thedoctorjb – Page 2

IN CASE OF FIRE, DO NOT USE ELEVATOR!

Posted on September 4, 20164 Comments

“In case of fire, do not use elevator.” Every time I see one of those signs, I think, “What are the chances that I get stuck in a burning building.” I hope that never happens; however, I was thinking about life and the phrase took on a new meaning.

Since I moved for residency, I haven’t seen my friends much. Today, one of my good friends came to visit, along with her husband and son. We always end up in passionate, thought provoking conversations that challenge me to be better and do better. At some point today, our conversation shifted toward the reason for struggles in our lives. Let me just pause and say that both my friend and her husband have powerful stories of things they have gone through in their lives. They both have a gift of touching others through their stories, and they always encourage me.

Shortly after they left, I continued to think about certain things that I’ve gone through and I could just picture the elevator sign in my head. Elevators are very convenient and quick ways to move from one level to another; however, the stairs demand more effort and take a bit longer. Now add fire to that, and you get heat, smoke, and an even harder climb. I’m not on the level in life where I want to be just yet, but I’ve moved up by taking the stairs. It has taken me longer than expected and has required more hard work than I had ever imagined. From not getting accepted into med school on my first attempt, to not passing board exams on my first attempt, I can truly relate to taking the stairs opposed to the elevator in life. I’ve gotten short of breath while taking the stairs and had to take a few breaks, like taking a leave during my third year of med school. But I never lost sight of my destination and matched at my number one choice for residency. Now that I am a physician, I’m still taking the stairs, and sometimes the temperature gets really hot. For example, on my first day of inpatient medicine, I felt overwhelmed and frustrated. It took me forever to get my notes done, and navigating the EMR to put in orders was so frustrating. On top of that, I had not slept well the night before and was exhausted all day. By the time I got in my car to go home, I broke down in tears. But the next day, I woke up ready to tackle the day like yesterday had not even happened.

Needless to say, I am so grateful for those flights of stairs that have made me the young doctor I am today. I take joy in waking up at 5:00 am to get ready for work. I love learning from my patients who challenge me to be a great physician. It brought tears of joy to my eyes when a Black patient encouraged me as I walk out of the room by saying, “Keep up the great work. We need more doctors who look like us.” All of the stairs that I have climbed, while battling the heat that life throws my way, have made me stronger and taught me patience. They’ve also helped me to appreciate the work that it takes to reach new levels.

Like my friends who touch so many lives with their stories, my desire is to help someone else through my story. When you’ve gotten tired of taking the stairs I encourage you to take one more step. And when you take one more step, take another…and another…and another. You may get short of breath, but keep going. Know that others have taken those same steps and there are others behind you, as well.

Keep climbing!

-thedoctorjb

Hands Up!

Posted on July 21, 20164 Comments

I was stopped for a speeding ticket this morning on the way to work. As soon as I saw those flashing blue lights I thought to myself “Dang, now I’m going to be late.” I woke up late yesterday so I definitely didn’t want to be late today. By the time I pulled to the side of the road and stopped, my heart started to race. I couldn’t help but think about the recent encounters Black people have had with law enforcement, and I was nervous.

I looked in my rear view mirror and saw a White police officer walking toward the driver’s side of my vehicle. I rolled the window down and politely said, “Good morning, officer.” No good morning in return. But ok, maybe he wasn’t having a good morning. As I kept my hands on the steering wheel, he proceeded to tell me why he pulled me over and asked if I knew I was speeding. I said, “Yes, sir I know, but I don’t want to be late for work.” Being optimistic and thinking I could get out of this ticket, I was hoping he would use context clues to gather that I was headed to a hospital and cut me some slack. After all, I was wearing scrubs. My white coat with my name badge was hanging in the back window. My parking decal that read, “Physician Parking Deck,” was hanging from the rear view mirror…and my stethoscope was laying next to my purse on the passenger seat. Ok, yes…I was naive to think I’d get out of a ticket, but thought it may help just a little.

Anyway, the officer asked for my license and registration. I keep my license in my phone case, so I complied, and handed it over. By this point, I am more than nervous. I’m terrified. The reason is, I own a firearm. It is legal, and I have a Georgia Weapons Carry License. I travel with my gun in my glove compartment, which is where I needed to reach to retrieve my insurance card. After thinking about the location of my gun, I put both of my hands up in the air. While still holding my hands up, with wide eyes, and my heart feeling like it would beat out of my chest, I swallow to suppress what felt like a lump in my throat. I then say, “Sir, my insurance card is in my glove box. I do have a gun in the glove box, also. Is it okay for me to reach over and grab my insurance card?” He looked at me and mumbled, “Yea, okay.” I looked at him, lowered my hands from the air, then slowly reached over to open my glove compartment. I retrieved the insurance card and gave it to the officer.

