Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Shall I Try This Again??
Alright, let's give this another go. It's probably a better time anyways since I'm out on rotations and out of contact with yet even more people which I didn't think was even possible!! I'm currently in Worcester, Massachusetts starting my first third year rotation in Internal Medicine. This is the service that covers peoples care after they're admitted to the hospital. I'm at St. Vincent's Hospital. It's a great place with amazing people. The town was a little sketchy at first but I'm starting to find some places that are great, such as this little coffee shop called Cafe Dulce that has free internet and is open 4pm-12am, about the only time I get to study. The rest of the day (and I mean pretty much the WHOLE rest of the day) is spent running around the hospital seeing my patients (I have about 2 at a time now), looking at labs, looking at imaging, talking to my resident and interns, and going to lectures. We're in teams with a resident, two interns, and a fourth year student is also on my team. We're the red team, it's a good time!
So far so good. I still feel a little lost sometimes but that's to be expected. Today we had teaching rounds and the attending asked me what products the liver makes and my brain shut off. Of course I know what the liver makes but at the time he asked I may have not been able to tell him my own phone number! It's only been a week and a half and my brain is tired! It's exciting though and I've been having a great time. Already I've gotten to watch a lumbar puncture, look at slides with the pathologist, watch a colonoscopy (I can't wait to be 50!), and placement of a nasogastric tube. I'm just getting started!
I will try to write more updates, especially if something cool happens. In the meantime I'll work on updating things that happened this summer including boards (I passed) and Shawn and I GETTING ENGAGED!!! (I was saving that for last for those that didn't know :))
Be seeing you more soon... that's not a promise ;)
So far so good. I still feel a little lost sometimes but that's to be expected. Today we had teaching rounds and the attending asked me what products the liver makes and my brain shut off. Of course I know what the liver makes but at the time he asked I may have not been able to tell him my own phone number! It's only been a week and a half and my brain is tired! It's exciting though and I've been having a great time. Already I've gotten to watch a lumbar puncture, look at slides with the pathologist, watch a colonoscopy (I can't wait to be 50!), and placement of a nasogastric tube. I'm just getting started!
I will try to write more updates, especially if something cool happens. In the meantime I'll work on updating things that happened this summer including boards (I passed) and Shawn and I GETTING ENGAGED!!! (I was saving that for last for those that didn't know :))
Be seeing you more soon... that's not a promise ;)
Monday, February 5, 2007
Mid-Winter Classic 10 Miler
So I did it! I ran the Mid-winter classic 10 miler in Cape Elizabeth yesterday. I wasn't the fastest, I ran a 1:38, but I ran the whole way and finished strong. It was fun and COLD. There were over 600 runners!! A couple of other people in my class ran too, this is me with Chad and Michelle. Running has been keeping me sane with school, I hope to do a half-marathon in May over in New Hampshire. Enough fun, back to studying!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
One more down (I think)
It's been a while since my last post because I've been thinking about nothing but the heart for the last three weeks! We had our cardivascular system exam today and lets just say I'm glad it's over!! It's really cool stuff it's just tough!!
There's a lot coming up this semester in only a few months.
We start a whole new system tomorrow so we're right back into the swing of things. I also applied for a fellowship at the school that I've had interviews for. I'd LOVE to do it but am trying to not get too excited because there are 12 people who applied and only four spots. To do the fellowship you do a fifth year of school and come back for a year as junior faculty and help teach anatomy and our class in osteopathic principles and practices where we learn manipulation and also the overall goals and ideals of the profession. It's awesome because you get to work with the faculty, treat patients, teach, and you get a chance to do a research project as well. There's also SO much more the fellows do, they've all been people during these last two years that I have been able to go to for anything. You get paid during your extra year back at the school and they also pay for a year of your tuition, meaning you only pay for three years. There's a possibility to do 6 months at the end of your 3rd year and another 6 months at the beginning of your fifth year OR to do a full year during your fourth year and then head back out to rotations the fifth year. Either way it would be friggin amazing to do! The ONLY bad thing I can think of is that I would graduate with the class of 2010, not my class and I LOVE my class :( Anyways, I've had interview for the position which really only last about 15 minutes but it's hard to talk about yourself for even that long. We shall see what happens...
Also I registered for my board exams which are JUNE 15, an ominous day for me! There's a lot to remember.
I'm also headed back to Camp Sunshine at the end of february for another oncology week. I'll get to meet back up with the gals from this summer Nicola and Kristen and work in the Arts and Crafts room. It'll be an awesome get-away, I can't wait. Camp puts so much into perspective for me about why I'm doing what I'm doing.
And I can't forget spring break... I'm headed out to Santa Cruz del Quiche, Guatemala with five of my fellow med students to work with a group called Agape in Action that runs clinics down there. It's run by an OB/GYN doctor from Texas and her husband. We'll be helping out wherever we're needed and using what little actual skills we have so far (I guess I should say that I have so far). I can't wait to use what I'm learning and see how much I have learned. Maybe I remember more than I think :)
That's the gist of it and I'll try to give more frequent updates as it all goes down. In the meantime I'll be running a 10 mile race I've been training for on Sunday so hopefully I'll have some pics of that to post!
There's a lot coming up this semester in only a few months.
