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Show JasonW. Hunziker, M.D. A lot of you know that on occasion I have been known to say something that, on retrospect, may not have been the most appropriate thing to say at that moment. Most of the time I am able to cover it. However, I remember one time during my third year when I wasn't able to take what I said back. I was paged to a Code in the ICU on a patient I had admitted for a GI scope. She apparently slipped into heart failure and respiratory distress. When I got to the room I was stunned. Here was this woman who earlier was talking and happy, now laying on the bed spewing copious amounts of pink, frothy fluid all over the place! My first instinct was to turn and run as fast as I could. However, before I had that chance, the attending spotted me and yelled: "Med student, get your ass over here!" I slowly scanned the room hoping he was speaking to someone else, but just as I feared, he was talking to me. I got to the bed and had a moment of clarity ... or was it terror? I was sure of one thing though, I wanted to escape and never come back! At the bedside the attending took my ungloved hand and placed it firmly on the patient's cricoid and imparted these unforgetable words of widom: "You move, you fail." Now that I felt really comfortable, you know, with pink, frothy, wet fluid running over my bare hands and thoughts of my own mortality racing through my head, I decided to bear down and concentrate. That's when the real trouble began. The attending apparently decided I was not under enough pressure, thereby he could justify pimping me! He asked a simple question and I gave a simple answer. Unfortunately, itwasone of those I wished I could take back. His question was: "Why are you holding your hand there." My answer (innocently): "Because you told me to." Before I knew what had happened, he began to beat on the top of my head with an intubation tube. I was stunned!! Did he just hit me? I thought he did, but that couldn't be right. I sat there waiting foraresponsefromhimbutnonewasforthcoming. Ididn'tknowwhat to do. Do I strike back? Do I say something to him? I decided to do nothing for once. However, the attending decided to push me further by asking the question again but this time I decided to attempt a real answer. To my dismay, however, it received the same response. Now I had two bumps on my head and an intern' s hand over my mouth. Among the racing, violent, four letter thoughts in my head, a spark of light transcended and life at that moment became clear. Sometimes it is better to keep your mouth shut and let them think you are afool than to open your mouth and prove it! l have enjoyed knowing all of you and wish you good luck in your lives! |
