Conference

It's been slow. I go in on the morning and write a note on 2-4 patients. We round for a couple hours. In the afternoon I read or occasionally see a consult. I go home at 4-5. Tuesdays we have case conference from 3-4. Last week I left at four with all the other students and residents because the PAs told me I didn't need to stay for the 4-5 conference. Naturally, the next day my attending asked why I hadn't been there (the PA told her she told me to go home). So, today I stayed for the 4-5 conference--all the students and residents left, leaving me in a room full of many attendings and 3 fellows. I asked my attending if I should stay and she gave me an non-commital answer which meant that I should. So I stayed--the speaker came fifteen minutes late. He then tried to get his power point presentation up--he was gradually joined by three other doctors who tried to help him. I looked around and realized that my attending had left. At 4:30 the chief announced the talk would be postponed until next week. This whole situation struck me as incredibly amusing--all these doctors completely thwarted by a stupid computer. It also showed how dependent we are on power point these days--public speaking has become a lost art.