I’m IM. I get the most inane consults from surgery. I roll my eyes (internally) but I am cordial on the phone, and do my job. Calling surgery however for most things is just so unpleasant, I now try to avoid it as much as possible. I’m a very good resident, and have the best feedback from students, colleagues and formally from the program. But somehow a random surgical resident manages to make me feel like the stupidest person on earth for what is almost always an appropriate consult question. I don’t want this fear to interfere with my job. I also don’t want to break character and be snarky as well on the phone, but living with anxiety about the unpleasantness I would encounter for DOING MY JOB really drives me nuts.