It's so hard to say goodbye

There are a few things that I've started to adjust to during my 3rd year as a medical student.  A history and physical work-up for a consult may be as simple as listening to a patient's heart and lungs through their gown, and making sure they are conscious.  A full history and physical is almost never done, and there's no time even in an office appointment.  The part that bothers me the most in the hospital is how some of the doctors close their encounter with the patient.  They will get a focused history, do a basic physical, and then without a word they will leave the room in a walk as brisk as that of an incontinent rushing to the bathroom.  Occasionally, the doctors will finish their physical and linger to say "ok" before leaving the room.  Then, in the grand order of things the attending leaves the room, then the resident, then the intern, and me and the patient are left behind a little baffled about what the next plan of action is going to be.  Sometimes I feel obligated to linger and tell the patient, "You will be admitted to the floor upstairs soon.  The doctor will come by to see you tomorrow morning, goodbye."  Then I scurry off to catch up with the team.  

Am I missing something?  When does the patient get informed about what happens next?  Do the nurses tell them?  Has the emergency room doctor already explained to them that they will be admitted to the hospital?  Do the attendings come back around after team rounds to inform the patients about the care?  They don't even say goodbye, or we'll see you tomorrow, not even a ttyl.  Fortunately, it's not as bad in pediatrics because even the most socially inept doctor will understand a parent's need to be informed of their child's care.  I'm figuring out the doctors I respect the most always ask the patient if they have any questions at the end of the interview, and actually explain what drugs they will be getting while they are in the hospital (i.e. you're getting Vancomycin, a very potent antibiotic, instead of we will give you some medicine, and see how things go).  In the end, not many patients complain and everybody will get their questions answered eventually.  Though I still think many of these docs could use a review of the 2nd years FCP closing the interview lecture. 

Now for your enjoyment, the blast from the past that brought you the title of this post.  Four part harmony gets me every time.

--By Farrah, who actually likes pediatrics after HATING internal and family medicine.  I may just want to be a doctor after all.