You can hate me now

Today - like every Thursday - Nicole and I broke from the awesome madness of our OBGYN rotation to go for our weekly lecture. It could have been all in my head, but I got the impression of an undercurrent of animosity from the other students. Perhaps it was because we showed up in our scrubs, when the class was expressly told to wear business-casual attire. Well, after last week's lecture, I spoke with the program director and explained to her our hours - and she gave the ok for scrubs. Perhaps it was that we showed up halfway through the lecture. This was due entirely to the fact that we were in a C-section, and left as soon as we could. Perhaps, though, the real reason for the animosity I felt - real or imagined - was because I'd been a tad boastful the previous week about how awesome our rotation is - and other folks don't seem to be doing a whole lot.

I've gotten to deliver babies! I've assisted in vaginal deliveries and c-sections, and I round on patients nearly every day. I find babies' heartbeats with doppler ultrasound. I've done endometrial biopsies, colopscopies, bi-manual pelvic exams, and swabs for STDs. Hell, the first time the doc handed me a speculum, I remember looking at the thing like I had no idea what it was. Today, it felt downright comfortable in my hands (hopefully it was just as comfortable for the patient). Nicole got to suture up some fascia post c-section today, and hopefully I'll get my day in the sun soon. My point is this: see all that cool stuff that I'm doing, all of the awesomeness that I'm learning? It doesn't sound like anyone in our rotation is having anywhere near as good a time. Sure, there's a lot of waiting, but while my colleagues are only doing vital signs (which I also do) and cursory exams, I'm deciphering fetal heart tracings, delving into the labyrinth of abnormal vaginal bleeding, and helping babies be born. You can hate me now.