HANDS UP

He then walked back to his car to run my information through the system. A few minutes later he returns to my vehicle with my license, insurance card, and a yellow copy of a ticket for me to sign. I can’t remember exactly what he said, I just know I signed the yellow paper, let up my window and took a deep breath.

I am fortunate that nothing horrific happened during that traffic stop. Of course I know and believe that there are some wonderful law enforcement officers out there. However, I could not suppress the shear fear that there was a possibility that something bad may happen to me during that stop. The officer was not the most friendly, but he was not rude or disrespectful to me. He did not verbally harass me or physically harm me. But the fact of the matter is, I SHOULD NOT have to feel afraid to be stopped by the police. I SHOULD NOT get heart palpitations and automatically throw my hands up in the air out of instinct. I SHOULD NOT feel threatened by a uniform.

I simply SHOULD NOT be afraid of the people who take an oath to protect and serve. Nonetheless, it is hard not to be when there are constant reminders all over the country of what COULD happen to me because of the color of my skin.

I was shaken up this morning for quite a while. For some reason, I kept replaying the traffic stop in my head and saying to myself, “What if…” What if the officer was not a respectable serviceman? What would have happened if he would have “felt threatened,” and shot me in the back of the head as I reached into my glove box? What if I woke this morning, but did not make it back home?

Some may be reading this and say, “Geesh, calm down. Nothing bad happened to you.” Again, I know that there should not be blanketed generalizations when seeing a uniform, but a few bad apples can spoil the whole bunch. No matter how much I know that all policemen aren’t violent, it still did not change the way I felt this morning as I drove away. Thinking about the actions of a few crooked cops, who performed gross, and inhuman acts of violence made it extremely difficult for me to feel at ease.

It is very disheartening that a simple traffic stop could evoke so many emotions. I’m just glad all I left with was a speeding ticket in my hand.

-thedoctorjb

Back Like I Never Left (Part 2)

Posted on July 4, 2016Leave a comment

Hey y’all! Happy 4th of July. In my last post, I told you that I’d be back soon to update you on orientation and my first week of residency. It’s been busy, but fun. Let’s start with orientation.

I still remember how I felt on the first day of orientation. I was slightly nervous because I didn’t really know what to expect. My day started with breakfast with my co-residents, program director, and program coordinator. Midway through the meal, the nerves were gone and the excitement took over. Several physicians at the hospital came to introduce themselves and give the new residents advice. They were all very supportive and eager to have us. My residency program is new and I, along with two other young docs, represent the inaugural class.

It is an honor to be a trailblazer at a new program. The hospital and community are so excited to have a residency program, but I didn’t know how excited they were until later that week. Part of my orientation included a welcoming reception. Many community and hospital leaders were there, along with state legislators and other politicians. It was a pretty big deal! My program director even received a key to the city, and June 14th became a recognized holiday in the small town.

My co-residents and I felt like local celebrities. News cameras were there, and I even got a few seconds of tv time. You can check it out here. Just to see how the people of the community came together to support us made me feel super proud to be a part of my program.

The remainder of orientation was packed with presentations from administration, medical records, coding and compliance, infection prevention, pharmacy, and many more. Three entire days were dedicated to ACLS and PALS certification. Although I’ve gone through ACLS training as a medical student, this time around sort of hit home. Realizing that I am now a doctor and will be in charge of running codes was exciting, but also a tad bit scary.

Another couple of days included EMR training. It was soooo much fun (sarcastic face)! Luckily the trainers realized that it did not take 6 hours in one day to learn how to use the software, and ended the classes early on both days. Besides, charting and using the EMR is best learned while “doing,” so I’m sure as time goes on I’ll be a pro at admitting patients, writing orders, and doing consults.

Had to take a selfie before my first night in the ER

Once orientation was over, I had a nice weekend before work actually began. The following Monday I started my first month in the ER on nights. The 12-hour night shifts take a bit of getting used to, but I’ve been having a blast and learning so much. On my first night, we had a patient come through via ambulance in cardiac arrest. My ACLS training was quickly put to use. The ER attending who I was working with ran the code, but I was sweating like I was making the final decisions. After a good 30 minutes or so, the attending asked me if we should keep working or just “call it.” By this time, we had not been able to get a pulse back and there was no ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation). The patient’s family had asked us to do everything we could, and I felt like we should at least try for a few more minutes. So I spoke up and told the attending that we should continue working. We worked on the patient for quite a while longer, but unfortunately we could never get a pulse back.

