Hey all! Blogging to ya from a remote tropical place where the sands are sugary white, the wind blows hard, and those little drinks with the colorful umbrellas never stop flowing. Being unemployed have never felt so relaxing. Truly this windsurfer's paradise. It's so awesome pulling off a duck jibe on a 65 liter board and a 4.0 sail. Rippin' it every day, man! The wind here is just unbelievable, steady and hard, while the water stay calm without the chops. But on the south side though, the waves breaks hard off the reefs. Oh man, perfect for wave sailing and surfing! Just visited the local ER, too, and they're hiring! Sweet! Tempting, but I haven't made a decision after the interview.
The internet connection here is slow and spotty.
I just checked Technorati and discovered that there's a healthy discussion here about one of my post. Unfortunately, many of these folks are non-medical and think that ambulance abuse is a rarity!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
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54 comments:
Actually, they do have a point. Your entries usually seem a bit embellished. That is what makes them entertaining. However, your braggadocio gets a bit grating at times.
Doc,
Keep the sun screen flowing...
J. King
Oh my word, Charity Doc, this so brings back memories. I used to be an OB nurse, and we had this one frequent flyer at a hospital I worked in up north. Needless to say, she was 20 and on baby #5. She would ALWAYS come in by ambulance, and she averaged at least 1 visit a week. The one that I remember in particular was when she came by ambulance because she had been constipated for a week. She, of course, said she didn't have a ride. However, about 1/2 dozen people who were at the hospital to be with her showed up BEFORE the ambulance got there with her. SHE DIDN'T HAVE A RIDE??? How did all those people get there before her? My goodness, they must have started walking that morning. I know, constipation is very serious, and a super duper medical emergency. I mean, she might actually poop before she got to the hospital, and annoyed...I mean, graced us with her presence. Did I mention at the time, it was a base cost of $350 to just walk through the doors of labor and delivery, and the fine tax payers of the US paid for it?
You lucky, lucky man - vacationing there! Glad you are having a good time. :)
Ambulance abuse a rarity? Ha ha ha! Oh, man, they're delusional.
Hope you enjoy the caribbean, but it's a trap I tell you! I live in the dutch antilles, and it's vastly overrated here. Good luck whatever you do.
Much bliss to you, you most certainly deserve some. For my own selfish reasons, I'd like to see you get that job - if only in hopes of seeing future blogs about surfing and diving injuries, tales of helping visitors whose vacations have gone bad, and the viewpoint of the locals.
-Peace, Pteryxx
hawaii?
Your (temporarily unemployed) vacation SOUNDS wonderful, Charity Doc !
So glad that you are enjoying it - and if you decide to stay and work in their ER, well think of the windsurfing you will get to do when your shifts are finished !
Ambulance abuse is an unfortunate constant. Anyone for works in a hospital for more than a month sees plenty of it.
Glad to hear you are still with us. Have fun!
Enjoy your vacation. I used to work in a pharmacy and had our version of the ambulance abuse. At least once a week a medicaid patient would come in with a prescription and say "can you hurry, I have a cab waiting." They could use a cab to get to and from the doctor's office but not to the pharmacy so, they'd just drop by on the way. A couple of them lived within walking distance.
Sounds like fun.
Can you finish your previous post please? I'm itching to know how it all worked out (obviously, you got in...)
Charity, you dog! How dare you have fun and relax while us working stiffs slave away? I always knew that your background would have you landing on your feet. How lovely to think that you could be pulling ER duty in exotic locales. I hate you. (insert smiley face here)
Wow, hope you're having a fantastic time!
to the first comment, embellished schmembellished
I'm so happy that you haven't deserted us (well.. a desert, ooops, tropical local) and really happy you are having a great time and relaxing!!!
And now for the subliminal message... TAKE THE JOB *lol*
Cheers & have a drink with an umbrella in it, for me
Hm, so would any of that trip be deductible as "job hunting expenses"?
Take the job! I'm dying for a job in a location like that and want to read all about it!
