Doctor's Order

Chapter 3

Maine walked towards the ward and joined the group with 4 other new residents. One of them spoke.

Hi! I'm Jake Ejercito," he then added "I hope you're all as nervous as I am." He then extended his hand to Maine and to the others.

Maine liked him already.

Dr. Torres then approached them and spoke, "Good Morning. Again, I'm Dr. Joaquin Torres III" he smiled to each one resident. Introductions were made and they immediately proceeded with the rounds.

"Well, this is your first day of rounds. Please pay close attention to everything you see and hear, but the most important is to always appear relax especially when you're talking to the patient and their families."

Everyone around nodded in agreement. Maine made a mental note of what her senior said.

"If you looked tense and the patients see it, they are also going to feel tense, and they will probably think that they are dying with some disease and you're not telling them about it."

"Remember from now on, you're going to be responsible for the lives of human beings and nut just cadavers. You're not in medical school already."

Okay, don't make the patients tense and responsible with human life. Oh my God. These are the thoughts that are running through Maine's mind.

The more Dr. Torres talks, the more nervous Maine is feeling. By the time he was finished, her self-confidence had completely vanished. Am I really up for this? She thought. I don't know what I'm doing. Oh God. Please help me. Who said that I can be a doctor? What if I kill somebody? What am doing? It's not yet late for me to back out right? These are the questions that are running through her mind as they are about to do their rounds.

"I want detailed notes on all the cases we will tackle this morning. Lab works, stats, everything. Is everything clear?" Dr. Torres asked everyone.

"Yes Doctor." The new residents murmured as a response.

"There are about 24 to 30 surgical patients here all the time. It's your job to ensure that everything is in order for them. We will start the morning rounds now. Then we will make the same round this afternoon. Okay, let's go." He then walked towards the ward doors.

Everything seems so easy when they were still at medical school, but when they arrived here at the hospital it seems like they are not prepared for what's in stored for them. They move from one patient to another. The senior resident examined each patient and asked how they feel. The resident showed them how to connect with the patients. After the rounds, the senior resident then addressed the group.

"Always try to ask questions that are answerable by a yes or a no so as not to tire them. And lastly reassure them of their progress. However, ensure that you do not overstate their progress so as not to give false hope."

The same routine will happen for the next 2 years of Maine's life. Maine thought that they've seen all kinds of patients. So on one round, they were at a patient's bed and Dr. Jake Ejercito was examining one patient. Everything seems fine with the man. Afterward they walked away from that patient, Maine can't help but asked, "What's the case of that man? He seemed to be alright?"

Dr. Torres responded with a sigh, "He's not sick or what-so-ever. He's a gomer. And for those of you who forgot what you were taught in medical school, gomer is the acronym for "get out of my emergency room!" Gomers are people who enjoy poor health. It's their hobby. I've admitted him 8 times last year."

They then moved to another patient attached to a respirator, and is in coma.

"She had a massive heart attack. She's been in coma for the past 8 weeks. Her vital signs are failing and these machines are the only thing that's keeping her alive. The plug will be pulled this afternoon."