It’s never easy when you lose a patient, and my heart went out to the family. I have seen many instances when physicians have become desensitized to death. I don’t want to be that type of doctor and I pray I never become numb to seeing patients die. On the other hand, I know that death is a part of life, and choosing this profession means that I will see it often. I took a few moments to get myself together, said a quick silent prayer for the family, then moved on with seeing more patients.

Although I lost one patient, my first week in the ER was great. One of the things I love about the ER is that you never know what you may see. I’ve seen a patient who dropped 315 lbs of barbell weight on his chest and broke his sternum. I have had an inmate from prison who overdosed on pills and slit his wrist, a teenager who fell and dislocated his knee, a truck driver who accidentally lacerated the entire side of his face with the buckle of his load straps, and a repeat ER visitor who was seeking narcotics.

So far, so good and I’m excited about what’s to come. For now, I’m going to enjoy my day off. I’m in Atlanta today and plan to do a bit of reading, find some barbecue, and watch fireworks at Centennial Park later tonight.

I hope everyone has a great 4th of July! Have fun, don’t eat too much, and be safe!

-thedoctorjb

Back Like I Never Left (Part 1)

Posted on June 25, 2016Leave a comment

Hello everyone! It’s been a while since my last post, and so much has happened in a month’s time. I’ve been extremely busy but I miss writing and wanted to give you guys an update.

Hmmmm, where do I begin? Well, just one week after moving, I graduated! Although I had fulfilled my graduation requirements back in November, it didn’t feel real until I walked across that stage. That whole weekend was full of so much excitement. My family and close friends were there to support me and celebrate with me. It felt really good to see the manifestations of years of hard work come to fruition.

Finally got the robe with the green stripes :-) — Finally got the robe with the green stripes 🙂

The fam and friends celebrated with me on graduation night with dinner. We then headed to BQE Lounge, one of my favorite spots in Atlanta to catch live music. We arrived at BQE a bit later than expected and the band was almost finished with their set, which meant that the DJ would take over soon. Once the band wrapped up, the trap music started. Y’all, it was hilarious to see my father’s face when the rap music came on. He is not a fan of rap music, and definitely was not feeling the sounds and syllables falling on his ears. (I say syllables, because most of today’s hip-hop is trash and instead of words all you hear are sounds. I mean really, who can understand this stuff?) Anyway, I digress. His face showed a mixture of confusion and surprise. I asked if he wanted to leave and he said, “Oh nah, I’m good.” I knew he was ready to go, but the fact that he stayed just to celebrate with his baby on her big day meant so much. I jokingly told him I’d have to wash his ears out later.

The weekend following graduation, I went on vacation to Montego Bay, Jamaica with my mother, aunt, boyfriend and other friends. I am a big Bob Marley fan, and Jamaica had been on my bucket list for a while, so I was hyped. This vacation was quite an experience, to say the least.

Due to mechanical problems, flight delays, and cancellations, we didn’t make it to Montego Bay until the day after we were scheduled to arrive. Although frustrated, the moment we landed I let that frustration go. Montego Bay is absolutely beautiful, and there was no way I could not enjoy it!

I was ready and set to document my adventure with tons of photos and video from vacation. Well, so I thought. On our first day there, I ended up dropping my cell phone into the water. After that it didn’t turn on, so I was out of a camera for the rest of the trip. However, after a couple of days, I actually enjoyed not having a phone. I was disconnected from email and social media, but it felt so good to just be there in the moment, without thinking about the perfect photo to post on Instagram. Ultimately I ended up getting photos from friends, so all was well.

The excursions during the trip were amazing. One day we visited Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios. The waterfalls are beautiful and with the help of guides, we were able to climb the hour plus trek from the bottom.

We also went to the Bob Marley Mausoleum in Nine Mile. If you’re a Bob Marley fan, you know about Nine Mile because he mentioned it in many of his songs. It’s the village where he was born, and is now laid to rest. This was a very important part of the trip for me. The impact that Bob and his music had on the world is extraordinary. Touring his childhood home and mausoleum reiterated the fact that his music and legacy still impact the world long after his death.

On another day we boarded a sail boat and went snorkeling in some of the most pristine waters I’ve ever seen. The water was perfect and the reef and fish were beautiful. Before heading back, the boat made a stop at the famous Margaritaville Bar and Restaurant.

