As you know from any post about packing from our trip, I love accumulating and being surrounded by small objects that I might need. I like to think of this as a generally human trait, keeping the wolves at bay, but if you are Subash and caught in my piles you may have a different interpretation.
At any rate, in the tiny lull between regular exams and finals exams this weekend I put together a little P2-Emergency-Kit to keep in the car or bag or somewhere as we begin this next adventure.
It's pretty simple, and mostly stockings. Some of the places we will be rotating in have rules that you have to wear stockings, not just if you are wearing a dress or skirt but over any foot visible. In order to combat the inevitable "oh my god I forgot stockings" 5 am moment, I bought a super cheap-o set of black and "nude," and then some knee high ones as well. I also have a set of little sock things for flats to stay comfortable.
Next up is a toothbrush, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, tiny deodorant, and lint roller. I actually got 3 lint rollers and plan on having one in my bag, in the car, and with this. It is the only way I will ever make it from our house to rotations without being a walking tumbleweed of cat hair.
Pro-tip: getting a travel deodorant was stupid. A real deodorant is what, 2 inches bigger? And with probably 500% more actual product.
Next comes hair clips and ties. After spending my whole adult life with a pixie cut, this long hair is still confusing to me. I don't know exactly what to do with it but certain rotations, like surgery, it will always be back, and in the end that will probably be the case for most things--long flowing hair just means hair in someone's face when you bend to examine them, or something for people to grab if they are obtunded/a kid/a jerk. We'll see how rotations actually go to figure this one out.
Lastly, you know I have to have a book and pens. For our 4-hour Friday rotations this year I used a small flip memo pad, but I am sizing up slightly with a 5 star college ruled notebook I know will fit in my white coat pocket.
I also have this "Perfect H&P" book I ordered off Amazon. I haven't really used it yet but it is nice as a memory jog because it has categories for all the information you should be getting from someone. We'll see how it fits into my real life, but it might be good in the beginning at least to get me through those "oh shit" moments when everything important falls out of your head.
For pens, my go to is the Pilot G-2 0.7 mm. They run out of ink too fast but they are a pen that can keep up with your thoughts, which is especially important when you are trying to balance listening to a patient, narrowing down a differential diagnosis, and getting the relevant info all at the same time.
This weekend I also went on a bit of a shopping spree, as I suddenly realized "oh crap I have to be presentable every day." And not just the old presentable behind a desk or in a lab like I used to do, but "trust me with your health and maybe life" presentable.
I have been reading this blog by a med student on what she wears for inspiration
So after yesterday's mall attack I think I am set for the foreseeable future! I have 4 pairs of nice pants, and probably 7 or 8 nice tops in addition to the random piles I already own which may or may not be applicable.
I got a $7 watch since I need something with a second hand for taking vitals. My favorite part is that the Roman numeral for 4 is "IIII" instead of "IV," a perfect example of "you get what you pay for."
I am still working on the shoe problem. My shoes always need to be close-toed, and for surgery/ER will need to be something that covers the whole foot and maaaybe is rinse-able.
Lastly, I finally got a full length mirror. I had one before our trip but we got rid of most of our belongings and somehow I just never got one again. Now, though my "if I can't see it it is probably fine" days are over and I need to see what the whole thing looks like!
All in all it was a successful weekend. I could have done this a little later, but i needed some fun happy and this made rotations seem more real. It is good motivation going into finals week to push through and do the best I can.
Bring it on!
No comments:
Post a Comment