10 things that make me smile during residency

There's a lot that doesn't make me smile in residency, but there are things that definitely DO make me smile. I have left out the obvious, which are the kids that make everything worth it.

So without further ado, I give you 10 things that make me smile during residency:

1. When I meet a nurse who speaks Kannada (like me!) and who offers to bring me puris (fried flatbread) for me on Monday. Can you say SCORE!!!!

2. When I write for an order on a patient who actually needed that order to be written. This makes me feel smart and happy.

3. When the attending tells me that I should go and eat lunch. Boy is it fun to eat :)

4. When the mother of a patient (in sickle cell clinic) tells me, "I'm really glad that you're seeing my son. Last time wasn't fun because first a medical student came in, and then a physician's assistant, and THEN the doctor. It's very nice to meet you Dr. Rao." Little does she know how much closer I am to being a medical student than anything else... but still this somehow made me smile.

5. When the lecturer this morning for Acute Care Symposium inserts farting noises into his power point presentation on Diabetic Ketoacidosis. This made me smile AND kept me awake. I think it kept Stan awake too, and he's a night float this month!

6. When I actually hit REM during call nights.

7. When the Nurse Practioner on call with me brings me cake the day of my birthday (yes, I was post-call the day of my birthday).

8. When I get text messages from Gonzo.

9. When I see my colleagues. This doesn't happen often, but when it does, I get happy to see them. Examples: During morning conference, noon conference, during the in-service exam, and today afternoon during continuity clinic.

10. When you get a lecture by an attending who includes the phrase "smart ass medical student" and you realize that it's allll in your past.