Vacation was going well until my mother received a late night phone call from a family member informing her of some tragic news. One of my cousins was involved in a fatal car accident, and his mother was on the trip with us. Watching my mother tell her sister the horrible news was one of the hardest things to watch. It’s been 3 weeks since, and it’s still hard to believe he’s gone.

My mother and aunt made an emergency flight home the following day, and I returned to the states a couple days later.

My vacation was full of so many unexpected situations, but overall it was a good time. I was back in the U.S. and back to the real world. Back to the realization that residency would start in less than a week, but not before one more hoorah.

Back in Louisiana, I had a graduation party with friends and family who weren’t able to make it to my ceremony in Georgia. It was great to see family, old friends, teachers, and so many others who had supported me throughout the years. We celebrated with good food, good drinks, good music and plenty of memories. It was bittersweet. Although my cousin who passed was not there physically, I know he was smiling down. I know he would have added so much life to the party. He is greatly missed!

My cool "doctor" cake — My cool “doctor” cake

Graduation, vacation, and celebratory events were now over, and it was time for residency orientation. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this post, as I take you on my journey over the last two weeks of orientation. For now, I’ll enjoy the rest of my day. I start seeing patients on Monday, and I am excited! The calm before the storm…

Have a great Saturday!

-thedoctorjb

Weekend Recap

Posted on May 23, 20161 Comment

Happy Monday everyone! I hope everyone had a great weekend. It was a busy one for me. I finally finished packing on Friday, then moved on Saturday. My wonderful parents came up from Louisiana, and my amazing boyfriend came from Atlanta to help. I sure needed it too!

The forecast here in South Georgia was scattered thunderstorms, but thank God the weatherman is often wrong. It was very pleasant this weekend, and I had a successful move without a drop of rain.

I met some of my neighbors, and all of them were very welcoming. One couple was out in their yard tending to flowers with their granddaughter. Another lady was walking her cute, little dogs. Most of my neighbors are older, so hopefully it’ll be very quiet most of the time. My boyfriend jokingly told me I moved into a retirement community.

Although I’m all moved in, I still have some unpacking to do. For the most part I’m all settled in. I don’t have internet set up yet, but I’m typing this post via my cell phone.

I have a busy week ahead with graduation related festivities and family coming back to town. I can’t believe graduation is only 4 days away, then off to Jamaica for a much needed vacay!

I just wanted to write a quick post before getting some more unpacking done. I’ve had my morning caffeine boost and am ready to tackle the day.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

-thedoctorjb

FAITH > FEAR

Posted on May 17, 2016Leave a comment

Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is off to a great week.

Yesterday was extremely busy for me. I had so many errands to run and was out and about for most of the day. When I finally got home, I opened a package that came in the mail from my residency program. Along with a couple of shirts, the box contained two books to help prep for ACLS and PALS courses during orientation in a few weeks.

That smile you see on my face was met with a feeling of nervousness that came over me in a matter of minutes. It suddenly hit me that when I take my ACLS and PALS courses, as a physician and no longer a student, I would now be responsible for running a code…as the team lead! The weight of responsibility that I will face soon is already easing its way onto my shoulders.

When I was a student, and heard a code blue, my heart would start to race and my adrenaline would go from 0 to 100 real quick. I would get a bit anxious, but I also knew that the ultimate decisions were not up to me, because there was always the lead physician in charge. My involvement in the code would depend on who that physician was. Sometimes that participation included performing chest compressions during CPR, or maybe getting to intubate a patient to establish an airway, if I was lucky.

Yesterday, as I took off the plastic that the books were packaged in, the thought that I will soon be in the position as team lead humbled me, yet frightened me. Before I allowed those fears to overwhelm me, I remembered a t-shirt that I bought a couple of years ago with the words, “FAITH over FEAR.”

Without going into an entire Sunday morning sermon, I’ll just sit this here and hope it resonates with you. Never allow your trepidation to overcome your trust in God. I had to remind myself of this yesterday. If God has called you to do a purpose, trust that He will adequately equip you to do it.

Going into the first year of residency is exciting, and sometimes scary to think about; however, I am moving into it with faith and complete reliance on God.

Have a great day, and be fearless today!

-thedoctorjb

Happy Nurses Week!

Posted on May 12, 2016Leave a comment

Nurses Week

First, let me say Happy Nurses Week to all of the nurses out there. I have an older cousin who is a registered nurse, a younger cousin who is a CNA, and I also know many other nurses. From one health professional to another, thank you for all you do!

