Week 16: My last week in Urology for a while

The past 16 weeks seem to have flown by so quickly! I assume this is mostly do to the old saying "time flies when you're having fun" but also due to the fact that almost all my free time before and after work was spent studying.

I spent most of my last week trying to complete my internship log book and get all the signatures I needed from multiple doctors. I was called into the OR to hold hooks in a cystectomy (bladder removal). Typically one of the longest operations urologist preform and I spent 4.5 hours holding hooks in my last week in the department. Only seemed fitting to end this way (because if I remember correctly, a cystectomy was the first urological operation I saw a year and a half ago when I did an elective in the department).

I baked 60 banana bread muffins and a "Kalter Hund" (German dessert consisting mainly of coconut fat, cocoa and graham crackers) Thursday night to take to work with me on Friday. I am genuinely sad that I won't be going to work in that department on Monday. The department consists of some pretty great people. The work atmosphere is the best I've been in and it really is more of a family than a group of doctors. I am thankful to the whole staff (doctors, nurses, secretaries, etc.) who helped me out during the last few months and didn't make me feel like an idiot if I asked a question. 

I also genuinely think that they are a bit sad that I won't be around anymore either.

My highlight while in the department was probably the whole situation with patient X. But I also have to thank all the patients who were kind to me. They were all a crucial part in my training and I thank them for having faith in me. 

Tomorrow it's off to Hildesheim every weekday until mid October. I'm not the biggest fan of the transistion periods. I've never been to this hospital, let alone have I ever traveled there. I don't know a single soul that works there. I've heard good things but it's always so overwhelming the first few days trying to figure out your orientation in a new hospital, observe and understand the dynamic of the people working there and getting to know the basic procederes (do you have to call for a consultation, or send a fax, or is it on the computer?). It'll be an overwehlming few days. Luckily, I have a little break from work starting Friday and all of next week to concentrate on the USMLE primarily since that is right around the corner as well (March 30th).

Since I'll be in a smaller hospital, I hope to be way more hands on than I have been. We will be rotating through different departments so little transistion periods will always be taking place. I'll be doing my surgical rotation so I assume I'll see the likes of trauma surgery, general surgery, maybe anesthesia. I'll know more tomorrow. 

Still can't say much about my appointment with the pediatric surgeons but I hope to be able to by next week. 

I hope you all had a great week and stay healthy in this crazy world!

V