Heard on Rounds: Teachable moment? You decide.

a nip

VS

a nip

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Talking through a teaching case with my team before lunch:

Me: "So this 81 year old woman has a tremor in her hands. . . .both hands, and not only at rest."

Intern: "Does anything make it better or worse?"

Me: "Coffee makes it worse. It does get better when she takes a nip, though."

Intern: "Hmmm. I have an idea what it is."

Medical Student 1: "Excuse me, what's a nip?"

Me: "Does anyone know what a 'nip' is?"

Intern: "I think I know. . . ."

Medical Student 2: "Isn't it a type of candy?" (Intern starts nodding like that's what I meant.)

Medical Student 1: "Oh yeah, that caramel candy with the gooey center?" (No one correcting him.)

Me: "Wow." (shaking my head and chuckling) "Are y'all serious?" (They are serious.)

Team: (all laughing) "What's a 'nip'?"

Me: "A nip? What's a nip? Umm. . .that would be a drink of alcohol, youngsters. . .uhhh. . . .not a piece of candy." (cannot help but laugh out loud)

Medical Student 3: "I love nips--oh, the candy, that is." (blushing)

Team: (still laughing with me vs. at me vs. at student liking 'nips'. . . .still not sure which. . .)

Me: "So the tremor is most likely what?"

Intern: "An essential tremor?"

Me: "Right--an essential tremor--which unlike other causes of tremor is worsened with caffeine intake and improved with . . . .uh. . . .a nip."

Medical Student 3: (writing it down) "Right, a nip."

Okay, am I that old school? What's a nip.

Seriously? Seriously.



For my real old school playas: Nip-sy Russell. . . .
Now THAT's a Nip.