Long ago, the first day of my pulmonology rotation was one of my scariest experiences as a student. From the minute I met and introduced myself to my preceptor at his office, and him calling me Jennifer, even though my clerkship registration form with my name on it was on his desk, I knew that it was going to be an interesting month. He quickly briefed me on his expectations of me for the month, and then sent me off to the hospital to pre-round on patients before he got there.

See, I hadn’t had any experience in the ICU, and any med student will tell you that the ICU is very different from the other medical units. The patients are often clinging on to life with multiple issues going on at once. They have lines and tubes everywhere and you must pay close attention, as things can decline quite rapidly. Well, as can be expected, most of my patients were on a ventilator, and I wasn’t very comfortable with my knowledge of ventilator settings at that time.

On the morning of my first day, while I found my way to the ICU and gathered my patients’ charts, I was met with the friendly “good mornings” of the nurses on the floor for that day. I found out who my patients’ nurses were and immediately began to ask questions about my patients’ conditions. When I told them who my preceptor was, they warned me that I was in for a treat. They had witnessed him make a nurse quit her job; he had even caused another nurse to shed tears in front of the whole department. This guy was not the one to be played with! Don’t get me wrong, he was one of the most intelligent people I’d ever met; however, his people skills were lacking, to put it nicely.

Anyway, after hearing how he made people cry, I was a bit intimidated. I thought to myself, “Say what now? Uhh uhh.” I was not trying to be the one crying that day, so I politely asked for additional help. The nurses assisted me in navigating the unfamiliar EMR (Electronic Medical Record), helped me understand the ventilator settings, and reviewed specific patients’ meds with me. One sweet nurse even gave me pointers on how I should present my patients to the preceptor, as he was very particular about the information he wanted to know for each patient. I knew how to present patients to my attending, but since the nurses had scared me about my new preceptor, I took their advice and did it the way they had instructed.

Needless to say, I still got chewed out later that morning by my preceptor. He cut me off in the middle of me presenting a patient and, in so many words, told me that I wouldn’t make it through his rotation. I looked him straight in his eyes as he spoke to me in a very condescending tone. I was heated, because I had never had any physician talk to me like that before. I didn’t turn into the angry Black girl that he may have thought I would. Nope, I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of stereotyping me because of my brown skin and strong, affixed eye gaze. I just let him finish, and politely said, “Ok.” Although I didn’t cry, I was still pretty ticked off.

Since I usually call my parents when I’m driving, my dad had to hear me vent about it when I got in the car to go home. He gave me a sermon (his advice often involves scriptures, analogies, and Bible stories), and then told me to take it like a champ. He told me to suck it up, and do whatever I needed to do to make it through that rotation.

The next day, I got to the hospital extremely early, so I had ample time to pre-round on every single patient and be well prepared to present to my preceptor. Each day got better, and the nurses continued to teach me something new every day. I worked my butt off, and by month’s end, the relationship between me and my preceptor was much better. We didn’t become BFFs, but on my last day, he told me that his initial impression of me was wrong. He didn’t technically apologize for being so rude, but knowing I had proved him wrong gave me the satisfaction I needed.

The moral of the story is, as a med student, nurses can make your life so much easier, or make it a living hell. Had I been an arrogant medical student, like so many people I’ve seen, I’m certain that those nurses would not have been so eager to help me. They could have just ignored the lowly med student, with the short white coat, and went about their day taking care of their patients. Instead, I realized that I knew very little, and that they knew much more than me. Most of these nurses had been working in their field for years. I trusted their guidance and was happy to learn from them.

So, yes, nurses take care of your family members when they are sick, and do all the things nobody else wants to, like manage the patient with a GI bleed and deal with rude, belligerent family members. However, they also sacrifice their time to teach medical students. Of course they don’t want us to kill any of their patients, but secondly they want to see us succeed. They really enjoy what they do, and they want us to learn and enjoy what we do, as well.

If you know a nurse, please tell them thank you and give them a big hug! Again, Happy Nurses Week to all of the nurses!

the real mvp

-thedoctorjb

I Hate Moving!

Posted on May 10, 20163 Comments

Hey yall! I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend with their mothers for Mother’s Day! I wasn’t able to spend the day with my mom, but we talk on the phone multiple times daily, and Sunday was no different.

So, if you guys have been following my blog and/or keep up with me via social media, you know that I am eagerly counting down the days until I graduate (17 days to be exact). Since I’ll be spending the next 3 years in a new city for residency, I have to pack up my life and move. I’ve found a place to live and met some really great people in the city I’m moving to. I’m extremely excited to start this new journey.

