Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

It’s weird to think I’m over halfway through intern year now. One of the changes is seeing patients independently during clinic. Of course we still discuss the patients with our attending, but seeing patients on your own really makes you take ownership of your patient panel.

As a primary care doctor, you feel extra protective of your own panel of patients – we educate them, encourage them, advocate for them, and know them best. By now, I’ve built up a relationship with many of my patients, which is the highlight of primary care – especially when you help them make positive changes like convincing them to start insulin or cut back on smoking or give up soda (Nothing makes your doctor prouder! We’re very easy to please – even baby steps makes us happy)

Of course, there are downsides – like paperwork and bureaucracy. The amount of paperwork is incredible – the home nursing forms, the disability forms, the prior authorization for medication forms, the referral forms, the home medical supply forms. And the phone calls and the emails. And making appointments on behalf of patients and coordinating the speciality clinics and writing letters to insurance companies. And then clicking off the check boxes for billing, appointments, medications, labs, ICD codes, and so on.

Also, I’m like my dad and compulsively “prep” my notes before each patient visit – it takes extra time, but having a “plan” (or at least an idea of a plan) makes it so much smoother. There’s a lot of chart digging to do in electronic health records.

These “doctor logistics” were probably the toughest part to transition – not something you learn in medial school. As I’m getting into the groove now, with experience, comes efficiency (at least that’s what I tell myself when I fill out the 40th home nursing form).

The best part of clinic is the weekends is when my fellow “red block” interns (who are on the same clinic schedule as me) get together. We had a fabulous brunch (filled with all the things we tell patients not to eat), and I brought these double chocolate chip muffins adapted from Allrecipes. At least the plain yogurt at least lightens the muffins and these aren’t overly sweet. Happy Brunch!

Double Chocolate Chip Muffin

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup plain Green yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

Combine flour, sugar, 3/4 cup chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. IN another bowl, whisk egg, yogurt, milk, and vegetable oil. Mix the dry and wet ingredient bowls together and stir until batter is just blended (don’t overmix). Fill your muffin pan and top with the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

Bake in preheated oven for about 20 mins – they’re done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.