My past 2 weeks in Anesthesia and SICU have been pretty laid back. Though morning rounds in the SICU were painfully long, they were a nice change of pace where I got to spend extra time actually caring for patients rather than rushing off to the OR. I even got the weekend off for the annual MD-PhD retreat. Sadly, many of my classmates were stuck at work this year. And though it’s hard to imagine, after 7 years, even the appeal of unlimited lobster has dwindled. It did, however, give us a break from our adventures in Oblivion to just enjoy reading and watching TV like regular folks. We also caught a Sunday afternoon matinee of The Departed, which is actually a Scorsese remake of the HK hit, Infernal Affairs. Unfortunately, though it was more polished, grittier, louder, and funnier, I felt that it really missed the mark on the deeper, more philosophical notion of right vs. wrong which was embodied by the original film. The film was overall enjoyable, but ultimately unsatisfying.

At the end of my neurosurgery elective week last Friday, just as we were about to close a craniotomy, the resident grabbed my hand and poked the exposed brain. “There,” he said, “you’ve just touched brain; you are now doomed to be a neurosurgeon.” I have to admit that neurosurgery is pretty cool… but considering that it’s the only residency with an exception to the 80-hour rule, I’m not sure if the lifestyle is really meant for me. Speaking of brains, I have another co-authored paper which recently came out in the Journal of Neuroscience. We made cover again, but since I had no hand in its design, I can honestly say that it is pretty ugly. Also, the NYAS has published an online briefing of the axon regeneration meeting I presented at last March (see link at the bottom of this page). They also included an audio recording of the talk. If you have never listened to yourself speak, I can tell you that it’s a very uncanny experience.