From ROAD to RAPERS

I've mentioned before about the acronym for specialties that medical students are seeking out for their exquisite lifestyles and ginormous pay packages, ROAD (radiology, ophthalmology, anesthesiology, and dermatology). Of course the term ROAD is used in a condescending and derogatory manner by other specialties.

Now here is another acronym that includes anesthesiology. Again, it is used in a patronizing tone by other doctors who are not privileged enough to be included. Courtesy of the Happy Hospitalist, now we have RAPERS (radiology, anesthesiology, pathology, ER, and surgery). It represents the fields whose doctors are free to eat all the food in the doctors lounge before anybody else has the opportunity to get any.

Hilarious, and oh so true if my hospital offered free food for doctors. I have to brown bag my lunch every day. Of course one reason for that is that I rarely have time to go down to the cafeteria to buy lunch. Plus I'm cheap. By bringing my own food, I can nosh discretely in the OR without fainting from hypoglycemia. But I've been at other hospitals that do have free lunches for physicians and the anesthesiologists there were usually first in line. Their reasoning is that they have to eat first so they can give lunch breaks to all the CRNA's they are supervising. Sweet life those lucky anesthesiologists.