Seriously, think about it. And have a great trip.
hope you are really some place like you describe. as to the first comment... dude, in all seriousness, you have no clue. charity doc's posts are stone-cold reality and a quick look around at ED blogs will confirm them.
sorry, dudette in comment one, try hanging out for a saturday night down the stree at the cowley shock-trauma center. i find it amazing that you would say that charity doc, a board certified emergency doc working in a trauma center and now on hiatus because of it, seems to 'embellish' his stories, when your perspective is from someone who is...
"...currently an engineer living in South Baltimore with a couple of cats and some old dude who thinks we are going to get married in a few months."
Hello Charity Doc Fans,
I am co-producing a documentary with a colleague of mine, Dr. Ryan Flesher, board certified in emergency medicine. I am a licensed Social Worker from the healthcare industry who never fully understood, until recently, the impact and impossible demands made upon our doctors.
I now straddle two worlds: a view from the patient’s side and a view from the doctor’s side. It has been both an enlightening and disheartening experience. After all that I have learned from my research for this film - clearly, it is time that we elicit compassion for our physicians.
The physicians’ view is rarely talked about. If I had not researched, interviewed or discovered what doctors are experiencing, I would never have known. The film’s producer, Dr. Flesher is discouraged by the business and politics, not the art, of medicine for a myriad of reasons, all of which we will be highlighting in our documentary. He could quietly walk away from medicine, leave it all behind. But he is not doing that. Instead, he is doing something purposeful with his experience by creating a film that will give voice to physicians on what needs to be said. This film is a first of its kind.
We have traveled extensively across the United States filming physician wellness seminars, career counselors for doctors, physicians who love medicine, others who feel beaten down by it. We have met eager med students, medical school professors, healthcare gurus, mental health experts, MD’s in their retirement and otherwise.
The common misconception is that doctors choose medicine for monetary reasons. And, yet, our research shows, and experts concur, that on a fundamental level, doctors choose medicine for altruistic reasons of wanting to help people, heal them.
Our data indicates that 60% of physicians are suffering from low morale and that medicine is a fragmented brotherhood. Where is it written that doctors must take a vow of silence when treated unfairly? Medicine is fraught with regulations and bureaucracy all in the name of achieving perfection and, yet, by virtue of the fact that we are human, how can perfection possibly be achieved? Furthermore, medicine is not black and white, but an inexact science. Perhaps most disturbing of all, why are capable, caring healthcare professionals the only ones who are handcuffed to the threat of malpractice every patient of every day?
Dr. Flesher and I have put our careers on the line for the sake of this documentary. Why? Because taking care of those whom we depend upon to take care of us is that critical. It is an aspect of the healthcare crisis that has yet to be addressed. What we know about change is that it doesn’t happen by silently wishing and wanting. Change takes action, courage.
We have a number of people participating in this documentary. As filmmakers, however, we do not rule out that maybe your story is the one that needs to be heard.
We look forward to talking with you.
Sincerely,
Nancy Pando, LICSW, Producer
Crash Cart Productions
npando@pandoassociates.com
www.crashcartproductions.com
781.828.8955
Yay for vacations! :)
Charity, get back to your blog. i need distraction, damn it. how's a cripple supposed to procrastinate without fingers and tubes in every orifice? =]
Lepht
Hope you're doing something that is enjoyable and satisfying. We miss you.
I miss you CD !! Hope you're good and all is well. Hope you'll be back soon. Doesn't have to be a medical blog...I'm betting you could make other stuff interesting too.
Charity,
Are you really gone for good? I keep checking in, thinking maybe you'll come back soon. Hope you do.
So are you coming back or not? The suspense is killing me! June 12 was you post? It's July 22.....
Shane! Come back! Oops, am I showing my age? At least go forth and blog.
Hey Doc,
I'm an avid reader of your blog.
An album by one of my most favorite artists is titled "Missing... presumed having a good time".
I hope that's the case with you.
Wishing you all the very best.
cheers,
Spook
Come baaaaaack! And have some juicy stories when you do.
Where are youuuuuuuuuuuu????????
