Hi everyone,
Max, Chris, Manisha, and I are flying to Palo Alto today for Part 2 of our Stanford exchange. I’m rounding in the MICU tomorrow morning and on the floors on Tuesday, meeting with Abraham Verghese, giving resident noon conference on Agitation in the ICU, visiting the Palo Alto VA, seeing an old med school classmate and a former fellow, and going out for a couple of nice dinners.
It’s been decades since I’ve rounded away from Yale. The last time was in Iran in 2004, where I learned inside a patient’s room that the residents didn’t wear masks while examining TB patients. They didn’t see the point when everyone’s already been exposed.
I’m not sure what to expect in Palo Alto. What does the hospital look like? Do their presentations resemble the “Yale Way?” How are teams structured? Do residents lead rounds? Are their morning reports like ours? Does the Stanford 25 influence bedside rounds? Maybe I’m not even asking the right questions.
When it comes to day-to-day activities, medicine is pretty parochial. I’ve worked at three different medical centers and know that much of what we consider standard just reflects local culture. We never used clindamycin at Penn, for example, because it was sure to cause C diff. In contrast, we use plenty of clindamycin at Yale. And I’m sure no one outside New Haven has ever begun an oral presentation with a “Chief Concern.” That’s our schtick.
I love exchanging ideas and know whatever we discover, both programs will be enriched. I can’t wait to watch our Chiefs give report and to see what their Chiefs have planned for us. I’m leaving for Bradley in a few minutes. We’ll let you know how it goes.
Enjoy your Sunday, everyone.
Mark