Rural Rounds

This past week was my first of two weeks on neurology service. I am working on the consult team, meaning that I am with the neurology resident called by other medical services when their patients' have a neurological problem they cannot solve or don't know how to best manage. Two other medical students are with me, and we all three work under our resident's tutilage. I'll outline a typical day: At 7 a.m. I arrive at the neurology swamp (where the residents have their desks and a couple computers for work) and start running through the day's patient list with Scott, who often gets there just before I do. We add current medications to the table with patient info on it, as well as their location, age, medical record numbers, and so on. Any medication that has an effect on the nervous system is also listed with dosages. The third medical student, Mackenzie, often arrives shortly after I do, and our resident Aarti arrives just after 7. Aarti acts as the quarterback of ou...