Author: Benji Ho

Homesick

So I’m finally here in Romford, and a week into my surgical training. Romford is a great place, with lots of shopping streets, malls, and markets, and of course, that marvelous British accent. Most of us AUC students live just down the street from the hospital, in fairly new accomodations, and within short walking distance from these lively commercial areas.  … Continue reading

Break

So I’m back in Miami, and this month, I’m taking my first break since my wedding last March! I had decided to take this month off to help Irene and I move out of Miami, sell our furniture, attend Irene’s graduation ceremony next week (she graduates from PA school!), properly spend Christmas with family, attend a belated memorial service for… Continue reading

Endocrinology Rotation at Nassau University Medical Center

An elective rotation in Endocrinology was something I knew I always wanted to do during clinicals because as an aspiring primary care physician, I knew I would be seeing lots of patients with diabetes, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and other hormone diseases. After four weeks, I am so happy to have been able to finally do it, and with an excellent team… Continue reading

Medicalese

80 yo WF c PMH NIDDM x10yrs, HTN, c/o HA. Ø N/V/CP/SOB/Abd pain. PE: AAOx3, NAD, PERRLA, EOMI, MMM, Ø JVD, S1 S2, HRRR, LCTA, Abd NT/ND, BPPP. VS: 98.3° 150/80 80 18… About three years ago, I wrote a post titled “Second Language” in which I talked about how learning medicine comes with learning an entirely new set of… Continue reading

A Long Road Up

Last Friday morning, I took my OB/Gyn NBME Shelf Exam that most US med students (and us AUC students) take at the end of the rotation.  It was the conclusion of an amazing 6 weeks, catching babies, scrubbing in for c-sections, and following new mothers. OB/Gyn has definitely been one of the more memorable and interesting rotations I’ve done, and… Continue reading

Fit

I love my iPad and I do everything with it, from reading books, to taking notes, to looking up stuff on the internet. I take it everywhere I go during my rotations, lectures, and travels. It’s just as useful as it was when I first got it as it is today. I got my first-generation iPad the beginning of last… Continue reading

A Quick Guide to Prevention Screening

Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
  • USPSTF recommends screening men 65-75 years old who have ever smoked, with ultrasound. Anything less than 3cm is normal. 3cm-3.9cm require surveillance every 2-3 years. 4cm-5.4cm require surveillance every 6 months. Aneurysms 5.5cm or larger require surgical referral. [Grade B recommendation]
  • Screening for Breast Cancer
  • USPSTF recommends mammogram starting at age 50, then repeat every
  • Continue reading

    The Pink Carpet

    I first met David during my psychiatry sub-internship rotation in Miami Beach. David had been diagnosed many years with bipolar disorder with psychosis. He was an overweight, cheery, Cuban-American guy in his late 50’s who had been in Miami ever since he was a child. He had been hospitalized several times in the past for his condition, and on this… Continue reading

    Dr. Wong

    So usually when I introduce myself to a patient, I greet them by saying “Good morning, my name is Benjamin Ho and I am a medical student working with Dr. —. How are you doing today?” Or some variation of this. One of my patients started calling me Mr. Ho, then later that day it became Mr Hong. The next… Continue reading

    Relax

    I feel great today. Today, tomorrow, and the day after are my days off, and after that, I will only have one more day of Family Medicine before I’m done with the rotation! Today, I turned in all my evals, along with the paperwork assignments that was required for this rotation. I can finally relax these next few days, and… Continue reading

    Freedom

    One thing great about New York City is that since there’s so many people here, you’re not likely to run into people you know most of the time. Because of this, it doesn’t matter how you look or dress, or what you do or say in public… nobody’s going to remember you. That is freedom. So don’t be afraid to… Continue reading