Sunday, July 23, 2006

Bottom of the 9th

So tonight is my very last lower level call. Our call tier is sort of complicated, but there are always two people on call overnight: a 1st-year resident and an upper level. My 1st year of call is winding down. The first-year wears the pager. Horror of all horrors and curse of all curses. That thing is on fire. Anyway, this is my last night with that bloody thing!!! Tomorrow, I'll be free of the pager and ER cell phone.

But.... now I'll be the upper level. Any decision in the middle of the night belongs to me. I have to answer to the mistakes made in the morning. There's no attending around at night when major decisions are made. Ahhh, responsibility. Perhaps I'll be wishing I could carry the pager soon. I'll be stressing over whether or not this kid has appendicitis and needs to go to the OR. I'll agonize and perseverate, but then it'll be morning and I can go home and sleep and all will really turn out OK. It always does.

Rites of passage.

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