"Turn your head and cough, please!"

I'm back baby! In the mean time I have completed my fourth year of med school (craaaazzzy!). Tomorrow I start my month long elective in, wait for it......Urology! (thus the new title of this one month long adventure). Now most people's first reaction is, "Ewwww, WHY?!?!?". But I say, " Why not?!"

In theory, Urology might turn out to be the best specialty for me. This month will determine if that all holds in practice too. It's not just about testicular exams, prostate checks and incontinence. Those just seem to be the things most people associate urology with (all very important, nonetheless).

But seriously Viktoria, why? you might ask. Well here is why:

• It's a small surgical field.
• Surgery has always been my dream and goal but after a month of plastics, I just realized I don't exclusively want to be standing in the OR every hour, every day. I like the detective work of internal medicine as well and Urology combines both quite nicely.
• It has about 70% male, 30% female and children patients
• I really like OBGYN because of the deliveries and elegant operations but lez-be-honest people. I'm a tomboy on the inside. Grew up with a bunch of guy friends, need them, love them, can't live without them. So the thought of working in OBGYN were you exclusively have female patients (unless the baby being born is a boy), the nurses are mostly female and in today's day and age, the doctors are mostly female. TOO MUCH ESTROGEN! In Urology I will still see some woman and maybe even their babies if they have urological problems after delivery. I can also specialize even further into children's urology.
• No middle-of-the-night calls into the OR (well almost none)
• My Urology professor told us that there are only two emergencies in Urology, everything else can wait. I do plan on having kids one day and I really like my sleep so if this turns out to be the case, it works for me :)
• Death is not very present
• I know I could deal with the deaths of my patients but it is nice if you can help without death being a regular outcome. Of course fatal diseases exist in the field of urology but in comparison to other fields (Oncology, Cardiology, etc.) its not as present. The patients often have a lot of pain (have you ever had a UTI....no fun right?) but the treatment options are good and you can really help the people.
• I can be sassy
• I'm the type of girl that doesn't really care what you think and have a pretty tough skin (especially after having been in the modeling scene). Consequently, if a patient feels uncomfortable (Men really are the worst patients, such wussies ;) ) having a female doctor and feels the need to make a snipe remark, you better believe I've got a reply. So if they start complaining that a prostate exam might be uncomfortable, I've got the personal experience of a OBGYN examination and can tell them to calm down because in comparison to what we go through regularly, this ain't nothin!
• Best jokes at a party
• I will be dealing with penises almost all day....you KNOW there are going to be good jokes to tell at parties. The things people do sometimes. I will only say: vacuum cleaner accidents, auto-erotic accidents and fractured penises (although there is no bone, it can happen).
• I will help people to have a better sex life.
• 'Nuff said

So starting tomorrow at 7AM we will see if these points hold. If the next four weeks go well and I like it, this will most likely be my specialty. But let's convene at the end of it all and see where I stand.

My plan is to post throughout the whole experience, either at night or during breaks from my iPhone. Obviously I am fully aware of the patient confidentiality law which I fall under so you won't see names or any details that might reveal the identity of my patients but I will give you an insight into my day and will hopefully have fun stories and accomplishments to share.

So please enjoy!

Baci, V