In the cafeteria today, an administrator I work with got in line behind me. We exchanged pleasantries and confirmed that we were both, indeed, doing “great”, and then this happened:
Administrator: Got any fun plans for the 4th of July?
Me: Actually, I’m on ED call that night.
Administrator: Oh, no! Well, hopefully you don’t see any fireworks gone wrong.
Me: Nah, it’ll be a good chance to get some suturing in.
Administrator: …
Me: ….?
Administrator:
Me:
I don’t get it. Why does he think we take ED call?
It’s not like I said “I hope I see a code blue.” We’re talking about a holiday where people get as drunk as humanly possible and then try to light explosive materials on fire. I think it’s safe to assume there will be minor injuries to suture. (And – bonus! They’ll be stone-cold drunk and much less likely to mind that I’m just a student.)
Although.
ALTERNATIVE POSSIBILITY: He was correct to be horrified by my lassaiz-faire attitude.
But if that’s true, I give up. I’m too far gone. There’s no way I can go back to thinking that “suturing” is a frightening or uncomfortable word that in any way portends imminent death. I must’ve lost all sense of social norms.
Goodbye, world of non-medical people! GO ON WITHOUT ME.
Action Potential 
LOL. I wrote something similar recently. But the truth is, whether medical students are there or not, the injury that happens, will happen. So you might as well use it to learn.
Just a warning: drunk patients can be extremely uncooperative – which is not really something you want in the presence of sharps and blood. Don’t hesitate to call a nurse or guard to restrain any such patients.
I agree with barefoot. Drunks are often not good patients.
Is it possible that med school neurosis (a common affliction I have been known to suffer from) made you *think* that the admin disapproved when they really did not? If not they sound like they have a major pole up the butt.
Possible! There was just this really weird, thick, awkward silence.
But he gets me mixed up with other med students all the time, so luckily, I’m not too worried about him thinking less of me. 🙂
i am on call for faces, but not for hands. so people- in a crisis- please hold your hands in front of your face!