hey yo, Sicko show like Mike Moore // my city ain't nothing like yours

Today I received my official Hospital ID. This may not sound like an achievement, but believe me – a celebration is most certainly in order. The process that has eventually led to me receiving this flimsy piece of plastic – with an appropriately unflattering picture of me inked on it – began in the last weeks of May and continued until 11:37am today, June 25. Here is a partial list of the things that
have happened in the interim:

I have completed two towering stacks of Human Resources forms, thesecond of which was so comically tall I laughed out loud when the clerk emerged with the paperwork;

spent approximately 40 hours in transit to and from the hospital's HR office to drop off transcripts, my resume, a copy of my passport, recommendations from former employers/advisers, and postmarked bank statements confirming my current address;

gone for a physical and taken two separate toxicology screens;

found an apartment to sublet with Jess for the summer;

and Euro 2008, a premier int'l soccer tournament, has gone from 16 teams to 4 (3 by the time you read this as Germany and Turkey have just kicked off. Go Turkey! They still probably won't let you into the European Union, but as this city hospital experience has taught me: keep working at it! Oh, and wear a goddamn tie, you slob – people take you more seriously when you dress up.)

However, it should also be noted that my lack of proper identification has not prevented me from starting my work here, sans pay. I have been coming in every day for more than a week now, sneaking past the security guards with my newly patented look of being extremely busy and excessively doctorly.

Fortunately, they have lots of work that needs to be done. I have already been given multiple potentially interesting responsibilities in the Risk and Quality Management departments, as well as the Medical Directors' Office. I have been exposed to the fascinating – while often depressing – administrative underbelly of the beast, and will share my observations from the front lines in short order.