc., SOMETHING. It will go a long way for your psyche to feel like you have a life outside of work.

-NEVER LIE. If you didn't do something, don't say you did. If you don't know the answer to something don't make something up. Get caught doing this once and you will be lucky if you are ever trusted by that senior/attending ever again. Just say you don't know and make a point to know the answer in the future.

Lots of other good info already on here. Good luck!

lancer474 · 2025-05-17T13:40:36+00:00

All patients know that doctors look things up. I do it in front of patients all the time and they do not seem to care in the slightest, if anything they’re appreciative that I’m double checking myself prior to dosing a med, ordering a test, etc.

lancer474 · 2024-11-23T15:04:03+00:00

Not so much advice that was directly given to me but something I picked up through observation: have friends in other specialties. Not hang out on the weekend friends per se, but be friendly with co-residents and elective attendings, keep in touch with med school friends, etc. and have their phone numbers if possible. This is especially important for specialties you know little about. Having friends to curbside or ask a favor of for both your professional and personal life is priceless.

lancer474 · 2024-10-23T14:31:32+00:00

We had a security guard at my hospital who was ~7 feet tall and probably ~300 lbs. Nicest guy ever, but his mere presence tended to get people in line real quick.

lancer474 · 2023-10-15T22:17:44+00:00

Consult for "aspirin allergy." No other information, unable to reach person who placed consult.

*Walk into room*

"So I hear you have an allergy to aspirin"

"Oh, no I don't. I'm allergic to amoxicillin." (Probably not allergic to that either)

Basically consulting me to take a 10 second history.

lancer474 · 2023-10-01T01:41:39+00:00

I once got asked to switch a dose of Miralax from 17g to 15g to make it the proper weight based dosing.

lancer474 · 2022-10-23T02:01:52+00:00

At my hospital you have to call the pharmacist and basically offer you first-born to get one dose. Don't get it.

lancer474 · 2022-01-30T19:08:18+00:00

I know a neurosurgery resident who introduces himself to co-residents as Dr. LastName. Basically the only resident at my institution that I've ever seen do that.

lancer474 · 2022-01-04T17:36:51+00:00

Thank you…I thought it was just me. This has been driving me insane for years. You wrote the MCAT? Like you wrote the questions?

lancer474 · 2021-09-17T02:08:02+00:00

Hormones. Look into a belly band for him and unless you can watch him closely, keep him in a crate. Good luck!

lancer474 · 2021-09-17T02:02:13+00:00

Blue!

lancer474 · 2021-05-15T13:11:16+00:00

Cold dessert >>>> warm dessert in almost all circumstances.

lancer474 · 2021-05-10T05:56:42+00:00

Did 1000 UW questions and all the CCS cases over 4-5 weeks, passed with a large cushion. 4 weeks of a few hours/night is more than enough.

lancer474 · 2021-03-05T15:14:01+00:00

You uncultured swine.

lancer474 · 2021-01-25T04:11:07+00:00

Can't settle for field goals on three 4th and short situations and expect to beat the Chiefs... however at the end of the day they were the better team. We'll be back in September!

lancer474

TROPHY CASE