Not everyone remembers their first day of school. I certainly do not. Most of the major logistic things happened around me while I was blissfully unaware. My transportation was already set up since small children don’t drive. My lunch was made because that’s what moms do when you still forget to even wipe your nose on a regular basis. The things that probably concerned me were “Where should I sit on the bus?”, “Who would I play with?”, “Will I be any good at kickball?”.
Spoiler alert: I’m great at kickball.
Last week was my first week of employment after 21 years of school and another 3 years of foot and rearfoot/ankle surgical residency training. In many ways, it was like leaving home for school for the first time. Although residency was difficult, intense, and time consuming, I was comfortable. I knew where to sit on that metaphorical bus. I would “play” in the operating room most days with my attendings and co-residents. Turns out, I like performing surgery more than I like playing kickball. But now, joining Central Massachusetts Podiatry, I have graduated from that comfort zone and begun the inevitable next stage, with all of the awkwardness, insecurities and uncertainties of going somewhere new every day.
The little logistical things are the main culprits that slow me down the most, and keep me most humble in this new environment. Finding the bathroom is a good example. I went my whole first day here without knowing that the door marked “Private” was a bathroom, not a storage closet for supplies. Figuring out how to bill and code through our electronic medical records system is another new challenge that I have never experienced. If you can’t bill, you can’t get paid! I’ve been a proponent of shockwave therapy (Extra-corporeal Shockwave Therapy, or ESWT) for a number of different conditions, because the scientific literature supports it, for the last 2 years. But I had never used the actual machine until coming here and have had to ask lots of questions of our medical assistants and other doctors. My residency was well balanced in terms of clinic time and surgical time, but not being in the operating room almost daily with surgical reconstructions has been a change of pace.
Every Doctor’s office is different, but ours is particularly special. Our staff is friendly, responsible, knowledgeable and helpful. Drs. Feldman and Pelto have been showing me the ropes around the office and new hospitals at which we work. I’m learning where my seat is on the bus. I’ve had great training in podiatric medicine and surgery and I’ve been most comfortable meeting new people. Having grown up in Sutton and gone to Saint John’s, I’m excited to be here and happy to be back in Central Massachusetts treating patients with any and all foot and ankle issues. Look for me in the hospital lobby, I’ll be the one trying to find the parking garage.
Keep moving,
Dr. Ben Saviet
