Monday, March 2, 2015

Memories...

Back in my residency, MRI's were printed on this stuff called "film" that would be hung on a reading board. Like most neurology programs, we did MRI's pretty much around the clock, and so there were a lot of films to be read and reviewed on any given day.

Each day, around 1:00, the residents and attending physicians would all cram into a small room with the neuroradiologists to review that day's studies, then make decisions on what the next step was for each case.

One of the other residents, Paul, began having migraines during training. Like most young doclings, he was convinced something was horribly wrong (migraines are actually common among neurologists).

So he conned one of the radiology techs into doing a brain MRI. Like all the other scans, it got hung up on the reading board to be reviewed for the 1:00 meeting.

While my team went to get lunch before the MRI session, I ran to the pediatric neurology clinic across the street. I dug through their film room, trying to find the most horrifyingly abnormal, congenitally malformed, brain MRI study I could. Then I hurried back over and switched it out with Paul's films.

He screamed when it first came up. After about 10 seconds he hit me with a clipboard and said "There's a special place in hell for you, Ibee."

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ahh yes, medical student's disease. Did this cure his hiccups too?
I imagine staring at films on a light box backlit by fluorescent bulbs had nothing at all to do with the migraines either.

hjackson said...

Med students. Gotta luv 'em.

Moose said...

Don't worry, Dr G. That "special place" will be full of lots of us, and we'll all be laughing at the rest of the non-special people in Hell.

Related: Hell, Michigan is for sale.

Anonymous said...

Moose, yes Hell is for sale, but it's frozen over right now.

Powers said...

Note that he didn't even have to ask who did it.

Anonymous said...

That would not have gone by without revenge! How did he get you back?

Mad Jack said...

Ha!
Ha!Ha!
Ha!Ha!Ha!

Good one, Grump!

Ms. Donna said...

Ok, why neuros have lots of migraines (I have them and not a neurologist. Is funny to some, but not to me.) Is it the type of person attracted to neurology, something you guys are exposed to, or something else? you very smart guys and gals should be able to figure it out.

Unless it gives you a migraine.

And like other posters, I wonder why it took your fellow resident 10 seconds to figure it was you. Did it take you that long to crack up? :-)

Mage said...

Good stuff. LOL

clairesmum said...

Maybe he could see your future patients?

bobbie said...

I love docs with a sense of humor!
I, too, would love to know how he knew it was you ~
Your incessant cackling from the back corner?!?!

Moose said...

Anonymous: Hell freezes over every winter. The media acts like it's a new and hilarious joke every year.

It's frikkin MICHIGAN. Everything up here is a giant ice cube from December through April.

Anonymous said...

Neurologists also seem to have a high rate of left-right confusion. Probably the specialty where it matters the most. Although taking out a lobe of the lung on the wrong side can certainly ruin everybody's day.

Mrs. Widget said...

My husband opines that it is looking at the films and stuff in fluorescent light that causes migraines.

Anonymous said...

But, what about under? Hell freezing under -has to melt sometime, unless dealing with some heavy-duty permafrost.

Anonymous said...

Ibee, I love you for doing this. But I will profess my love anonymously.

Also, ALL of us in my residency have migraines. One single resident doesn't, but his wife does. The rest of us shove our lockers full of Advil and Tylenol, and the nurses have shelves full of triptans just for us.

RehabRN said...

Now I know...my migraines have to be related with me doing more work with our neurology staff!

Our neurologist in particular has always driven me nuts. It all makes sense now.

 
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