A new rotation begins

For the non-medical students in the audience, clinical rotations go something like this: Enter a new place with new people and new systems, awkwardly stumble through the first week, gradually gain more grace and feel like your at the top of your game and actually learning medicine by about week 3-4. Rinse, wash, repeat every 4-6 weeks.

So, here I go again, except this rendition has a twist, as it's in a foreign language. Que bueno.

I met Dr. Montano outside my humble abode at 8 in the morning and he ferried me to the hospital where I proceeded to sit and watch for the rest of the day. Actually, it wasn't that bad, but he did tell me I'd have to watch for a while.

-WARNING, DORKINESS FOLLOWS, IF NOT MEDICALLY INCLINED, FEEL FREE TO SKIP-

Such cool consults to start the day: a lady with sepsis who needed a laparotomy, classic appendicitis and cholecystitis (positive Murphey's sign and McBurney's point with Rovsing's sign and rebound) and to top it off, a strangulated hernia. Neato mosquito. Of course, my attending did all of these surgeries with another doctor while I watched, but he did all of them OPEN, which I never see in the U.S. So cool. I actually skipped the hernia repair to do a couple chest tubes on the medicine ward (I butchered both of them, but got the job done). Super great first day, medically speaking.

-DORKINESS ENDS, KIND OF-

My attending is a classic surgeon. Serious and professional when necessary, a little crude and hilarious when in the right atmosphere. I wish that I could understand Spanish a little better because he is quite entertaining from the little that I do gather. He is also a great teacher and will take time to explain things to me that he deems important, as slow as the process is with my comprehension. One thing that stuck with me from my first day was his interest in the etymology (Sp?) of the word for surgery. It comes from a Greek word for hands, which translates to doing something with your hands. I didn't quite get the finer points of his monologue, but I got a sense that he feels a great deal of respect for work with the hands.

After work I met up with Mario and hit up La Cabaña, the author's recommendation in Lonely Planet - Peru. Great food, great music, great atmosphere. We had a great conversation and enjoyed telling stories and laughing, alternating in English and Spanish. The tone become more serious as he told me of the sudden, unexplained death of his 18 year old brother. I want to respect his privacy and won't go into detail, but it was an emotional conversation for both of us. It made me realize how much I have and how grateful I should be to have such a wonderful family and group of friends. I truly love all of you more than I express, or can express.

As a kind of preview, I am gathering a list of things that I find amusing or odd about Peruvian culture which I will publish at a later date. Stay tuned!

And because I'm not sure if I'll write about it later, I spent today with an anesthesiologist (a Christian) and went 1 for 3 on intubations. He and a couple other surgeons took me out for a steak dinner tonight which was AMAZING. Three bottles of wine later, we were all friends and I was invited to spend the weekend with one of the surgeons maybe doing a little fishing (I had to decline numerous attempts to refill my glass - moderation my friends, moderation). We'll see. I also ran into a few expats at dinner who I will try to meet up with later. Good times in Peru!! Peace!