Remember the Holidays?

As the holiday season is over, we all are "fa la, laing " back into our middle management jobs, interviews, research, fuller pants, emptier pockets, vitamin D deficiency and [oh yeah] patient care. How does one cope with the post holiday blues? I tried to consult Psych for answers, but had to wait 14 months for an appointment.


Some options that I came up with are: 1) an SSRI 2) full spectrum light bulbs 3) extreme caffienation 4) Skiing till you get rhabdo 4) Daydreaming and live in wonderful memories of the past.


(click here for Jethro Tull's background music for this blog).


I will briefly be concentrating on #4. Tuning out is not an uncommon phenomena in hard working residents. It's like sleeping with your eyes open. A resident can tune out at any moment: during morning report, rounds, noon conference, patient interivews, and even while reading this.... They may tune out to streaming colors, mock wrestling matches between celebrities and comic book characters, or talking animals doing human jobs with surgically enhanced puppets as their assitants.


What memories of the past would residents have to reside in to break away from the dredges of hospital life? Memories of the holidays are be a viable option. If you have the post holidays blues, the high must of been holiday related. A few examples of the memories this program has 1) the holiday party 2) being somewhere else and not working 3) new additions to our family


1) Our holiday party: thrown at Three Tomatoes, on Church street was an evening with appetizers, drinks, and music. Of note, more interns came out versus the previous holiday parties (the one applicant reading this will find this fact comforting). The night progressed late into the night at 1/2 lounge. When asked about this the next day, intern Mary Ellen Antkowiak described the party as, "memorable" in between bites of intern report provided greasy pasta,mountain dew. and cookies (cookies alone could be something to daydream about...)


2)Places we've been: This entry is specifically for Natalie Sinclair. Remember when you were in Australia? I'm not sure if Natalie will be daydreaming of what's below as she Night ICU's it up. Note that Natalie does not sponsor Coke Zero....




3) New additions: Our residents are greatful for adding to the family. Over the holidays, there were new births:

R1 Scott Loomis and wife Artegmis welcomed baby Anitgone Loomis (above)

R1 Will Cobell and family welcomed baby Boston "the Boss" Jay Cobell (above)

R2 Zech Gardner and Jaina Clough (former resident, now fabulous primary care physician) welcomed Cal Gardner (above)

So...plenty of reasons to break us out of the post holiday doldrums. Warm thoughts of social occations, family, travel all wrapped up while we work. These are just some examples of what we weave into our minds as we help others cope with their own blues....

Silly Husky...doesnt he know he cant suture? And why do Burt & Ernie keep falling down? They look more top heavy than I remember....Sorry tuned out. Go ski.