A trip to the Hospital

As part our school's arrangement with the hospital on the Dutch side of the island, the 5th semester students get to shadow a physician for a day-in one of several different specialties such as ER, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Orthopedic surgery and OB/GYN. Today was my day. I was scheduled to go to the Orthopedic surgeon with a classmate, Vaughn. Not that I am particularly interested in orthopedics, but it was an open spot on the sign-up board so I figured, what the heck.

For those who don't know, Orthopedic surgeons are stereotypically the Neanderthal-appearing doctors with 18 inch forearms who are usually covered in a mixture of plaster dust, bone chips and, blood splatter. They are called in to reassemble a person after he and his bones try,unsuccessfully, to defy the laws of physics. Tools of their trade include cordless drills, vibrating saws, mini sledge hammers and of course an assortment of screws, rods, plates, pins, wires, and other metallic accouterments. Pretty fun work if you ask me, think Bob Villa meets Marcus Welby.

Actually I have known several Ortho docs while I worked at the hospital and they are some of the most down to earth and personable group of physicians you can meet. (I guess it is hard to be a prima donna surgeon when you use a hammer and chisel more than a scalpel or thread)

The doctor we shadowed today is actually an American who retired from his practice and moved to the island with his wife; and I guess was lured out of retirement by the promise of $24 office visit reimbursements. As it turns out, he had a practice in West Chester, PA and worked in a couple of the hospitals where I worked as a paramedic. He was quite a likable guy and we watched as he had a half dozen or so follow-up visits with patients. There wasn't anything terribly exciting for us do do except watch and look at a few x-rays, but he did do a little teaching between patients and told the occasional war story.

I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by the day; I had not been terribly impressed by the medical facilities on the Dutch side of the island. This was the main reason Rileigh was born at the French hospital. That and those cool berets the staff all wear.