It is what you make of it

A few years back, I was introduced to Viktor Frankl or rather his story and ideas. Born in 1905, Frankl was the son of Austrian Jews. He grew up to become a physician and specialized in Neurology and Psychiatry. He was rising star in Vienna's medical community until the Anschluss in 1938, at which point it was forbidden for Jews to treat Aryans.

In 1942, he was deported to a concentration camp and was subsequently sent to Dachau in 1944. During his time in the camps, he put many of his psychological theories to the test. After the war, Frankl wrote a book titled "Man's Search for Meaning," which is considered one of the most influential books in the USA. In it Frankl writes about his experiences and observations in the camps and how they pertain to his philosophy. I don't know that everything in his philosophy is true but what best struck me was the following:

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way

 Frankl made it through the camps in one piece and shocked his guards and fellow prisoners with his positive attitude. He remained happy because he chose to be happy.

Sometimes life sucks and it's easy to self-pity... Hell, it's kinda fun! But when you do, you just end up wallowing in it and digging a deeper hole. Instead, choose happiness.

What's playing?

As I previously mentioned, I have a Netflix addiction. The fourth year of medical school is loaded with free time. No tests, scheduled time off, it's the calm before the storm that is residency. Since I had all this built in time I decided to purchase a Netflix subscription. This was kind of a big deal for me, I don't buy things especially not subscriptions. If I had to guess, I'd say 90% of my discretionary spending is on food and drink and I probably go to a movie theatre twice a year. So as I said, this was quite a big deal for me.

Season 7... maybe the best season

I started off clicking the number of stars I gave to movies and shows, and finally got to the point where I had to watch something. "Hmm," I thought, "MI-5... I've heard good things about that..." What happened next was a fateful moment and would change the course of my life... at least for the next 2-3 weeks; I clicked 'play'. EIGHTY episodes later (of what, was a very good show... perhaps not a full-time job level of show but a good show), I was sleep deprived and without purpose. So I decided to start watching another show! Brilliant idea, truly... Thankfully Netflix had a suggestion for me based on the last 80 things I had watched.

Carry on,
nothing to see here

Who doesn't love a meth making
HS science teacher?

Robin Hood. It wasn't that good but I was still addicted to this Netflix thing. If was going to pay for it, I might as well use it! Thank God there were only 3 seasons, I was really starting to get irritated with it. Around the same time a friend also suggested Breaking Bad. AND IT WAS AWESOME! I finally came to the realization that maybe I should stay away from TV shows. This sounded like a good idea at the time but was I ever wrong about that. Many, if not most, of the movies on instant are total crap. I mean they are so bad I can't believe they even got made into movies in the first place. So I started watching hours of shit that was so unmemorable that I couldn't tell you what I watched... I think one movie had Bruce Willis. Although this was less life consuming, I felt cheated.

I've become more discerning with time and more selective with what I watch. The best films, however, are the ones that you can only get on disc. From what I've seen on DVD, I will recommend 2 films.

The first is a French comedy that probably falls into the slapstick category. It's called 'The Dinner Game' (Le diner de cons). Oh my goodness, I almost died of laughter at points. If you are looking for a good laugh and can tolerate reading subtitles this should definitely make your list. There was an American remake of this: Do not watch that one.

The second is an Argentine film called 'Nine Queens' (Nueve reinas). A story of two con artists collaborating for one big score, this one is going to keep you guessing until the very end. It's in Spanish, so once again subtitles. Even if you speak Spanish, you may want subtitles; Argentine accents are strange and their slang is unique. (Che, que boludos son los puerteños.)

Next time, I'll recommend stuff that is in English, but these two are definitely worth watching!

Downton

Recently, my Netflix queue (Hello, my name is Dr. Harvey and I am a Netflix addict) presented me with Downton Abbey. Mr. and Mrs. Netflix's expectation was that I would give it a full 5 stars, so I obliged the gentle folks by watching it. I wish there were a 6 star option. 

