Bored Review - Day 1/2

Yes, I'm still here. Someone commented that my lack of more posts yesterday signified that things were getting a little better. I guess that's accurate. Here are some random thoughts from the last couple of days.....

One of the things I really liked was receiving a choice of either a HUGE 200+ syllabus or a SMALL USB drive that I could put into my computer and take notes on the slides there. Very nice. If you're planning a meeting out there, please make this option available. My shoulder got sore in past meetings lugging around a huge three ring binder.

I'm always interested in who actually attends these things. I would say about a third of the attendees are males in their 60s. They have a smile on their face when they tell me, "Yeah, this will be the last time I take this stupid board review exam." I hope to get there some day.

Here are some questions: Why do presenters insist on squeezing as many words on each slide as they can? And, why do they insist on reading from their slides? If you make a presentation, please don't do this. And, please pick bright colors for your powerpoint slides. It is much appreciated.

The free internet in the meeting room. Plain and simple, every meeting should have this. I don't care what the meeting subjecct is. If you're offering CME and have net access, you're attendance will be pretty good.

Near the end of the day, I'm thinking to myself, "How did I get through all those years of college and med school, because after 6-8 hours of didactic lectures, I'm pretty tired." Yeesh!

That's it for now. If you want to try to keep me awake during the next 3-4 days (Yikes!), continue to send me e-mails and comments. I have to say, the stuff that has been sent already has been hilarious. Thanks a lot!

Mother's Day Brunch

"That's the end of our morning session," the hostess with the mostest said, "We'll reconvene in an hour." So, I'm trying to find a place close for lunch. For some reason, I really didn't want to leave the hotel.

I go down to the hotel restaurant, get seated, and wonder why all these people are dressed so nice today. "Is it some kind of holiday today," I asked myself. Then it hit me (again). Duh! It's Mother's Day.

I know I looked kind of strange sitting there by myself, with my trusty iBook at my side as I'm munching down on my brunch meal (Why do they call it brunch anyway?) I'm sitting there with all these families around me - some taking pictures - all wearing their Sunday best.

Just so there is no question - I did see mom yesterday before I left. Why anyone would schedule a meeting to begin on Mother's Day is beyond me. I had to try to explain this to mom, but was not that successful. I do feel bad that Mom's dad had to be rescheduled for one day earlier, but oh well.

This kind of "real time" blogging is kind of interesting. Isn't that how blogging started in the first place? I know all you blogging historians out there can help me out.

Thanks so much for those of you who have sent me e-mail and left comments already. I really appreciate it. I may give some day one thoughts later. But, overall, things have been going good. It's 67 degrees in downtown Lexington right now and cloudy. Perfect golfing weather. AHHHHH! Oh well, time to refocus.

We do have a break in two hours. Maybe another post from me then. We'll see....

Bored Review

So, I'm in Lexington, Kentucky for the next few days getting educated. I just arrived last night. As I alluded to in an earlier post, I have a new project. My new project is getting ready for my Family Medicine Board Review Exam which will be in about fourteen months.

Standardized exams have always caused me some angst and stress. So, I figure I would ease into things by taking a Board Exam Review course (which at times does makes me bored) to try to get into the swing of things.

I'm in the lecture room right now and they have free internet in here - Yay! So, I can continue my internet, e-mail, and blogging obsession while trying to learn something - although I have to try to not be too distracted.

So, send me an e-mail or post a comment. At least, I'll have something to do when I'm seeing all these powerpoint slides. Yeesh!

Update: NY radio hosts fired

Three weeks ago, I talked about two radio hosts in New York City who made Asian racial slurs. The post was called, "Asians: The New American Villan." It generated an interesting discussion and even an award from The Rising Blogger. Yesterday, according to the Associated Press, these two radio hosts have been fired.

One month after CBS Radio fired radio host Don Imus, it has permanently pulled the plug on a pair of suspended New York shock jocks for a prank phone call rife with offensive Asian stereotypes.

"The Dog House with JV and Elvis," hosted by Jeff Vandergrift and Dan Lay, "will no longer be broadcast," CBS Radio spokeswoman Karen Mateo said Saturday.

I have to be honest here. I never thought that these guys would be fired. Sure, I wrote a provocative post. But, as I said previously, either a dangerous precedent is being set here in that no one can say anything about anyone without being fired - or, CBS radio is in such a disarray that they'll do anything at this point to get out of the PR tailspin that they're in right now.

