Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Former (prior to 2020) protocol focussed on addressing physician fatigue with pizza

General Considerations

Given the large number of potential complicated patients seen in Dr. Richard Smith's pediatric clinic, and the decreased ability for cerebral tissue to work well in a hypoglycemic environment, this protocol was developed. Studies have shown that well-fed medical students, interns, and residents perform at a higher level than their fasting counterparts.

Preoperative Preparations

  1. Evaluation of the number of potential pizza partakers must be done prior to ordering.
    1. The number of people in clinic varies week to week, however a few guidelines exist.
      1. Dr. Smith and his fellow will always be present.
      2. Depending on where the fellow is from, they may not have the same manners as we are customed to seeing here at Iowa. Therefore, a careful assesment must be done to evaluate for potential binge eating.
      3. There is usually present at least one resident and may be accompanied by a medical student or in some cases two medical students.
      4. Medical students vary highly in the amount of pizza consumed. Free food in light of current medical student debt should not be taken lightly. Some reports have stated that an entire large pizza can be consumed by a single medical student.

Nursing Considerations

  1. Room Setup
    • Pizza is usually placed in the far corner with adequate table space.
  2. Instrumentation and Equipment
    • Paper plate and napkins can be obtained in the break room

Anesthesia Considerations

  1. Pizza consumption may induce a post-prandial state similar to that following a propofol bolus. Monitoring may be considered.

Operative Procedure

  1. Call The Wedge (521 Hwy 1 W): 319-337-6677 (note: should call around 11:15 to order pizza for arrival at noon).
    1. Two Large Pizzas
      1. One Pizza is always a pesto/basil sauce w/ tomato topping preferred by Dr. Smith; this is not on the menu as a specialized "named" pizza.
      2. The other pizza can be a pizza of choice
      3. Remember to order parmesean cheese and crushed pepper if you prefer these toppings.
      4. Request delivery to Pomerantz entrance and have them call the clinic number upon arrival
  2. On notification of the delivery, the pizzas should be picked up expeditiously. Prolonged delay may result in loss of the pizzas.
    1. Potential need to supplement the pizza grant disbursement should be anticipated.
  3. Dr. Smith will reimburse $20 in cash but due to inflation this will not cover the cost of Pizza and an addition $5 for tax and tip must be obtained either from the fellow or unsuspecting medical students.

Postoperative Care

  1. In the case of excess pizza, the on-call ROD resident should be paged.

REFERENCES

The Wedge Menu: https://thewedgepizza.com/