This week I started my emergency medicine rotation. I was releived to be done with psychiatry and to start doing "normal" medicine again. I thoroughly enjoyed my first day. It's fast paced and every patient has a different problem. The people I am working with are great too. They give me a lot of freedom and make every case a challenge for me. I was glad to be moving on to ER from psychiatry so I could get back to practicing medicine on "normal" people. Now I am not so obtuse that I think that the ER is full of "norma" people but I figured most would be relatively down to earth. I went wrong with this thought when I forgot the simple fact that I am in Scranton. "Normal" here is not exactly what an outsider would expect. A normal person would come into the ER, get their problem fixed then leave, never to be seen or heard from again. This is not so in Scranton. In Scranton there is no social code of ethics.
One of the cases I saw on my first day was a 29 year old male with foot pain. Being a student I did a thorough history and physical on him. We worked him up for a possible stress fracture, treated him, then sent him on his way. That was the last time I thought of the guy...until I checked my facebook tonight. I had a message from some random person that I didn't know. When I read the message it was from the guy I saw in the ER! The message itself was harmless. He was flirtatiously thanking me and complementing me on a job well done. The part that was freaky was the fact that he mentally stored my name in his head and then the next day facebook stalked me!! As if that wasn't weird enough he then attempted to contact me by writing a meaningful email. I'm going to give the guy the benefit of the doubt and say that he was just being friendly and wanted to express his gratitude. But it still freaked me out a bit. They really should rethink requiring us to have our full names on our badges. People here really have no boundries and will take any opportunity to meet you or hit on you. I have learned to expect this kind of behavior in the local bars but in the ER?? C'mon men of Scranton, pull yourselves together!
This has ALWAYS been a concern of mine. I hate having my last name on my badge, but unfortunately it's a federal law and patients have the right to know who's treating them. However, when prisoners come in, I turn my badge around for sure! We're actually told to do that, but I did before ever being told!
ReplyDeleteOn a lighter note, you never know Lann, Mr. Right could be the next Scrantonite walking through those ER doors seeking "care." :) lol
I can't wait to hear more about your ER rotation. I've always thought the ER would be fun. That would be my 2nd choice after OB/Gyn. You're so busy the day just flies.