Since I watched the show (I am happy to say that I didn't watch all 7 episodes consecutively... I watched them over 2 days), it has come to my attention that the kind people at Masterpiece Classic kindly edited out about 20 minutes of the show to make it more palatable to American audiences. I shall hence forth refer to them as "Those No-Good, Dirty, Rotten Sons of Bitches" and if I ever meet Laura Linney I'm going to have to give her a piece of my mind (I don't know if she has anything to do with it but since every episode starts off with her saying "I'm Laura Linney and this is Masterpiece Classic." I blame her entirely-- By the way, who the hell is Laura Linney and why do I care?).

That aside, the show is outstanding. I almost feel like watching it again! I have access to the British version and I might just do so to see those portion that were deemed too boring or inaccessible to my American palate.

First off, everything is beautiful. The house is breathtaking, the grounds gorgeous and the people (less Edith and Mrs. Patmore) are stunning, each in their own right. The acting and direction are superb. The moral truths are eternal and subtle.

Lord Grantham, the heirless father to three daughters, is a man that every men could strive to emulate. He's a loving father and husband. He is a fair and just employer. He is loyal to his old friends and mindful to the needs of his servants. His relationship with Bates, dragging him back out of the car for example, is truly touching. Two quotes that I thought represented him very well

·       Lord Grantham (about Matthew wanting to get rid of Molesley): “Is that quite fair, to deprive a man of his livelihood when he’s done nothing wrong? Your mother derives some satisfaction from her work at the hospital, I think, some sense of self worth? Would you really deny the same to poor old Molesley? And when you are master here, is the butler to be dismissed? Or the footmen? How many maids or kitchen staff will be allowed to stay, or must every one be driven out? We all have different parts to play, and we must all be allowed to play them.”

·       Lord Grantham to Lady Mary: "If I'd made my own fortune and bought Downton for myself it should be yours without question, but I did not. My fortune is the work of others who laboured to build a great dynasty. Do I have the right to destroy their work or impoverish that dynasty? I am a custodian, my dear, not an owner. I must strive to be worthy of the task I've been set. If I could take Mama's money out of the estates Downton would have to be sold to pay for it. Is that what you want? To see Matthew a landless peer with a title, but no means to pay for it?" 

Lady Cora is an absolutely delightful woman. She is a wonderful mother and wife, and the perfect complement to Lord Grantham. Her only flaw is that she trusts that pesky O’Brien. Their eldest is Mary. Oh Mary, so haughty. Sometimes you just want to smack some sense into the girl. She is very pretty though. You start to think she is maturing but then she returns to her old childish ways. Edith is unforgivable. What an obnoxious harpy. I can’t believe she wrote that letter against her own sister! Sibyl is a brat.

How is it that two wonderful parents could generate such wicked spawn?

Cousin Matthew, the unsuspecting heir presumptive to the Earl of Grantham, is an all around pleasant man who is reluctant at his new status in life. I found his maturation and distaste turned to affection to be a little forced.

The servants are what make make the story real fun. Bates, Grantham’s valet, is an honorable man. Perhaps too honorable for his own good. Bates’ nemeses are O’Brien and Thomas. At first I thought they were equally evil. Then it appears that O’Brien does have something of a conscience and Thomas is void of anything at all.

All in all, it’s probably the best show I’ve seen in years. Even with the edited out minutes. But here is the best news: Season 2 premieres on PBS tomorrow night (1/8/12) at 9pm. I’m as giddy as a schoolgirl. Although I might search the interwebs to see if I can find the British version… I don’t think I want to have those minutes stolen from me again!

In fact, I AM alive

After a week layoff, I have returned. I hope you didn't miss me too much.

Part of the reason why I haven't written in the past week is because I had a severe reaction to New Year's Day 2012. I didn't realize one could be allergic to a day but it seems that I had a horrible reaction to it. I mean, as soon as I woke up in 2012 I had a terrible headache and was nauseated. It took almost 2 whole days to feel better.