Unfortunately, that excitement is quickly met with frustration as I prepare to move. Can I tell you how much I HATE moving? Uuuggghh! Ever since I graduated from college, I’ve been moving every 2 to 3 years. You would think that I’m a pro at it by now, but that is not the case.

FYI: If you don’t feel like hearing me rant, just stop reading now and go do something productive. Otherwise, let me vent and tell you 5 reasons why I hate moving!

1. I’m a procrastinator.

I keep saying I’m going to do better about procrastination. However, since I am a procrastinator I keep putting off getting better. I know, it’s a shame. I’m scheduled to move in less than 2 weeks and ask me how much packing I’ve done…

MJ cyring meme

2. I need my mother.

Another reason I don’t like packing is because I can never seem to get things to fit like my mother. She’s the ultimate packer! When my mom helps me pack she can fit everything but the kitchen sink in one box. I have no clue how she does it. It’s like she’s the Tetris queen when it comes to making things fit. (I’m sure I’m not the only one who has a super hero mom like mine.) She’s spoiled me and has been here to help me pack every time I’ve ever moved, but not this time. I guess I have to be a big girl and get it done by myself.

3. I’m easily sidetracked, which leads to me becoming overwhelmed.

This one goes back to #1. I wouldn’t get so overwhelmed and sidetracked if I use my time wisely and start way ahead of time. But nope, that sounds too much like right. When cleaning out my storage closet last night I found a picture album from my college graduation in 2009. I ended up looking at every single picture. I had tons of old notebooks and binders from graduate and medical school. I found myself flipping through pages of lecture notes that I will never, ever use again. To top it off, I ended up watching basketball, which meant very little was accomplished. Did yall see that Golden State vs. Portland game? Steph Curry WENT OFF!!! He came back from his injury like…

4. I have so much unnecessary stuff.

I think it’s funny how you don’t realize how much stuff you have until it’s time to move.
My living room looks like an episode of the A&E show Hoarders right now (well, not really). The bad part is, it’s all stuff that I forgot I had in the storage closet. Everything from old TIME magazines, cell phone boxes from phones I don’t even own anymore, extra HDMI cords, old CDs and more were in that closet. I’ve concluded that I’m not moving this junk with me, so if I didn’t even remember I had it, or if I don’t think I’ll use it soon, it’s going in the dumpster or donated to the Goodwill.

5. I’m cheap.

When I say, “I’m cheap,” I mean I will not pay money for something I can do myself. Yea, moving companies are convenient and are extremely helpful, if you don’t have any help, but I will not be paying a moving company. Between my dad, my boyfriend, and some other guys who I can get to volunteer their services, I have all the moving crew I need. Additionally, I refuse to buy moving boxes. I spent some time yesterday going to local businesses and asking for boxes that they don’t need. Most places were willing to help and some even offered to save some boxes for me to come pick up in a few days. Because I won’t pay for a moving crew, I have to work a bit harder but it’s okay. A little physical labor never hurt anybody.

Okay guys, I think I’m done with my rant. I just felt the need express my disdain for packing and moving. I’m well caffeinated now, so I’ll get back to this mess in my living room. Have a great rest of your week!

P.S. I have some really interesting things coming up here on www.thedoctorjb.com. Stay tuned.

-thedoctorjb

What is Osteopathic Medicine?

Posted on May 8, 2016Leave a comment

I remember when I was first accepted into medical school. I couldn’t stop talking about it. Many of my family and friends were excited and had so many questions. After telling them I was going to Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA-PCOM), the follow-up question was always, “What is osteopathic medicine?” If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that question, I’d be halfway done paying my student loans back. (Ok, not really.) I still giggle when I think about the first time I told my mom about osteopathic medicine. She said, “osteo-what?” The look on her face was priceless.

I was once clueless about osteopathic medicine, myself. I had heard of it before, but was not well informed of what it actually is until I went to graduate school in Philadelphia, PA. I was a member of the Minority Association of Pre-medical Students (MAPS) and was exposed to osteopathic medicine at a medical conference at the main campus of PCOM. I learned about the history, principles, and training of osteopathy. While there, I also saw osteopathic manipulation demonstrated and my curiosity was piqued. After shadowing physicians who practiced osteopathic medicine and seeing the benefit their patients received, I was convinced that going to an osteopathic medical school was just the thing for me.

To fully understand what osteopathic medicine is, you should know a little bit of history. Andrew Taylor Still, MD, DO, is considered the “father of osteopathic medicine.” In 1854, Still was granted the MD (Doctor of Medicine) degree at age 26 in Missouri. MDs were trained in American Orthodox Medicine (now allopathic medicine).

