Today was Dr. Kermit’s last day bossing our team. As is usual, he caught me in the hall alone and asked me what I thought of the past two weeks.
I didn’t have much to say. I could have said I can’t stand getting deluged with emails when I’m trying to look up patient information. I should have said he was micro-managing things too much. Or that it would have been nice for HIM to teach us something since he was the Attending after all. A little more respect for the intensive care teams would have been nice too — THEY know what they are doing. I know because I was there last spring.
But I said, “it was okay” and I looked away because I was lying and I had work to do.
Then he gave me his “constructive criticism.”
“You should be more aggressive, like introducing yourself to the patient during morning rounds and asking the questions” he said.
More aggressive? Introducing myself to the patient? That was all done 12 hours before we brought him to see our patients. What the hell is this guy talking about? The patients KNOW who I am. Did he think I’ve been up all night NOT seeing to my patients? Did he think I admitted, diagnosed, and treated my patients without ever asking any questions?
Just then one of my patient’s daughters walked by and thanked me for keeping her up-to-date on her dying mother. The timing couldn’t have been cooler. Where was I? … oh yeah ….
More aggressive? BITE ME!
Is that aggressive enough?
“Other teams I’ve had would be looking up articles at 2 a.m. on call. I didn’t get that impression from your team,” Dr. Kermit added.
“MY team was in the Emergency Room 2 a.m. on call,” I actually said with a proudly cocked eyebrow and subversive inflection.
Yeah … I actually said that. The Beast had awaken.
That was pretty much it. Anti-climactic and uncomfortable for both of us.
Tomorrow Dr. Debbie starts as our boss (attending). She is the chief resident and a year senior to myself. She is also nearly six feet of pure blonde sunshine.
When the sun comes out, the frogs go away.
Can’t hardly wait.