Another reason for the writing layoff is-- dun dun duuuuunnnnn --writers block. Now, it's not that it's I haven't anything to write about, I do. I have had hundreds, I mean hundreds of things to write about. And I mean, some of these things have been brilliant. Seriously! The only problem is that when I sit down to write I can't remember a damn thing. It's like when I turn on the computer I get zapped in the face with one of those mind-eraser things from MIB. So, I have started to take measures to counteract this. I finally started  using that 'memo' app on my phone to take notes. Hopefully, in the near future I will be able to produce posts on a more regular basis.

On another note, I've started my final semester of medical school. The 4th year of medical school is AWESOME! I mean it's freaking awesome. This has been the first thing that has panned out as promised. During first year, people said second year would be better. Not really, it was more interesting but it was more work. People said third year would be way better. Well, it was more interesting and satisfying but it also took over my life and sucked the fun out of everything and made me quite a bit more cynical and bitter about everything. But 4th year, oh 4th year, it was promised since, literally, day one as being awesome and thus far has lived up to every expectation. I've had basically 2+ months off so far this year. My first month this semester: off for interviews. Next month: I'll have to work 14 days. The following month: basically off. April: mailing THAT one in. May: graduating. What happens afterwards is a little terrifying, so I won't think about it right now.

A Hodgepodge of Thoughts

As I pass through my neighborhood, I see my neighbors taking down their Christmas decorations that have mostly been up since Thanksgiving weekend. This makes me somewhat sad. Today is the 6th day of Christmas, which means that there are 6 whole more days of christmas to be celebrated (I know, you are all in awe of my superior arithmetic skills). So I hope you enjoy your 6 geese-a-laying today! Actually, does anyone else find the gifts given in that song to become progressively strange? How does one find 10 lords to be given as a gift and not only that, compelled to be leaping? And is it that they occasionally might break out into leaping or do they do a leaping routine or are they in a constant state of leaping?

...


DC is a quiet place this time of year. Everyone has gone home.


....

I've never really been one for New Year's Resolutions, per se, but it usually around this time of year I think about making some lifestyle changes. I think that has more to do the Bacchanalia that is Thanksgiving/Christmas/NYE.

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I'm more curious who the VP candidates are going to be. O wouldn't dare choose Biden again, would he?

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So I took my car to the shop to get my oil changed-- I know, you're shivering with excitement-- and as I waited there was a television playing the 'Maury Povich Show'. Before you ask why I bothered watching, need I remind you of the 'train wreck paradox' and the 'man and flickering image axiom' (that's the one where if you put a man within eyesight of a flickering image and he MUST look at it)? With these two excellent reasons I continued watching this pinnacle of daytime talk TV. Now, I'm pretty sure every single episode of Maury has had the same theme: 'Are you the father of my child?' After watching these totally screwed up family situations unfold, I thought to myself, "Watching men battle lions and each other in the Coliseum would have been a more civilized form of entertainment."

...

Did you guys know that the NBA is back? Who knew? Rather, who cares?

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A Rash of Rashes

So, I don't think I even made it through a whole year of medical school before the questions started coming. I don't know why, but everyone I know is really eager to have their own personal physician, pro-bono of course (because you know those $20 co-pays are real wallet busters). Everyone, also, wants to know if I can prescribe narcotics and if I can take a look at some rash on their body.

With respect to the narcotics: I usually just laugh those questions off nervously as I hope that the questioner isn't serious but I'm not so sure as I see the glint in the eyes. Then I conjure up images in my mind of the DEA busting down my door and the Board of Medicine revoking my license in perpetuity, heh...

But the rashes, oh the rashes, how I hate rashes.