One thing I do know is this -- The entertainment industry will be an interesting moving target to watch over the next few months. I mean, hey, even Shrek is being attacked these days. Excuse me, uh, Shrek is a cartoon character. Gimme a break!

Happy Mother's Day

(image credit)

The Poet Laureate

In this Rust Belt town, there are few young people left because they have all moved away looking for work and looking for a better financial future than what's left here. This leaves a healthy percentage of older people to take care of.

I don't mind taking care of the older population of this town. In fact, I enjoy talking with them, if for anything else, to try to get a sense of how this town used to be "back in the day."

Mrs. Highland came in to see me. She's definitely part of the "old money" of this town. She's a poet and through the years, has published a number of books which highlight her work.

Like many other people her age, she has about a dozen medical diagnoses in her chart and at least one medication to go with each of the diagnoses. She proudly shows me her blood sugar log and blood pressure readings over the past three months.

"How did you get out of being weighed again," I asked jokingly. "It's not polite to ask a woman her weight, you know," she retorted. I smiled because we go through this banter every time she comes in.

After the "business" of our meeting today is completed (meaning talking about her health problems), I start to write her prescription refills, and she pulls out a book.

"I wanted to give you this for being my favorite doctor," she sheepishly said. "I found it as I was going through some things at home." I looked at the book and it was something that you would find in the best antique shops in town - except, the book was in pristine condition, like it's never been open before.

"I can't accept this," I said. "Of course you will, because I said so," she barked back at me in her authoritarian voice. Then, she smiled, "We've talked a lot about poetry, and I wanted you to see how a real poet writes."

As I opened the book, there was her signature inside. Above it, there was the date and the following text was written out, "To My Favorite Doctor." I was so moved that I was initially speechless. All I could do is look her straight in the eye and say, "Thank You."

Peace Blogger of the Day

I was pleasantly surprised to be named peace blogger of the day by Mimi Lenox. She not only is the "Queen of Memes," but also the "Founder of the Peace Globe Movement." Thanks Mimi for this honor. I really appreciate it!

Last fall, the blogosphere was a buzz on Peace Globe Day 2006 which took place on November 6. I don't think anyone really knew the impact this movement would have until, on that day, you just kept clicking and clicking, and saw globe after globe after globe. I was quite moved by that day. Here's what I wrote...

Peace on Earth is more than just a day someone picked out and a graphic that you put on your blog. Yes, it's idealistic, but it's an idea of hope - In a world that needs all the hope that it can grasp.

Thanks Mimi for your leadership in all of this - for having an idea and passionately making sure that it is followed through. I'm looking forward not only to seeing this graphic scattered all over the blogosphere, but also, hopefully, someday, seeing your dream come true of Dona Nobis Pacem -- Peace on Earth.

Now, the Mimi and the Peace Globes are making a comeback. The date this time is June 6, 2007 - less than a month away now. Mimi has been doing her best to try to promote her BlogBlast For Peace to anyone who will listen. I admit that I haven't been helping out that much - until now.

So, it's less than a month from now. I'm encouraging all the Doctor Anonymous readers out there to pick up a Peace Globe (see my sidebar or the link above) and place it on your blog. I also admit that I'm not one to decorate the PG graphic. I'm more into the classic yet elegant look of simplicity.

Don't forget to make a full-fledged post on Peace Globe Day on June 6th. Don't think about it - Get a globe today! Be part of blogosphere history next month. Good Luck Mimi! I know we'll come through for you again.... Peace!

Update: The Ashley Treatment

I first talked about The Ashley Treatment back on January 5, 2007. Please check out that post for all the background details. The case took an interesting turn Tuesday. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the hospital was required to obtain a court order before performing surgery on Ashley.

According to a report released Tuesday by a non-profit advocacy group, Ashley's constitutional and common-law rights were violated when she underwent a hysterectomy as part of her treatment. Washington law requires a court order before sterilizing a developmentally disabled child.

The decision for treatment went before the hospital's board of ethics, which agreed with the decision, but recommended it be reviewed in court.

But an attorney told Ashley's parents in a letter they didn't need a court order for the hysterectomy, said Deborah Dorfman, director of legal advocacy for the Washington Protection and Advocacy System, which conducted the investigation.

Ah ha! I knew there would be some kind of legal angle to this story eventually. So, let me get this straight, after the parents of a child come to a treatment decision with their doctor or doctors, they must ask the state if it's ok? Ridiculous!

