Toads-in-the-Hole

Alright, I'm officially done with my four days of orientation, and now, finally, it is time to become a pathology resident!

[Time passes. Eventually a gecko runs up onto Joel's motionless shoulder, mistaking him for an inanimate object.]

Okay, so I'm starting off in microbiology, and there's a little less action than I'd hoped. The "once-in-a-great-while-but-actually-every-13-years" flood failed to spark an epidemic of water-borne diseases or fungal pneumonias (which, of course, is a good thing, and speaks well for the public health efforts to keep people from wading in raw sewage and to encourage them to wear masks in formerly flooded buildings), and so much of my time is spent simply studying microbiology out of a text book. Don't get me wrong, there are fun and interesting aspects of service, I get to evaluate certain specimens and make some decisions that affect patient care, and of course I really like reading quietly. The emphasis on books and reading quietly was one of the main reasons I went into pathology. And- hey! I have time to whip up a quick blog about how I have time to write blogs.

In other good news, my fellow residents are fantastic. The friendly camaradery that I sensed during my interview last fall is a well-established reality. We had a lecture and then a hands-on practical this morning on how to perform fine needle aspirations, and everyone was chatty, cracking jokes, and simultaneously un-selfconsciously attempting an awkward and unfamiliar task in front of their peers. The staff is all very cool, too. We had a "get to know the new residents" reception and I found myself chatting quite easily with the department chair and various service directors. So, I'm having a very happy, but somewhat prosaic beginning to my residency here at the University of Iowa.