The Post-Call Walk of Shame

When I’ve had a really rough night on call, the only way I can get myself home in one piece is to play the music in my car really, REALLY loudly. I can get a bit raucous. Yesterday as I was driving home after one such call, P!nk’s Walk of Shame came on my shuffle.

Cadaverish Tales

The sole purpose of these ligaments is to make it difficult for medical students to dissect. (And something about defining the limits of movement.)

“The Spinal is Working”

A woman lies on the operating table. The medical officer and the intern are draping the patient while the scrub nurse readies her instrument tables. An awkward smell surrounds us out of nowhere. The nurse says, “The spinal is working,” to indicate that the patient “did it”. Poor patient hardly has the opportunity to defend

Three Months of Adulting: Flashback to my First Call

Today I’ve been working for three months. It’s almost hard to believe. My first rotation is almost over, and my next rotation will be anaesthesiology (they just won’t let up, will they?). My first call of Internship was on a Sunday. I was so nervous that I had an upset tummy that morning (but not

I am a closet-soppy [Book Review]

SOPPY is Philippa Rice’s collection of comics and illustrations based on real-life moments with her boyfriend. From grocery shopping to silly arguments and snuggling in front of the television, SOPPY captures the universal experience of sharing a life together, and celebrates the beauty of finding romance all around us.

Semester at Sea in GIFs

Finding the words to describe a four-month around-the-world-on-a-floating-university experience is often hard. And also, expressing things in GIFs is so much fun, so here you go.

Pity the T-Rex

My friends and I have an unhealthy obsession with T-rex… and I just recently discovered something else that makes me love little Rex even more.

Ten Things I’d Like To Say To Capetonian Drivers

Due to my lack of foresight (or bravery), I haven’t had my driver’s license for very long, and I would never claim to be a fantastic driver. But I can drive, and I abide by the road rules (usually…) and I do have a bit of road rage. As in, I like shouting into the

Three Things You Can’t Do With A Broken Middle Finger

1. Write neat patient notes (my OT-sister says that means my pencil grip isn’t great. But it is functional. When I have a functioning hand.) 2. Draw blood on a neonate (because of the crab-grip required. Those little premies can be quite powerful when you bring a needle their way.) 3. Carry a heavy textbook

Things I Have Done When Over-Tired

There’s been a lot of talk about working hours on this blog recently, as well as the risk that tired doctors pose to themselves and patients. That got me thinking about silly things I have done without thinking when I was exhausted. These all happened either at the end of a long call, or when