Village Idiot

For as long as I can remember, I have made people laugh. And for equally long, I've never known whether people laugh because they think I'm an idiot, or because I've said or done something genuinely funny. Are they laughing at me, or because of me? The conclusion I've come to is probably a bit of both.

Today I was on the gynecology service, it was a bit of a slow day, no one with a raging pelvic infection or a ruptured tubal pregnancy needing rushed to the OR. So I was sitting reading relevant academic literature for part of the day on the labour and delivery floor. The other residents being busy with doctor-type stuff a nurse decided I would do, and asked me what I thought was a pretty funny question, so I responded (I thought) accordingly. She was charting, and couldn't think of how to describe a procedure done on a newborn.

"He has a little skin tag below his left nipple and the pediatrician has tied a suture around it [to make it fall off], what's that called?"

"Oh yeah, the medical term for that is a 'nubin', like a third nipple, just like Chandler had on Friends. The procedure is called 'castration', its the same thing they do on little calves testicles with an elastic band. So you could write 'nubin castration noted' in the chart." I said matter-of-factly.

Pause.

Burst of laughter.

People keep on commenting on how studious I am (funniest joke EVER), the attending staff does some teaching with me and one of the other junior residents, of course I ask scads of questions, because really, why not, when someone's teaching you. Somewhere along the way (and for the life of me I can't remember when), between my joking with nurses and residents, reading about inducing labour and eating cherries one of the patients gave us, the attending obstetrician asks me what program I'm in. When I reply 'OB' she bursts out laughing. Not just a bit of a chuckle, but side-splitting laughter. So much so, I was worried that not only would she fall off her chair and fracture something but that she might lose voluntary control of her bladder. Tears started rolling down her cheeks, her face went red, and she couldn't even talk. The whole nursing station now stops to try and figure out what on earth is happening. I helpfully pipe-up: "I think she's just shocked that I'm such an idiot." To which of course, everyone laughs anew, the attending now gasping for air.

The same feeling came over me when I was determined to learn how to carry water on my head in Tanzania. Everyone gathered around the water tap for entertainment. Its a mixture of profound embarrassment and feeling like you are contributing to community or team dynamics by providing quality entertainment.

So much for being a professional, eloquent doctor. I will probably always be just a bit of a village idiot. Humility 101.