First off, let's just talk about me and rashes for a second. Dermatology is a field of medicine that I am not particularly fond of. Its subject may be the largest organ but it is also the most boring organ. Diagnosis is usually done by sight and nothing else, sometimes biopsies are taken. It is freaking disgusting at times (play around here at your own risk). My greatest fear in medicine is to be asked to describe a rash using proper medical terminology: macule, papule, plaque, patch, scale, ulcer, bulla, vesicle, and so forth.

Next, we have my ambushed encounters with rashes. "Hey, William, you're a doctor type person! what do you think THIS is?" They say this as they strip off clothing to give me a good view of the lesion in question. As I carefully inspect the rash, feeling for texture and raised edges, I put my best pensive face on and I think to myself, "Yup! He's got a rash all right." In my most confident voice I tell my patient, "Well, it's really hard to tell in this setting what exactly we're looking at... I would probably due a skin scraping and KOH test but it could be an atopic dermatitis [a big word for eczema], contact dermatitis [allergy], or some form of tinea [fungus/ringworm]. Try an over the counter antifungal/cortisone cream for a couple weeks and see if that works... if not, maybe you should go see a doctor."

Don't get me wrong, I think it is pretty awesome that I have the respect of my friends such that they want to come to me for medical advice. But the fact of the matter is, I don't know everything there is to know about all fields of medicine and especially not dermatology. So, bring me your sick, bring me your ill but DON'T, just DON'T bring me your rashes.

Imitating Nature

There are certain questions that are universal to the human mind or at least that's the way it seems when I talk to people outside of the world of medicine about my being in medicine. It's actually kind of funny how everyone asks me the same 10-15 questions, I really should start making notecards or a pamphlet to hand out to answer these questions. My favorite question, though, is, "Is it like House [or some other TV show]?" The simple answer is no, but where is the fun in that. As the ancient dictum goes, art imitates nature, so lets take a look at how well these arts truly imitate what they represent.

Dr. Gregory House
As the caption of the photo reads: Seriously, how does this guy keep his license? I mean, he breaks into people's homes, he nearly kills people with unnecessary treatments, he performs procedures without indication or proper consent and the guy is total a-hole. Yeah, everyone lies and we deal with it but we don't turn it into The Spanish Inquisition or A Few Good Men. Given that bedside manner is a more important determinant in a physician getting sued for malpractice than actually being a good doctor, House would have been sued 8 ways to Sunday. By this point, House's malpractice premiums would be through the roof and he would be unemployable. Then there is the issue of his team. House, head of diagnostic medicine (WTF is that?), has working under him a neurologist, an immunologist, a surgeon, a plastic surgeon, Kumar, and a variety of other doctors. This is utter nonsense. What House does have going for it is the way they portray the brainstorming sessions: we do do that.

Grey's Anatomy
Using a play on the name of the landmark textbook that no one actually uses anymore, Gray's Anatomy, Grey's Anatomy is a show that I've seen, maybe, about 5 minutes of. From what I can surmise, the apple fell off the tree, grew legs and ran into an orange grove. Call rooms are used for sleeping. Only sleeping. Maybe some work before or after sleeping. And people don't survive Stage IV melanoma, especially with metastasis to the brain and liver. NEXT!

Scrubs
I know what you're thinking, "there is NO way that Scrubs is anything like real life!" Well, minus the jumping into your pals arms and screaming "EAGLE!" while he lifts you into the air (at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it), and the funny business in the call rooms it is pretty true to life. Dr. Cox, the jaded mentor, who, beyond the callous exterior cares for his patients and proteges. Dr. Kelso is part the old guard who gets sick pleasure out of belittling those beneath him. The Todd is a surgeon. Elliot is that super idealistic girl who somehow keeps her idealism through it all. We go on rounds and get pimped. We deal with diseases and persons. We have lives outside of medicine and sometimes the two meet. And the janitor has it out for us all.

So there you have it. Now you have a better idea of what my career is like. Except it is not as interesting...