HOSPITAL transport by TAXI ?

Since 2008, the New York Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) has been seeking the “Taxi of Tomorrow.” The Big Apple is looking for ideas on how to upgrade its existing taxi fleet to “more appropriately reflect the needs of its diverse stakeholders – passengers, drivers, owners and NYC residents.” The official request-for-proposals (RFP) closed on May 27 and the winning design is set to be announced sometime in October.

I recently had a discussion with CEO and founder of the Australian company Unicar, Chris Burrell, about his role in the competition. His team's new design is all about integrating accessibility for people with disabilities, function, biofriendly mechanisms, and usefulness in situations of mass casualty for hospital transport. 

Their base versions will be high-occupancy vehicles (ie, 7 seaters) and driven by a low-emission Flex-Fuel engine able to operate on either biofuel mix or LPG. Unicar estimates that by 2011, as the technology becomes available, they be fully hybrid electric vehicles.

On a daily basis there are stories of women giving birth in and patients arriving to New York City Emergency Departments by way of a yellow cab.  The changes that Unicab has instituted would allow for more space, even large enough to transport gurneys in case of a mass casuality event.  Cab drivers will be required to be trained in CPR and AED's will be incorporated into the vehicles in case of cardiac arrest.

Utilitization of Taxi's in medical transport could be beneficial to all New Yorkers and the millions of tourists who visit each year.

Check out all the designs at www.taxioftomorrow.com

Living In Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders

Dying to see this documentary about Doctors Without Borders.  Check out the video as well as the following links.  I can only imagine what it must be like dealing with emergencies in these conditions! My hat goes off to these amazing individuals who make me proud to say I am in their chosen profession.  They truly do not need a guide to saving lives with style...

www.livinginemergency.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/movies/30doctors.html?_r=1

Let me know if you have seen it and what you thought!

Volunteer for the 2010 ING NYC Marathon

Anyone interested in volunteering for the 2010 ING New York City Marathon Medical Team? If you are not running, then this is a great way to be a part of my favorite day of the year in New York City.

Sunday November 7, 2010

Contact Sidnei Beal with New York Road Runners
sbeal@nyrr.org

Or visit the volunteer website @
www.nyrr.org/medvol 

If you are running GOOD LUCK with all of your long runs!! 

 

What is your HOSPITALstyle?

Ok. Enough about my HOSPITALstyle...what is yours?? Send me your pictures of you at conference...in your scrubs...with your favorite shoes....in your white coat....post call....with your colleagues.  Best photos will be featured on the blog!

 Email them to me at HOSPITALstyle@gmail.com

HOSPITALstyle in Spanish (La cara)

Back this week with some more Spanish vocabulary to spice up your conversations in the hospital...

ANATOMY: Focus on the FACE (La cara)

Eyes                                  Los ojos (el ojo)

Mouth                               La boca 

 

Lips                                  Los labios

 

Teeth                                Los dientes (el diente)

Nose                                 La nariz

Tounge                            La lengua

Throat                             La garganta

Ears                                 Las orejas

Inner Ear                         El oido

Eyelashes                        Las pestanas

Gums                             Las encias

Tonsils                           Las amigdalas

Eyebrows                       Las cejas

Forehead                        La frente

Skin                                La piel

Pupil                              La pupila

Eyelid                            El parpado

Hair                                El pelo

Cheek                            La mejilla

Chin                              La barbilla

Temple                         La sien

Nostril                          La ventana de la nariz

Jaw/Mandible              La mandibula

Guide to Choosing a Specialty

It is that time a year again when thousands of medical students begin the residency application process for their chosen specialty.  Years of medical school and rotations have been spent trying to evaluate and pick which specialty is right for you and your abilities.  In having done this myself and having seen many medical students go through the process I have a few recommendations on deciding and realizing which specialty is The One for you. This process is a lot like dating.  Therefore you must kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince/princess.

1. Surgical or non-surgical (Are you good with procedures? do you like them?)
2. Which rotations in your third year of medical school did you like the most?
3. What is the lifestyle you want to lead?
4. Which specialty makes you want to read everything there is about it?
5. Which rotation made you most excited to get up and go to the hospital (even at 4:30 am)?
6. Which kind of attendings do you respect and wish to be just like?
7. Disregard the lives of the residents (residency is temporary: at least that is what I keep telling myself).
8.  Make your decision on the life of the attending and what it is like.
9. Who is happiest?
10. What kind of money do you want to make?
11. Where do you want to live/work (salaries differ based on areas of the country)?
12. Know that once you begin it his hard to switch (Think Carefully).
13. Find a Mentor in your field of interest.
14. Private practice vs hospital based.
15. Scrubs vs street wear (Obviously the most important..haha! Will dictate your HOSPITALstyle).

Choosing a specialty is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life and career as a doctor.  Take time to work in whichever specialty you are interested in. Befriend a resident and an attending in that field with whom you can have open and candid discussions about the positives and negatives of their specialty. Deciding early can put you at an advantage in the application process. It is true that you must kiss a lot of frogs, but it is worth it when you find the specialty you were meant to be in. Feel free to email me with any questions at HOSPITALstyle@gmail.com. Best of Luck!