Playing Doctor

Anticipating the start of clinical rotations, we were oriented to hospital procedures and scrubbing techniques this week. They made for long days...thankfully there won't be a test.

Sterile Technique

Despite having classes behind us and the board exams ahead of us, we couldn't quite crack the books until we were oriented properly for our rotations. This particular exercise gave us an opportunity to "scrub in" from fingernails to elbows and donning a sterile gown and gloves. It can be a challenge the first few times trying not to contaminate oneself, but the no-pressure environment was perfect for learning this skill. We may not be as proficient as some, but at least we know the basics of the surgical scrub.

It is hard to believe that the second year of medical school has passed so quickly. By keeping us busy all the time and always preparing for the next exam or quiz, we didn't have much time to really slow down. Fortunately, all the grades have been posted and I am still in "good standing" with the university. It's just a matter of time before I can say the same about board exams. In the meantime, the morale boost we get from doing doctorly things will have to feed our fires for this career we have been working hard to achieve.

Board Prep Question of the Week

An 8-year-old boy presents to your clinic with a history of nonproductive cough and recurrent opportunistic infections. His mother claims that the symptoms first arose about 2 years ago and previous physicians suspected an immune deficiency disorder. A chest X-ray reveals patchy infiltrates and diffuse clouding. Bronchiolar lavage identifies numerous neutrophils arranged in isolated conglomerates. Nitroblue tetrazolium dye reduction test is negative. Which enzyme is most likely deficient in this child?

A. Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase
B. Dihydrofolate Reductase
C. Glutathione Reductase
D. NADPH Oxidase
E. Topoisomerase

Answer & Explanation