Today was my first official day of work! On Saturday and Sunday, I had to complete ACLS/BLS certification --- it wasn't too bad. Monday and Tuesday were orientation. It was set up with a bunch of different stations to rotate through --- payroll, benefits (selecting medical/dental insurance), employee health, a lab station for blood work, linens, and computer access. I'm now the proud owner (well, technically, borrower) of three sets of Harbor-UCLA scrubs, one white coat, an ID badge, and a stamp with my name and physician number so that I don't have to sign with a pen.
Ophthalmology is an outpatient rotation, but I still found my first day to be rather stressful. For one thing, it's the busiest clinic in the hospital. We had 60 patients scheduled during the morning. The residents arrive at 8 a.m. and leave at 8 - 9 p.m., which is ridiculously long for a clinic day. Luckily, since I'm a transitional intern who is not going to specialize in ophthalmology, my days end at 5 p.m. (Wednesdays are half-days, which is why I'm Xanga-ing right now.) Also, I'm not very familiar with the computer system or methods of documentation at the hospital. Thirdly, my Spanish is kind of bad. As soon as I arrived, I had to write admission orders for an urgent surgical case, consent the patient, and perform an H and P --- and the patient didn't speak a lick of English. Lastly, ophthalmology is a field to which I've not had much exposure. I don't know how to use a slit-lamp, etc.
Things will be smoother once I learn the ropes. I'm glad I didn't start out on an inpatient rotation!
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