Parkland

I started my second to last rotation this week, geriatrics medicine at Parkland Memorial Hospital in downtown Dallas. BTW, Parkland ER is where JFK died after he was brought in for gunshot wound. His assasin was also treated and died there. I do home visits/house calls with the geriatricians, see patients in palliative care, make rounds on the floors, go to the VA and attend geriatrics grand rounds. Virtually everyday I'm somewhere different, and have been confused out of my mind with parking and finding clinics. This is a huge campus, the size of a large university, right in smack of downtown Dallas. Everything is supposedly within "walking distance" but you better have good walking shoes! The various hopsitals and clinics are connected by huge underground tunnels and I'm always brushing shoulders with the hordes of people when I walk down the hallways. There are just tons of people in Parkland Hospital, it feels like I'm in a cramped busy airport than a hosptal. They do have "information people" that do nothing but sit on a stool at corners of the halls and give directions! They have been super helpful and some know me personally by now.

On my first day, it took me half a hour circling the campus until I found my designated parking garage, then it was another half a hour before I hiked to the clinic a mile away. At end of my day, I could not find my car anywhere, I remember parking at the very top of the five-story parking garage but my car was not there afterwards! I called hubby and told him in Chinese that I think my car's been stolen. "What? Towed? T-O-W?" I said, no, "tou la," which means "stolen" in Chinese. I seriously thought my car's vanished! By this time, I was walking to the campus police department. "Are you sure you didn't park at another garage?" asked the policeman, "you know, on my first day working here, I lost my car, too and they had to take me in a police car to look for it." So, that's what we did, two uniformed men and their patrol car, very very nice people and helpful, I might add. It turns out I parked my car one level below from where I thought I parked! I was very relieved, and I'm glad my car wasn't "towed" or "tou la." Yeah, felt a little stupid, too but got my first ride in a police car, though.

On a brighter note, I'm giving the whole driving thing a break and riding the commuter train now. Super convenient, avoids the traffic, no weather issues, and only 20 minutes. The station is 5 minutes from our apt and the train stops right in front of the Parkland ER! I feel very urban. I eat my bagel and peole watch!