Dr. Rich is an emergency medicine physician from Los Angeles who is currently practicing in China. He was given the name Wang Shi Kai by the Chinese Medical Board. In this post Dr. Rich shares his experiences transitioning to life in China.
All in Physician Life
Another Extremity Shot
Gunshot wounds are commonplace in an Emergency Room. Doctors and nurses know the protocol and do everything they can to provide the highest level of care for their patients and to save lives. They do not often have the luxury to sit and reflect on what caused the trauma, which can be even scarier than the trauma itself.
Class of 2009
It was June 2005 and I was up early in the morning as always, but this morning had a special breath to it. I was going to drop off my husband and son that night at LAX airport as they headed to New York on a red eye flight. My son had an appointment with a faculty member, the same day they arrived, regarding getting him off the wait list of the medical school he had applied to.
CO Was Supposed To Be CA!?!
Match Day is an exceptionally stressful time for any medical student. It seals your fate of what program you will be in and where you will be living for the next couple of years. A surprising and unexpected match brings both elation and dejection to a hopeful medical student.
Ice Cold
Chaos ensues prior to a pediatric arrest arrival to the Emergency Room. Trying to stay calm and collected during these moments is one of the most challenging skills an ER doc has to learn. Be ice cold.
Gratitude & Grit
In this post we explore the burn out that residents and physicians can feel when they are working grueling hours under the most stressful circumstances. A young doctor in training realizes that he is grateful and honored to treat the patients that are entrusted to his care.
A Warm Farewell
Another busy night in the Emergency Department when a frequent flyer rolls in. Let's just say he had a little too much to drink. It's these type of patients that allow me, the drunk whisperer, to really shine.
LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!!
Tune in for the MAAAAAAIIIIIIIN EVENT of the EVENING!!!!! In the red corner: A 92 years young gem hailing from a local nursing home MR. X!!!! In the blue corner the reigning champion CT “the scanner of the universe” TECH!!!
Is there a Doctor on the Plane?
That heart stopping moment when a flight attendant calls for a doctor on the plane.
Tasteful Attire
Shoes are a marker of status. Having nice clean shoes can identify a person as being successful, organized, and an upstanding individual. Being in the ER it is impossible to keep your shoes clean. So what happens when a dog tries to lick the shoes of an ER doctor. Find out in this weeks post.
It's MORPHIN TIME!!!
Halloween in the Emergency Department can be an exciting time especially when the RED RANGER from the Power Rangers decides to visit
Vacation's Over
Just returned after an epic trip to Southeast Asia. It was a nice decompressing trip and I am glad to be back. I decide to go hang out with some friends before my first shift back in the ED. My drive home would be one that I would never forgot.
A Classy Affair
A hat has just been passed to me. In the hat are a few 20 dollar bills. I reach in my pocket and throw in a 10. I am just a resident, hopefully that won’t be considered too cheap. You may think I am at a church but I am actually at my weekly conference. This is how money is raised to host recruitment dinners during residency interview season.
Staring a Gift Horse in the Mouth
In this edition of the Physician Grind we explore the temptations that we as physicians face when being offered gifts by pharmaceutical companies or patients. In the end it is about providing unbiased care to our patients but sometimes that's hard when we are offered front row tickets to a ball game or a trip to an exotic island
The Holy Grail
It’s every EM resident’s dream to be part of a big procedure. The rush of a heart pounding, adrenaline filled moment of slamming in a chest tube, criching someone, or being part of the big show, a thoracotomy. The holy grail.
Cracking Skulls Son
I'm on my neurosurgery rotation. Wake up at 3am. Get in at 4am. Round on the patients on the service. Round with the Attending and my senior neurosurgery resident. Go to clinic. See consults. Senior resident is a little off today. He’s being a complete dick about dumb stuff.
Bloody Baptism
It’s the first day on my 4th year elective in the Emergency Department. I had orientation in the morning and just my luck I am scheduled for a night shift. I had no idea that what I was getting myself into. I guess I’ll just jump into the deep end. Sink or swim.