Inside Job

Yesterday I had the chance to finally meet Dr. Brian Goldman. It was quite the adventure, getting there and away. But, how many times do you get to to eat seared tuna with one of your medical heroes?

And how many times do you get to be inside CBC Toronto??

The answer to both is: not very many.

It was starting to unfold like a 1993 comedy. Of course, there was the tornado warning west of Ottawa just a few hours before my flight. Then the flight was delayed. Then just as we were about to taxi for takeoff they grounded the plane on the tarmac for an hour because of a major thunderstorm warning in Toronto. Followed by my arrival in a 31 degree city and a broken down shuttle bus.

Eventually I arrived at the hotel, which happened to be hosting a massive Make-Up-Sold-in-Houses convention. The scene was of drunk middle aged women smoking out front, in completely over the top prom dresses with sashes, proclaiming their yearly sales. Yes, yes I did also see a tiara.

The next morning I arrived at the CBC building in downtown Toronto and had to keep my credit card far far away from the schwag store (I'll take two coffee mugs, one aviator bag, an old-school CBC logo t-shirt and a scarf, thanks). By the way, CBC, if you're reading this I wear medium and I will shamelessly promote you forever on this blog...CBC.....CBC.......CBC.....!

Brian and I did manage to get a lot of work done despite my urges to photograph everything from the security guards to the Anna Maria Tremonti elevator. What do I need to do from this moment forward to someday have an elevator with my face on it?! Seriously. CBC radio is the soundtrack of my life. My earliest memories often involve long car rides with Peter Gzowski's gravelly voice or the As It Happens theme song. 

I was in my Mecca. But I think I behaved. I didn't leave any little Jian Ghomeshi action figures lying around, collect cigarette butts that could have been touched by Peter Mansbridge, or steal pencils off Elanor Wachtels desk. 

I did, however, manage to miss my flight back to Ottawa and ended up having to take the train. All well worth it. Brian and I have worked together on pieces for WCBA before but it was great to finally meet him. Bottom line, if you miss a plane because you're having lunch with a CBC radio host, there really is nothing to complain about.

I was pleased though, to arrive back at Dan and Lisa's for an arctic char feast, and relieved that the final leg of my journey did not involve riding in the back of a pick up truck with migrant workers and hillbillies. 

Though, it would have made a good story, I suppose...

The Real Reason, On CBC Today

When I am asked the reason I chose medicine, I almost never tell the truth. I feel a little protective of the real reason and how it might be perceived by others, so I usually reveal some of my less sentimental and more cerebral motivations for becoming a doctor.

But, when given the opportunity to create a small radio piece about my grandad and how he continues to medically inspire me, I happily got to work.

I know it is Christmas Eve, but if you need a half hour break from the chaos, have a listen to a story that is very close to my heart.  Tune into CBC's national radio show, White Coat, Black Art today, or go to the website and stream it at your leisure.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful start to their holiday!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays.  Stay safe, keep warm.

Good And Bad

This Saturday my interview on CBC's national radio show White Coat Black Art will be airing. I am a little nervous (ok, a lot nervous) about how it is going to turn out. The interview with Dr. Goldman was the day after my USMLE exam so there were a couple of reasons that I may not have been overly articulate. However, I still really enjoyed the whole experience and was flattered to be asked on the show (considering I've been a dedicated fan and listener since it's inception years ago).

My prediction is that my contribution will only be a tiny piece of the show, but I am still excited and pleased about the exposure that the blog will receive. Of course now any thinly veiled anonymity will be removed and I'll be having to keep Asystole on an even straighter and narrower course. 

The interesting outcome of increased traffic is usually increased trolls. I was really surprised (oh, how naive I am sometimes) at some of the troll-y comments when my "Advice to Interns" pieces were published on KevinMD during the summer. I suppose I just have to remember that some people really take themselves too seriously and do not understand 'tongue in cheek' nuances.

So we'll see, maybe trolls, maybe increased traffic, maybe nothing.

For now I am being kept quite busy putting together my research project (in surgery, of course!), training 6 days a week for the big race next month, compiling a report on the elective /residency woes of Canadians Studying Abroad (CSA's), and trying to keep a smile on my face.

That last part is sometimes proving to be the hardest of all tasks! But as Shakespeare rightly pointed out in Macbeth, 

"Come what come may

Time and the hour runs through the roughest day". 

Little Things, Like Spicy Pickled Eggplant

"I'm Paul Kennedy, and this...is Ideas"

Because sometimes it really is a collection of little things that make me oh so happy.

Sunday Mornings

I love Sunday mornings.

Tobie and I wake up, he brings me breakfast in bed (and a delicious americano).

And we either listen to a "This American Life" podcast, a CBC Ideas podcast, or we watch a CBC episode of Q* (because now they also film the radio broadcasts). I know, it's nerdy, but it's our way of staying somewhat connected to our roots. Makes us feel a little less homesick. Which we both are, most of the time.

Then I start school work and Tobie practices.

Today we watched the Q interview with Paul Shaffer. It was pretty hilarious, if you've got 20 mins it's entertaining and worth a watch. But the pinnacle of the interview was when Jian Ghomeshi brought up that Paul Shaffer had written some award winning music, and a number one hit, "It's Raining Men". To which Paul said that it was kind of awkward to have been a bachelor at the time and only known for writing the song (implying it could have easily destroyed his chances with any future women). But his rationale was,

"You gotta be straight to have written a song like, 'It's Raining Men'".

I don't quite get the logic but I thought it was brilliant.

Off to try and wrap my brain around the kidney. Ugh. Hormones, pumps, ions--oh my!

 --

*This all started because of the famous Bill-E-Bob interview, also highly recommended. You can watch Billy have a little temper tantrum on live national radio. I am not going to lie, Jian gives me a rash sometimes but my respect for him as an interviewer began when I watched him handle this debacle. Paul Shaffer actually alluded to the Bill-ee interview as well.