So what can I tell you about COVID-19 that you don't already know. Well, I can tell you that it is not only physically demanding, with the donning and doffing of the PPE but it is also emotionally demanding.
As an intensivist, I am in the ICU with these patients. I do not know if they are positive or not until I get the test back, and even then there are patients who are in the hospital for other causes that we still are not sure if they are associated with the virus or not. However, there is a job to do and it needs to be done. But when you get home, that is when the hardship starts.
For the first few days of the pandemic, I was almost living in the basement. I did not want to sleep in the same bed as my wife for fear of transmitting the virus to her. I would strip to my underwear in the garage and then bee line it to the shower. and then go to the basement. However, after much research and information, I did not need to do that. I still had to get right into the shower but I was able to sleep in my bed.
My kids want to give me a welcome home hug but that cannot happen until I am showered and by then, the magic is almost gone. They are back to video games and watching TV.
I am in the Philadelphia area, which is a hot spot. A lot of the younger residents are losing their patience with the nurses but the nurses are now the ones that are losing their patience. Since there is a lack of enough PPE, the residents are not allowed in the rooms unless necessary. It is only the attendings like me. When I hear the nurses go off, I need to calm the whole situation down. Hopefully we are looking at the downslope. But I fear that this is only the beginning, I do believe that there will be a second spike in the winter time. Only this time, we are going to have to deal with both the flu and corona. But by then, hopefully there will be better medications or understanding of the condition. I firmly believe that we just need to provide good supportive care to allow the lungs and the rest of the body to heal from the initial assault. We may be putting people into harms way with treatments that are not proven. Though I have to admit, I did use those in the beginning.
I know a lot of you are struggling with getting your education and potentially being out of work. Or you are riding this out in school. After this, I think there will be more people applying to medical school that before. There is an odd romance that younger people may associate with being on the front lines and being there for people. What does this mean for you? It means that you are going to have more competition for that seat. Where there was once 3 people vying for that seat, there may be closer to 5 or even 6. You will need to ensure that you are making yourselves the most competitive you can. Ensure that your grades are high, make sure that you have a positive attitude towards the MCAT, score well, volunteer. Shadowing for many hours does not impress anyone. Yes, it shows that you have an idea about what the day is like but not really. I have read that people are saying, "I have 500 hours of shadowing...." And what? How does that make you better than the other 4-5 people who want your seat.
Don't fret dear readers, you have something that the younger applicant does not have, maturity. Use it to your advantage. How does being mature make you a better candidate for the school? Think about it, then get back to me.
Tomorrow, back in the ICU.
