Hello! Above is the video post I did as a wrap-up for last night’s Doctor Anonymous Show in true Dr.A. fashion, except Dr. A. did his before I got to do mine! However, I still did it, because, as Wilford Brimley would say: “It’s the right thing to do.” haha

Thanks again to my star-studded panel: Ramona Bates of Suture for a Living, Mother Jones, RN of Nurse Ratched’s Place, Val Jones of Getting Better with Dr. Val, and Bongi of Other Things Amanzi. I am still in awe that these A-list bloggers all took 90+ minutes out of their Thursday to spend with me.  Awesome.

Also thanks to Vijay of Scanman’s Notes for calling in all the way from India; you made it a cross-contiental event x2!

Whether  you were there or missed the show, go the link above so you can listen to the archive, download it to your computer/music player, whatever you like.

I know I haven’t posted anything since Grand Rounds on Tuesday, but I had to catch up on “real life” things and then get ready for tonight, so it’s been a bit hectic! I promise I have some cool stuff in the pipeline, so when things slow down this weekend on the “more popular” blogs (heh), come on back and I’ll have goodies for ya.

Hope to see you tonight! If you can’t make the show, don’t worry–the archive of the show will be available later tonight at the BlogTalkRadio site about an hour or so after the show ends.  Download it to your iPod and enjoy!

Links:
The Dr. Anonymous Show on BlogTalkRadio (this Thursday at 9pmEST)
Grand Rounds 5:11 – Death and Transfiguration

Update 03December: Confirmed panelists are Ramona Bates, Mother Jones, Val Jones, and Bongi (schedule permitting). It’s a star-studded event, ladies and gentlemen! Even Dr. A. is jealous! hehe

I listened to most of the show already, and I’m slightly embarrassed of the times that it seems that I’m ignoring Dr.A’s quick questions. As was brought up in the chat room after the show, Dr.A was using a new headset, and apparently the mic volume wasn’t turned up enough. (This can be heard in the difference between our respective volumes on the archive.) However, when I was talking in real-time on the call, I swear I couldn’t hear most of the attempts when Dr. A. would make a quick 1-second question. On the archive, one can hear it objectively (ie, not talking at the time), and it sounds like I’m bulldozing over what he was saying. I promise that wasn’t the case. :/ I hope Dr. A. understands.

The universal advice I’ve received before, during, and after regarding my situation is, to be polite, “Do whatever it takes to get things fixed.” I agree, and I never intended to do otherwise. It’s also why I never complained online until the other day even though I’ve been going through this for 6 weeks now. I don’t want to get into specifics, but there is a very real chance that this will not be resolved to my benefit, and I have to start down the road of a “Plan B,” even though I can’t say for sure what that is yet.

Even though absolutely nothing has changed with school, I already feel SO much better having put all of this out there. The consequences/implications/etc. have been shouldered in private for too long and have gotten me absolutely nowhere. Things can’t get worse with school–they simply could say that all of this online shenanigans “prevented” them from giving me their Holy Dispensation, but that’s yet another abusive tactic because one can never know if that were true. The intended effect is drive a student into despair over “what could have been;” in my case, I simply go on the alternative course I’m already pursuing. The default answers have never changed from “no,” and “no.”

I’m not above groveling, but how can I grovel to a person that refuses to meet with me, that tells a “superior” at the hospital that I’ll be seen, then 10 minutes later tell me (through the inept secretary) that there’s no point in seeing me? I’ve never been able to break through this, so what do I do, kneel in supplication from the hallway and hope they see me on the way to a bathroom break? Video myself begging and send a YouTube clip to their email address? If this turns out to be about “Well, we’re offended that you didn’t do XYZ in person,” then their hypocrisy is one for the record books.

I have to work, and time spent sitting in a hallway on the off-chance said dictator may/may not be coming to the office that afternoon, combined with may/may not be willing to see me is time I’m not billing, money I’m not making to support my family in the absence of loans to fall back on. Every dollar in my bank account is because I worked for it this semester. Talk about responsibility–what respect is there for that? They seem to think I’m at their complete convenience (and sport), and as a lowly student, that’s true–to a point. They know I’m working, they know I have a family to support, they just “forget” (or don’t care) that it’s not all about me. If they’re going to be insulted because I make a phone call to check if they’ll be in before I waste hours (read: earned money) going to and from, waiting, etc. and make that a daily habit, they can do something “creatively promiscuous” with their expectations.

UAG may be trying to teach me a lesson, beat me down, whatever, but to what end? I’m playing for keeps, and here’s why:

I don’t have the luxury of wasting time. I am willing to sacrifice whatever of myself, but there’s a limit to what I’m willing to put them through. This isn’t about principle vs. pride. Steeped in old Mexican medical school traditions at the core (primarily dealing with 18-year-olds), UAG feels it’s their job to “teach” me humility, maturity and responsibility with their tactics.

Those two above teach me more about those in one day than any amount of passive-agressive bullshit by administration. The two above is where my faith, my hope, and my pride lie, not my school. If I’m going to sacrifice any part of myself further, it’s for them, not for the whims of UAG. My school is a replaceable commodity; they are not. If this constitutes my “bad attitude,” then so be it. Regardless of my financial debt, I will always remain far richer than UAG could ever be.

UPDATE, Thursday PM:

The show has changed as of this afternoon to shift focus on what I’m going through with UAG. Several factors went into this decision, made by Dr. A., and outlined here. Times, links, directions, etc. are still all the same.

Being a follower of the show and having been on the ‘air’ before as a caller, I can definitely say that participating in the chat room, available only just before the time of the broadcast (and lasting until sometime after) is just as fun as listening, like a running commentary while the show is going on.

I highly encourage people not only to tune in, but to stop by the BTR radio show site to create an account (see “Register” at top of page) before the air time so you can be identified as someone other than “Guest12345″ in the chat room. If you can’t make it for the live broadcast, don’t worry–the archive of the show will be available within 24 hours to listen at your leisure.

Hope to see you there!