I don't think he is coming back. I feel so deserted and sad. May need therapy.
Hope you are well!!!!
Come out, come out, wherever you are... Your readers miss you!
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Saw your comment at MBA's site. Been wondering about you, so hope to see you back soon.
Hi. First time here. I have to tell you I'm fascinated. Totally. Sadly, emergency medicine isn't a separate specialty here in India. The ER is divided into 5 areas and manned my medical officers from 5 departments- medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, ENT and OMFS. I have ER in surgery for a month soon. Can't wait!
I wish you'd had the balls to just say you were quitting this blog. I guess that's an aggressive statement but I miss your posts.
Hope you're well, wherever you are / whatever you're doing.
Donde estas, mi amigo?
May you be well and happy, wherever you are... Please take good care of yourself.
Charity Doc-- come back and let us know what you are up to. Make something up if you must and tell us how the hospital floundered without you and that after you left, the admin without medical degrees got sacked.
Happy new year!
Just discovered your blog. It's great. Totally understand it. To the first commenter who thinks you embellish? Probably has never worked in a county hospital. No embellishment is needed.
MD in San Antonio
Feb 22, 2008
Just checking to see if you're back.
:(
Hi,
You're one of the blogs I've been reading that inspired me to start my own med-blog. I write (really just getting started) about med-school, international health, health policy, some politics, and that kinda thing. It's from the POV of a fairly politically minded holistic thinking medical student that continually rubs against the rather reductionistic hard-core sciency status-quo of medical school. I think there's lots of people like myself out there, and think I have something to contribute to the blogosphere.
Would you mind adding me to your blogroll, if I do the same for you?
M.
my blog is at:
idealisticpolemict.blogspot.com
Hi,
My name's Mark. You're one of the blogs I've been reading that inspired me to start my own med-blog. I write (really just getting started) about med-school, international health, health policy, some politics, and that kinda thing. It's from the POV of a fairly politically minded holistic thinking medical student that continually rubs against the rather reductionistic hard-core sciencie status-quo of medical school. I think there's lots of people like myself out there, and think I have something to contribute to the blogosphere.
Would you mind adding me to your blogroll, if I do the same for you?
And if you're thinking right now, the nerve of this punk... then... I guess I will never hear from you.
M.
idealisticpolemicist.blogspot.com
Hi Charity Doc-I don't know when you will see this but I was late getting back to read your interview with MA.
So I am leaving the comment I left over there in hopes that you will see it at some point.
"Charity doc-I have so much respect for what you are doing. I had a few bleak years in my young life. Came from a good family but things just happen sometimes. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Thank God for people like you that try to make a difference and help their fellow human beings.
I also love your love story with your wife and you are all very blessed.
If I knew I was near you, I would give you some volunteer time for a receptionist/assistant. :)
I hope you get all the supplies you need.
I have to say that I am in awe of how you are putting so much of yourself into your clinic and taking risks for the good of others. Imagine if we all contributed in some way in the same spirit as you have.
I do hope you will blog again. :)
Great interview MA -Thanks! :)"
March 13, 2008 1:04 AM
You are missed!
Just a general comment re: your blog.
It's common knowledge that a large percentage of physicians have lost touch with the human side of their industry. As in the patients. So while invasive procedures may be necessary at times, it is of paramount importance to create new non-invasive methods for medicine. Such as http://urlbrief.com/811500. Check it out.
Well, tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of your disappearance. Are you ever going to return to at least let us know what happened?
Today is the one year anniversary of your disappearance. Are you ever going to tell us what happened?
yes. i miss you also.
I hope you are doping all right, Char-Doc!
Message will be saved after owner approval-- you are checking the blog!
Please tell us how you are! Panda gave us warning that he was stopping-- please put up something!
Hello . . . is anybody in there?
Hey Charity. Just checking in. I keep hoping that one day I'll find a new post. I miss you.
http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersComService_2_MOLT/idUSTRE5216OP20090302
hey doc, have you seen this? seems like your community health center idea might be going through.
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