You Promised | Mark Sloan ✓

31┃collapsed

S5 EP3

"LISTEN UP, EVERYONE," Webber spoke through the microphone, "We're busy people, so I'm gonna try and be brief. I am implementing a new teaching protocol here at Seattle Grace. Some of these rules are new, and some are old and are going to be newly enforced."

Whispers passed along throughout the auditorium as the chief continued, "First, second and third-year residents will no longer be allowed to de facto specialise. The practice interferes with the development of a fully-rounded surgical education. No more."

"Crap, this is gonna suck," Norah grumbled while he chuckled softly beside her.

"Personal relationships, personal loyalties and personal favourites will no longer be a factor in our training program. Attendings, you will spread your wealth of knowledge equally among all of the residents. In addition, we will refocus our attention on patient communication and bedside manner."

Mark furrowed his brows at the chief's words. "Okay-this is gonna suck."

"For some of us, this means learning the lost art of humanity and compassion. For others, this means learning how to treat patients without becoming emotionally involved with them. This is a surgical program. Psychiatry is on the fifth floor. Let's not confuse the two."

"Is he..."

...referring to a specific someone? "Yup."

"In addition, residents, your interns reflect on you. If they fail, you fail. If they succeed, you succeed. Attendings, that goes for residents as well. Teach with enthusiasm, learn with enthusiasm. We are surgeons. We cut out malignancies," Webber finished, "Let's start at home, people."

❦ ❦ ❦

"JACK O'BRIEN, 47," CRISTINA presented, "Scheduled for an abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. His last CT showed calcification. So I ordered a CT angio to determine if it had worsened or remained stable."

"Nice catch, Yang," Hahn nodded, quickly scanning through the patient's charts. "You can take him down after rounds."

"Dr Lawrence will take over," Webber interjected, and Norah looked at him in surprise. "Dr Yang, you're done here. Thank you."

Hahn glanced towards the chief, then to the brunette resident. "I'll do fine with Lawrence."

Cristina looked pissed at Webber as she handed the patient's charts to Norah grumpily; the latter shrugged in response.

❦ ❦ ❦

"HOW'RE YOU DOING IN there, Mr O'Brien?" Norah asked through the speaker.

"Could be worse," the patient answered, "Could have brain leaking from my ears."

"It'll only take a couple more minutes," she informed. "Hang in there."

"It's not like I can go anywhere."

Norah chuckled at his reply while she leaned against the chair in the CT room. Kirian, who was in the room with her, was bouncing his leg while they waited for Mr O'Brien's scans to show up. The hallway outside the room was buzzing with chats and conversations.

"Have you had a thought of what to specialise in?" Kirian asked.

Norah turned to him with a raised brow. "I'm an indecisive person," she stated, "so I'm quite open to all options, really."

"Word is, all options except plastics," the intern mentioned. "Why not plastics?"

"Lack of interest," she sighed, thinking about the number of times she had answered a question similar to this one. "What about you?"