Dr. A.T. Still (Image from Missouri Digital Heritage)

Between 1859-1864, he lost his first wife and 3 of his children to the meningitis epidemic that hit the country during the time of the Civil War. Still also served in the Union Army, and as a surgeon’s assistant he saw that orthodox medicine wasn’t working. In fact, it was doing more harm. He wasn’t satisfied with drugs and unnecessary surgical procedures so he set out to study medicine again by reviewing chemistry, physiology and anatomical dissections. He believed that the human body had the ability to heal and care for itself. He used his hands to diagnose and treat his patients.

In 1874 when he tried teaching his new ideas to the traditional medical community he wasn’t well received. A.T. Still later founded his own school in 1892, the American School of Osteopathy (now A.T. Still University). Over time, his practices gained traction and many other osteopathic schools begin to open around the country.

The field of osteopathic medicine faced opposition from the traditional medical community, but by 1973 osteopathic physicians were allowed full unlimited practice rights for the first time in all 50 states, with licensure in Mississippi.

In 1980, the first residency in OMM (Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine) began at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, PA.

As an aside, Walter C. Ehrenfeuchter, DO, FAAO began training that year in the residency program and served as the first resident in the history of the profession in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. Dr. E (as we call him) has taught OMM for over 30 years. Currently, he is the Professor and Director of OMM at the Georgia Campus of PCOM and I am proud to have trained under him. He is awesome! Shout out to Dr. E!

Let’s move from the history of osteopathy to its training. There used to be a big stigma associated with DOs in the medical community. The MD vs DO comparison led some people to feel that DOs aren’t “real” doctors, and that they aren’t properly trained. That can’t be further from the truth! As a DO, I have the degree Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Just like someone with an MD behind their name, osteopathic doctors are fully trained, licensed to practice in all medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties, and are licensed to prescribe medicine. Additionally, DOs have 200+ hours of training in OMM incorporated into our curriculum. So if anyone tells you that DOs aren’t “real”doctors, you can now properly inform them of the truth.

So now that we’ve cleared that up, what exactly is OMM? I’m glad you asked. Well, from A.T. Still’s teachings, osteopathic medicine was born and 4 major principles emerged:

The body is a unit.
Structure and function are reciprocally related.
The body possesses self-regulatory mechanisms.
The body has the inherent capacity to defend itself and repair itself.

Those of us who train at osteopathic medical schools understand this and we learn to use our hands to diagnose and treat dysfunctions of the neuromuscular skeletal systems. We use a holistic approach to treating a patient, rather than just focusing on alleviating the symptoms of a disease. The best way to understand it is to look at an example:

Let’s say I have a patient who presents with shortness of breath but their lungs are completely healthy. Dysfunction of the muscles attached to the ribs can prevent the ribs from moving properly (called a rib dysfunction), which prevents the diaphragm from moving correctly. All of this can create a pressure gradient in the thoracic cavity that prevents the lungs from filling fully during inhalation. It’s an intricate and interesting concept, and as a DO I have the ability to diagnose this problem using only my hands. Because I know which muscles are attached to which ribs, I can use my hands to feel those muscles while my patient inhales and exhales. I can determine which rib is dysfunctional or out of place. After making this diagnosis, I can then use my hands to apply pressure and manipulate the problematic muscle and put the rib back in place. This is a simplified example, but hopefully it helps you to better understand OMM.

Knowing that I can provide this type of treatment option to my patient, along with traditional methods of medicine, is what makes me proud to be a DO. I like to tell my patients that as a DO I have a set of extra tools in my medical toolbox to use when providing them with the best care I can.

I remember when I first saw OMM being performed at that MAPS conference in Philly. Years later, I am still fascinated by osteopathic medicine and am proud to be among many others who have earned the degree Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.

If you’re still wondering about osteopathic medicine, here are a few links that may be of interest:

What is Osteopathic Medicine

OMM Explained

**Much of the history provided in this post was summarized from one of my 1st year med school lectures:

Ehrenfeuchter, Walter C. “Osteopathy’s Place in American Medicine.” Powerpoint Presentation. GA-Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Suwanee, GA. 29 August 2011.

-thedoctorjb

Why I Chose Family Medicine

Posted on April 28, 20163 Comments

There’s an old saying, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” Well, I had my whole career planned out by the time I was in high school, at least that’s what I thought. What did I know back then anyway? I now laugh at myself for thinking that way.