The hospital is now in a pretty political pickle now, and in the situation of reparing their damaged credibility, and appeasing their critics.

Children's has agreed to appoint a disability rights advocate to its ethics committee and bring in experts as needed to make decisions about medical care for people with disabilities. It will require a court order for growth-stunting procedures, when it involves a child with a developmental disability. The hospital will also give the Washington Protection and Advocacy System notice of any sterilization or other growth-limiting procedures on persons with disabilities so it can act as a watchdog.

Dorfman said the group won't seek legal action against the hospital, but the Washington Department of Health, which is in charge of licensing hospitals and physicians, is planning to investigate further to see what actions, if any, may be taken against the hospital or physicians, said Steven Saxe, director of facilities and services licensing for the department.

Even if this group won't take legal action, I predict that the political hacks out there across the country will be sharpening their knives and getting ready to dive into this case for political points. According to political calculations, it's still ok to go after doctors and hospitals.

Now, I want to clarify, I'm not defending this hospital. Especially from a legal sense, hospitals have the responsibility to make sure that all the details have been taken care of. Someone on the inside dropped the ball, and they should be given the necessary consequences.

However, from a media standpoint, this story will be energized (I can see this now with the hits on my site), and the hype will begin again for this family - That's the real tragedy here...

Transitions

I'm still in kind of a weird blogging place right now, so bear with me. The self-reflective posts continue (at least for now). I've been feeling like this since I've gotten back.

It's hard to describe where I'm at with things in general right now. I can't quite put into words, but I'll try. I just completed a long fourteen month project which culminated in last week's meeting.

I was on the planning committee, and I had a lot invested in this project - especially from an emotional standpoint. From a professional standpoint, I was kind of putting myself out there on a limb, since I was one of the key contacts/presenters for the meeting.

Being the "go-to" person on site has its ups and downs. While I got most of the complaints from the people that attended, I also received some compliments. I'm a detailed oriented person (imagine that), and there were nights where I couldn't sleep trying to anticipate all the problems of the next day.

When all was said and done, at the end of the last day, I did feel relieved that the entire thing was over. There were no disasters that occurred (at least from what I heard), and for the most part, people got a lot out of the meeting.

Now, I'm not perfect, and I believe I made some mistakes - or, at least, I felt that some things could have been done better. But, at some point during the meeting, I had to surrender and let go of the things that I could not control. I said my serenity prayer, and moved on.

Even when I attend meetings that I do not plan (just an attendee), I go through this "post-conference" let down. And, I guess that's where I'm at this week. Physically and emotionally, I feel drained - even to the point of not blogging how I usually do.

This week really has made me reflect a little bit. Being focused on the day-to-day tasks here at home really has made me forget about just letting my mind go free sometimes - and think about - just about anything. Is life really about completing tasks until you're too tired to stay awake? Probably not.

I begin a new fourteen month project next week. I will give it all of my heart and soul, as I do with all of the projects that I strongly believe in. I'll make my to-do lists and complete the tasks one by one until all of them are completed next summer.

Hopefully, I'll have more weeks like this where I'm not so focused - and maybe a little bit random and scattered. Changing the routine every once in a while is good for the body, mind, and spirit. I really believe that....

Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds 3.33 is now up and running at The Blog That Ate Manhattan. Because of my busy schedule last week, I wasn't able to write anything, and subsequently not able to contribute anything to the festivities this week.

I wouldn't say that there's a GR theme this week, like has happened in other weeks. TBTAM dedicated this week's Grand Rounds to a fallen blogger....

This week's grand rounds is dedicated to our favorite surgery registrar, Barbados Butterfly, whose blog was unceremoniously taken down not too long ago. I will not write here of the circumstances of her leaving the blogosphere, or posit the details thereof. I wish only to celebrate her as the quintessential medical blogger that she was.

Barb's blog was everything a medical blog is supposed to be - well-written, thoughtful, honest, educational, entertaining, heartwarming, humorous, heart wrenching and above all, real. I only hope that I occasionally achieve what Barb did with every post of her blog. She was (and is) the best. Barb, this one's for you.

If you don't know what Grand Rounds is, it is a weekly compilation of the best posts from the medical blogosphere that moves to different sites each week. And, who doesn't like reading about medicine and science?

The location of next week's Grand Rounds has not yet been revealed yet by the Grand Poobah of GR - Nick Genes. In the mean time, check out The Blog That Ate Manhattan - It's Grand Rounds!