Saturday, January 21, 2017

The SRO

I'M glad my second year of residency is over.

Second year callroom
Last few days as second years


Since the start of the year, I've transferred to the Senior Residents' Callroom (SRO), literally in the landing between Wards 1 (on the first floor) and 2 (the Surgery ward, on the second). Just when I thought the Second Year Callroom was going to end up in my book as the best quarter of my residency years—we transfer callrooms every year, if that isn't obvious to you yet—the SRO has emerged as the eventual winner: it's more spacious, it has a bathroom of its own. Natural light seeps through in the mornings. The PGH Wifi connection is arguably faster, too.

New table at the Senior Resident Callroom

I inherited Kevin Bismark's desk, a testimony that he has lived his final year in IM with travels, trips to the dentist, and a lot of studying. I had to set some of his things aside to let mine in (he is, as far as I know, still traveling): a few books, my laptop, toothbrush, a desktop sharpener, a collection of pencils inside a Malacañang mug given by an OPD patient, my actual coffee mug given by a different patient now dead—the same patient who called me "the best doctor in PGH" and gave me a plaque for it. Embossed on it is his artistry: he made caricatures with colored glues on various surfaces for a living, and despite being easily fatigued, he took the time to remember me. I miss seeing him in my clinic. You'll see another plaque, too—one that bears "Best Doctor in the World," which my aspergilloma patient gave me two years ago. I don't believe that I deserve these plaques at all, but I'm grateful. Truly.

Beside my actual desk is another desk, which I've claimed as mine. It has my disorganized set of books, some files for the Learning Units (I've been appointed as Assistant Chief Resident for Undergraduate Training by Jo Lucero—how can one say "no" to such a humble, meek, kind, brilliant, efficient (almost rabidly, at that) piece of a woman-leader?), a fire extinguisher, and ground Vietnamese and Batangas coffee given by Bea Uy and Karen Mondragon respectively.

New table at the Senior Resident Callroom

You need to send me a memo? Leave it at SRO.

2 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Awww, best doctor. I'm glad you were able to make your patients feel that way. :D

Sat Jan 21, 07:14:00 PM GMT+8  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Two "Best Doctor in the World" Awards and counting! Beat that! hahaha - Mike

Wed Jan 25, 01:08:00 PM GMT+8  

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