Top of the pile

For one brief, shining year, my compadres and I will be... third year residents. The top of the pile, the cream of the crop, the ruler of the roost. Remember when you were a freshman in high school, back when the seniors were way old and had way more experience than you? As interns we kinda felt the same way about third years. They knew things and could find things and talked about real jobs. Now suddenly I'm one of these mythical creatures and it is a bit weird.

And I certainly don't know more than I did last month as a second year. But the idea of being a senior resident is kinda cool.

Don't get me wrong - plenty of people can still shove us around. Actually, most of the hospital can boss us around. You know: nurses, parents, hospital administration, the Chief Residents, attendings, fellows. Basically anyone who isn't a first or second year resident, or a medical student. And really, having been a medical student, intern and junior resident kinda recently, it is kinda bad form to boss them around... unless they need it. Then suddenly "bossing around" becomes "teaching". Heh.

For example, acceptable 'bossing' would be something like, "Hey, don't stick that IV in his eye! Intra-ocular absorption of ampicillin sucks!" Unacceptable might sound something like, "Get me new pager batteries! And while you are at it, get my dinner, my dry cleaning and my mail order bride! Now, get a move on, wenches!"