Introduction

Fall Quarter 2005 marks my first experience in a hospital as something other than a patient. Earlier this year I made the decision to pursue medicine without ever having set foot in the field as part of the staff, or even as a spectator.

This quarter I received the opportunity to volunteer in the emergency department of the UCD Med Center in Sacramento. Here I can interact with everyone: patients, doctors, nurses, technicians, administrative staff, family members of patients, and of course other volunteers. When signing up for my internship I missed my pass time so I was left with the only remaining shift: Wednesday mornings from midnight to 4 AM. Thankfully I have no class on Wednesdays so I'm able to sleep in before going to work.

Since the hospital environment is so new to me, I have decided to record my experiences in this log so that later on, I may track my progress and perhaps find any pivotal points that completely alter my perspective. Here goes.