Long before I went to medical school I knew I’d someday become a doctor, and I had decided that I wanted to become a pediatrician. Due to my quite phenomenal birth, I figured it was just meant for me to be a kid doctor.

My mother calls me her “miracle baby.” I was born prematurely, nearly 2 months early, and weighed in at only 1 pound and 15 ounces. By the grace of God, I had no major health complications and was sent home from the hospital about eight weeks after birth.

My grandma once told me, “You were an ugly little baby, but you grew out of it.” Old people are a trip aren’t they?

I was getting bigger, and so was my smile.

As you can see, I’ve come a long way. Whew, God is good!

When I got older and saw these pictures of how tiny I was, I was like hey, “I’m going to take care of little people like that.” Yep, I had it all planned out. I went on throughout high school and college telling everyone I was going to be a pediatrician when I grow up. This all changed when I got to my 3rd year clinical rotations in medical school.

My first pediatrics rotation was when I discovered that maybe pediatrics was not my thing. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the cute little smiles, the nasty little germ-infested hands, and trying to figure out which characteristic rash matched which virus. However, that enjoyment did not provide true fulfillment. I ended the month thinking to myself, “I like this, but there has to be something more.”

When it came time for me to do my OB/GYN rotation I thought I would hate it, but I ended up falling in love with everything from prenatal exams, well woman’s exams, surgical procedures including c-sections, vaginal births and more. I could really see myself doing this. But (there’s always a but), the lifestyle was very demanding and often unpredictable. I mean, if it’s 3:45 AM and a baby decides he’s ready to make a grand entrance into the world, then baby gets what baby wants.

Being a doctor is taxing, but some specialties prove more demanding than others and OB/GYN is one of those. I concluded that maybe I was stuck again. Stuck between enjoying another rotation, but feeling like there was something more.

Later on into my rotations I completed a month of geriatric medicine. I learned that many of the clinical presentations that applied to most people, did not apply to those of the older population. For example, take a 30 year old who comes in with fever and urinary frequency versus a 70 year old with altered mental status. While their presentations are different, both could have a urinary tract infection. That example was simplified, but the point is that I felt challenged by thinking outside of the norm when it comes to older patients. Did I still want to do pediatrics? Did I want to do OB/GYN? By now I was confused and undecided.

Moving right along to 4th year, I ended up doing one of my rural family medicine rotations with a family doc who did nursing home visits each week before seeing clinic patients. Many of the patients had comorbidities and again, I enjoyed the challenge. Another thing that I appreciated about the nursing home visits was seeing the interaction between my preceptor and the family members, nurses and auxiliary staff who all played a role in patients’ care. Not only was my preceptor a health provider, she became a liaison and ambassador, if you will, for her patients. All of this drew me in to geriatrics.

That month, I also had certain patients who tugged on my heart strings because they had no family and no visitors. It made me think of my own grandmothers, who are still living. Neither of them are in a nursing home, but if they were I would hate to think that they had nobody to come visit them. The short time that I was able to spend with those patients was amazing and most were welcoming of the company they received while I was there.

By now, I was strongly considering going into family medicine. That decision was solidified when I completed another rural family medicine rotation in a very underserved community. Most of these people looked like me; however some didn’t. I can clearly recall the day I walked into an exam room to see an older male patient with a confederate flag t-shirt on his redneck skin. The encounter was awkward initially, but in a few short minutes guards were taken down and we shared a nice conversation.

I saw many patients that month who didn’t have health insurance and many who didn’t even have access to healthcare due to lack of transportation. Growing up in a small town myself, I knew what it was like to have to travel to the next town over to go to doctor’s appointments. I could relate when patients would reveal information of family histories of hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol. I could relate to women who cooked their collard greens with neck bones and ham hocks. Having conversations with these patients was like talking to people from my home town. I felt like I knew them. When one patient told me that “they didn’t find no pollens” (referring to not finding polyps during her colonoscopy) I knew exactly what she meant, even if she said it incorrectly.

From that month on, I knew I wanted to practice family medicine in an underserved area. I would get to experience everything I loved about pediatrics, I could still provide women’s health, and I would definitely see my share of older patients. It was like getting the best of all three worlds.

I occasionally speak to my family physician from back home. He took care of me for years, still takes care of my parents, and knows my grandparents and other family members. Forming lasting relationships with patients of all ages, including their family members, while making them feel like I am the best doctor they ever had is what I hope to accomplish.

To my med school peeps, what specialty are you interested in? And to my doctor folks, what inspired you to choose your specialty? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Let me know in the comments below.

-thedoctorjb