lesson learned

a surgery resident stopped by yesterday to tell me that the surgery consult i ordered was inappropriate. he didn't really go on to explain what was inappropriate about it, but instead tried to make an analogy. failing miserably, i cut him off, telling him i was post-call and didn't have the patience to listen to him founder. what he must have heard was that it was because I was post-call that I had decided to consult him, and he proceeded to tell me that being post call was a poor excuse for making a poor decision.

we transferred that patient to surgery today.


This whole experience reminded me of something important. (Why yes, I am about to preach)

Never complain down. It does no good to whine to those beneath you. It makes you sound weak, lazy, and unprofessional. If you have a complaint to make, speak to your peers or voice your concerns to your superiors. But you have nothing to gain by grumbling to your juniors. Even if the consult had been a poor decision, I'm not about to pass on this surgeon's unhappiness to my resident or attending. If he really hoped to prevent bad consults in the future, he would have been better served by spending his time doing a little education.

Instead, I just think he's a crybaby with poor clinical judgement.

Where is the spirit in 1+1?

If he suspends the glass above the flame, the brew will sizzle until one chemical interacts with another. The concoction will sizzle every time. Molecules colliding with increased energy, their behavior ruled by the laws of physics. Ruled by the laws of physics. The future, present, and past of every material object is subject to the laws of physics. The orbit of every celestial body, the fall of every drop of rain. His own body a collection of molecules. His desire a cauldron of hormones whose chemistry has just been scientifically documented. His brain a case of matter, blood, and bone.

But he feels direct experience of his own soul, his spirit. He cannot accept that as an aggregate of flesh, a clump of matter, that his future, past, and present are already determined by the laws of physics. He cannot crush out the intuition that he makes choices, influences the world with his mind and spirit. He cannot crush out his belief in God.