My geek-ness is showing. We just spent 2 days learning to do nerve blocks using an ultrasound machine to visualize the nerve. I was in heaven. It was really freaking cool. Nerve blocks are usually done blind, using landmarks on the outside of the body to figure out where the nerve is likely to be. With this thing we could see the nerve very clearly. I'm all giddy from the excitement! Ok, I don't get out much these days, leave me alone.

I just have to share this little tidbit from a meeting I just had.
Background info: I implemented a screening process for projects that investigators bring to me to develop and submit to the IRB, because too many of the projects were poorly designed, were not measurable, or just plain stupid. Many of these interactions started with the investigator saying “Don’t bother with the IRB thing, this is a low-risk project”. So, I put together a departmental committee to screen these out with me, so I didn’t always have to be the one saying “ to do this the way you have it set up, we would need 600 subjects in each group, we don’t have the resources for that.” Or “ the results of this would be meaningless” (they love that one!), or “WTF??? Can I see your medical license please?”
So anyway, we had our meeting today and were discussing a project designed by Dr. S.
Once we convinced him of,
1. The IRB has to approve this before you can start.
2. You must get informed consent, because “because I said so,” only works with kids, not patients (and not even with kids anymore).
3. You cannot bill a patient for experimental treatment without telling them before hand!
We (3 well published MDs and myself) then argued with him about his design and bias etc. after many many different attempts were made to get through to him, and his response always being “but I am right! Collecting the data is a formality!” One of the docs finally had it and said, “You might as well be practicing fucking Voodoo! It’s all fucking Voodoo! “ He then left the room. You could here him all the way down the hall “It’s fucking Voodoo I tell you!” Everyone else just said, “He’s got a point.” And left. Good meeting.

My new response to just about everything? “It’s fucking Voodoo I tell you!”