Today I had to walk to the Department Chair's office. It's not all that far away, but I'm moving awfully slowly. Which makes it MUCH easier to eavesdrop on hallway conversations. I admit it; I'm nosy.
Nosiness is what got me into research in the first place; I was offered a job in a research psychiatry group in which the shrink in charge stated "If you'll come work for us, you can do anything you want." So...there I was, a very temporary secretary, trained to teach French and Spanish, but this psychiatrist is willing to let me -- with no psychiatric training -- interview psychiatric patients of assorted disorders by asking for social, medical, and indepth symptom histories...and take as much time as I needed and ask any questions necessary...how could I say no?
Sometimes the Powers-That-Be move in mysterious ways. That offer and my acceptance shaped my life into something completely different than it would have been if I'd followed my plan to teach that fall.
Anyway, on my way to the Chair's office, I shared a long hallway with two youngish MDs who were discussing sphincter reconstructions in detail. Since I walk so slowly, and they were standing and talking, I didn't even have to loiter to hear almost all of the conversation, the pros and cons of this type of procedure for this or that patient.
They honored the intent, if not the spirit, of the new HIPAA laws; no names, but "the patient with the hair", "that tall guy", "you know, that woman we saw last Wednesday". Funny how we watch what we say these days.
And then, when I got to the door I needed, not one, but BOTH MDs came over and held it open. I was shocked, not because they were MDs (because the younger ones, even the surgeons, tend to be less Godlike these days), but because they'd been so deep in conversation, I didn't think they were aware of anything but what they were going to do for their patients.
Thank goodness all I have to do is get my hip fixed...and my only interactions with THAT group will be hallway listening.
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5 comments:
What joy it must be to have a job that involves rebuilding anal sphincters. It must be the only job in the world where you can say quite truthfully that you work with a bunch of assholes...
Jodie, don't go to any Avril Lavigne concerts until AFTER your hip replacement, because you'll be required to HOP.
I've noticed that you seldom post pics to your blog. A post about Anal Sphincter Reconstruction is such a wonderful opportunity to illustrate your text, I don't see how you could pass it up.
GONE- HAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Oh, the anal guys just work down the hall. :D I just find it funny that surgeons (of whatever discipline) will just hang out in the hall, talking about the most inappropriate things...I think listening to them made me very glad that my only problem is this hip pain.
I bet I could find some pics, Dave, and then NONE of you would EVER come back. All your comments are TOO funny!
Oh good god.
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