Short Notice

It was just another balmy autumn day. Skipped breakfast (again) for the sake of another 10 minutes in bed and darted off to start the day.
10am swung by and the temporary consultant waltzed onto the ward. "Don't worry guys, I'm busy today so you can do your ward round alone... oh and J by the way, our team is due to present a case today at the case conference so can you photcopy a discharge summary onto an overhead and present that in 2 hours time? Thanks"

A semi-delerious panic syndrome set in as I realised I had 2 hours to see 22 pateints and somehow find something interesting to entertain the masses at the lunchtime meeting. Last week's case had been a non-stop extravaganze with the team's consultant presenting the case in conjunction with the registrar and intern and with powerpoint slides and lots of cool eosin stained histopathology pics.

The round blitzed its way along the corridor flying through patients with a cursory glance to make sure they were opening their bowels and managing their waterworks. I glanced at my watch as we finsihed in record time. 20 minutes to photocopy some kind of presentation. I found a mildly interesting case (ie one that didn't involve a fall or fracture) and quickly rammed it through the photocopier.

Rocked up to the meeting to find 30 people scoffing down food and waiting with baited breath for me to present. But somewhere along the line the need for an overhead projector had been omitted. And so Dr J was forced to stand up like a kid on speech day and read out his bodgy discharge summary. The physios, the OTs, the social workers and the doctors looked as bored or confused as 1st year arts students. I felt the rush of blood going to my cheeks as they ripened with embaressment. I hoped that by speeding up the reading of the discharge the earth would somehow swallow me up and save me from this public humiliation.

As soon as it was over I darted back to my seat at started muching on some free drug company food. "Such an idiot J!" I berated to myself. Why did the boss have to give me virtually no notice?
Meh!