I have to remind myself on a fairly regular basis:
1) Feeling stupid is awesome. It means I'm learning. Actually it means learning really fast. Downside of steep learning curves... But Incant feel stupid, unless I now know more than I did before.
2) Any ER trip you can walk home from is a good one. The reality of doctors is that you want to be boring. You want to be able to stand up, thank them for their time, and walk yourself out. That's a victory. An interested doctor is bad news. Always. You want them to be bored bored bored by your very normal, totally benign, easily treatable thing. Those are wins.
3) If you ever feel guilty leaving an ER for not being sicker/dying and admitted (I know it sounds stupid when written out)...
A) Don't. Remember, that's a good thing.
And B) Just send them pizzas*. Stack of cheap pizzas to uber pricey gourmet whatever, they don't care which. They're like 5yos when pizzas come in from a patient, because
- They're always starving, the cafeteria is miles away, and a multiple injury motor vehicle accident always happens right before their breaks. So no break. And they hate hospital food more than most people. And their soggy sandwich in their locker can always wait until end of shift to be wolfed down whole without tasting, while they recharge on hot, ooey gooey, comfort food.
- Patients hate them. ER docs and nurses get more abuse on a daily basis than even most cops I know. Knowing that someone out there, anyone, is grateful for their services (or maybe even themselves as people) is a huge hug in what is often a bad night of people yelling at, vomiting on, threatening bodily harm, insulting them, crying on, dying on, screaming obscenities at, not listening, being lied to, etc.
* What's even better than pizzas, especially if you're broke, is to write a letter to Hospital Admin praising the work, professionalism, humor, kindness, (whatever) of anyone who was awesome or very helpful to you. This is a big deal because not only do patients rarely do it (because patients hate them), but it can mean the difference between getting kept on during the next layoff, or getting a raise at their next review.