Stare At The Sun

Ok, so a quick story.

I just got back from the hospital with Viral Meningitis.

However, since I currently don't have any health insurance, I went to the University of Toledo's Medical Hospital, which is a teaching hospital.

I've been to a few different hospitals in my life, and I've received some really great care, and some really bad care. However, this hospital was pretty solid. I was taken to a room in the ER almost instantly, and everyone was really professional.

Despite not having insurance, I was admitted for 3 days, and treated/given drugs and a ton of doctors talked to me, and helped diagnose me. (Took them awhile to be sure, as I had a few other things wrong w/ me as well).


So anyways, I did find a few things interesting about my trip to the hospital;

1) I saw atleast 6 different doctors, some were residents, and others were regular doc's. Is this the norm in teaching hospitals? Also, occasionally, groups of 5-6 doctors would come in, and give me a kind of group exam/checkup.

2) Despite not having insurance, I was admitted, and it was never made an issue. I know they have a sliding scale payment method, but I honestly didn't expect to be admitted and taken such good care of w/o insurance.

3) This is a semi-related thing, they gave me morphine, and it did like *nothing* for my pain. Painkillers do work for me, as I'm on vicodine right now, and feel fine, but morphine did nothing for me. I didn't even think that was possible.

Anyways, I'm just curious as to your thoughts on teaching hospitals as opposed to regular hospitals.