A Funny Turn of Events...

I have to admit that this week was by far much better than last week. I have finally adjusted myself to the "DC way of life." This essentially is walking fast (even if you are not in a hurry), never riding an escalator - always walking up one, running to get in the Metro train as the recording says "Doors closing", and lining up at Gate A in Union Station at 4:36PM waiting for the track posting for my 4:55PM train. I should mention here that I adamantly stated that I would NEVER walk up an escalator, run onto Metro, or stand at Gate A waiting for a track assignment. Apparently my hypocrisy knows no bounds... Another funny twist is that I have gone from sitting in the DI room by myself, to spending the afternoons with the Director of Pharmacy Services for Washington Hospital Center. This turn of events occurred earlier this week when I got a call from a nurse in the stroke center. A patient was admitted with lower extremity weakness and inability to walk. The admitted her to rule out a CVA and it turns out she definitely was not having a stroke. This patient was experiencing atorvastatin-induced myopathy. This is an extremely rare side effect of the drug, and it can progress and be life-threatening. The director told me to find out why it happened. So...four articles later, I was ready to provide him with a hypothesis. He sent me to the floor to review her chart to see if she fit my hypothesis. She did. This patient's renal function and hepatic function were horrid. She was a totally uncontrolled diabetic with blood sugars hovering around 450. She was also quite elderly. Her decreased liver and kidney function caused her atorvastatin levels to sky-rocket. This caused her muscle damage. I was told to present my case at DI rounds on Thursday. I presented my case and answered all of the Director's questions - which were not easy. This man lives for pharmacology. I also had to present a case on why linezolid should not be used with gentamicin. I answered all of his questions - again. At this point, he stopped the conference and said, "Do you want a residency? Because if you do, I'm offering you one." I thought he was joking...but he wasn't. He came up to me after rounds and told me that he was thoroughly impressed and hoped I would consider being a resident at WHC. He then said, "I can do better than that. I'm offering you a full-time position at WHC after you complete your residency." WOW. I was speechless. The rotation from hell is turning into a great clinical experience. I have learned so much in the past two weeks and it's actually kind of fun. I still hate getting up at 4AM and getting home at 7PM...but I have to admit, it is growing on me. Only two more weeks...