Rob Church, Med. Stud. In the HOUSE

So. I feel a little better about my magnitude of typing after checking out The Boileryard (see the link through Uncle Brian's Rant). Talk about writing a book for each post. The comments are even several pages long.

Today was strange and interesting to say the least. The much anticipated "Disaster Drill" (which I found out about last night) was scheduled for this morning. They wouldn't tell us what was coming, but the clinic and hospital was on heighten alert. I was conveniently tricked into checking on radio traffic, making me one of the first ones in the ER when out chemically contaminated (with diesel fuel) patient with a femur fracture came into the hospital. I have participated in a few of these type of drills, but always as the mock sick/injured. Never as a care provider. Totally different point of view. The leg fracture was quickly followed by a roll over accident with five seriously injured people requiring varied degrees of care. When we divided to conquer, I was given a girl with a leg fracture and cerebral hemorrhage. Go on with your own bad medical student self! Thank God for the nurse that was there helping. It is amazing, the difference between learning for a written test, and actually performing some of the most obvious, step by step procedures in this type of situation. I was initally a little ticked that I, the med student, was roped into a greater role than I felt comfortable playing. Fortunately, I did not kill my patient, she was mocked shipped to Anchorage for trauma care, and I actually learned a little something.

To top it off, Tony Knowles, the Democratic candidate for Senate from Alaska happened to stop by and visit us in the ER while this was happening. He was the Mayor of Anchorage when I was growing up, Governor for several years, and is now running against the current Governor's daughter for the Senate position. If you thought Arizona politics were weird... Senator Murkowski, who has been senator for decades, decided he wanted a change, and ran for govenor after Tony Knowles retired. He won, and as governor, was given the duty to pick the successor for his vacated Senate position. He dug through the rank and file of Republicans across the state, examines those select few with the ability to lead, and chose... his own daughter. Needless to say there are a few that thought this a little sketchy and the race is on. I have been ignorant about the deeper subject matter of Alaskan politics, but thought this tidbit would be interesting.

Enough politics. I got to teach someone how to put staples in a drunk guy's head today. Sadly I have done this a number of times.

Enjoy your weekend. My folks and brother will be visiting, so the posts will be brief if anything. thanks for all of your comments thus far. If you haven't read any of them, most are more entertaining than my own writings. Again, note the visitor counter approaching the century mark. Cool.