We start a whole new system tomorrow so we're right back into the swing of things. I also applied for a fellowship at the school that I've had interviews for. I'd LOVE to do it but am trying to not get too excited because there are 12 people who applied and only four spots. To do the fellowship you do a fifth year of school and come back for a year as junior faculty and help teach anatomy and our class in osteopathic principles and practices where we learn manipulation and also the overall goals and ideals of the profession. It's awesome because you get to work with the faculty, treat patients, teach, and you get a chance to do a research project as well. There's also SO much more the fellows do, they've all been people during these last two years that I have been able to go to for anything. You get paid during your extra year back at the school and they also pay for a year of your tuition, meaning you only pay for three years. There's a possibility to do 6 months at the end of your 3rd year and another 6 months at the beginning of your fifth year OR to do a full year during your fourth year and then head back out to rotations the fifth year. Either way it would be friggin amazing to do! The ONLY bad thing I can think of is that I would graduate with the class of 2010, not my class and I LOVE my class :( Anyways, I've had interview for the position which really only last about 15 minutes but it's hard to talk about yourself for even that long. We shall see what happens...
Also I registered for my board exams which are JUNE 15, an ominous day for me! There's a lot to remember.
I'm also headed back to Camp Sunshine at the end of february for another oncology week. I'll get to meet back up with the gals from this summer Nicola and Kristen and work in the Arts and Crafts room. It'll be an awesome get-away, I can't wait. Camp puts so much into perspective for me about why I'm doing what I'm doing.
And I can't forget spring break... I'm headed out to Santa Cruz del Quiche, Guatemala with five of my fellow med students to work with a group called Agape in Action that runs clinics down there. It's run by an OB/GYN doctor from Texas and her husband. We'll be helping out wherever we're needed and using what little actual skills we have so far (I guess I should say that I have so far). I can't wait to use what I'm learning and see how much I have learned. Maybe I remember more than I think :)
That's the gist of it and I'll try to give more frequent updates as it all goes down. In the meantime I'll be running a 10 mile race I've been training for on Sunday so hopefully I'll have some pics of that to post!
Monday, January 8, 2007
No Biggie
So tonight was the night. Just another step in being a doctor... I stuck my finger up someones bum-bum. I wasn't nervous at all surprisingly and it was actually really easy, well that's because I was lubed up but really no big deal.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Happy New Year!!
Happy New Year everyone! Shawn and I had a great week off. We drove with Angus down to Delaware and hung out with Shawn's family. We had a great time visiting with everyone and grandma Lil taught me how to knit :) We also got a souvenir for Mishka from Delaware that she loved!!
We got back to Maine on the 27th and headed down to Boston for my birthday on saturday. It was a great snowy day! We walked around the freedom trail and got Peet's coffee and Chipotle burritos, just what I wanted!
We spent New Years with our Maine family at Don and Tasha's place. We had a great time playing with Mishka, eating way too much, making a bonfire in the backyard, playing trivial pursuit and ringing in 2007 with a champagne toast. Here are some pics of Shawn and I by the bonfire and Tasha and I opening the champagne (it's totally not like the movies?!).
I'm back to the grind with Cardiovascular system this month. It's rough trying to get back into it after a little bit of time with not a care in the world! Tomorrow is our first tutorial on the male exam and the rectal exam... this finger will never be the same! There's a lot ahead these next 6 months includng board exams, finishing up the second year, applying for the fellowship, and getting ready for rotations. Serenity now, serenity now...
Friday, December 22, 2006
3/8 of a Doctor
One more semester down! We had a hematology exam today and we're FREE if only for 10 days. Just 1 week for break this year which stinks but it's better than nothing. Shawn and I are heading out to Delaware tonight and will be there until Wednesday. It'll be nice to get out of town for a little while and not think about school. YEAH!!!!
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Well Taken Care Of
I'll likely be talking about these people a lot so let me introduce you. From left to right is Shawn (my boyfriend), Meg, Beth, Jeff, Caleb, Don holding Mishka, Tasha (Mishka's amazing mommy), and Me.
This was last friday, such a GREAT night! We had a lovely dinner, helped Meg and Caleb (they're married) put milkweed on their Christmas tree (SO Pretty!), and then they all surprised me with an awesome little pre-birthday birthday party. Meg made me a great cake, I got a beautiful cinnamon candle, and Mishka gave me a plane ticket to go see my new niece Anna in Kansas in January. Then we played Balderdash girls vs. guys and the women kicked ass!!
The point is... I couldn't have done all of this without the support of these amazing people by me everyday. Meg, Beth, Don, and I are all in school together and our significant others are great enough to take us away from school once in a while and make us feel somewhat normal. It's my own Maine family, I'm SO lucky!
I knew this was going to get interesting...
We just got our schedule for a new skills workshop after we get back from break in January. We get to perform the male exam and the rectal exam. Can you believe people volunteer for this, kinda scary! I'm sure there will be stories to come after that! Hopefully it'll be as good as our last skills lab. Last week I got to draw blood from someone for the first time. I got it on the first try and then people became scared of me as I looked for more people to practice on. It's awesome to finally get to do some of this stuff instead of just reading about it.
I also just registered for my board exam... June 15th is the BIG day!! It's a 9 hour exam and it costs $445 to take. YIKES. It's scary though because now it's real.
Step-by-step.
One more exam friday then down to Delaware with Shawn and Angus for 10 days of break. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!
I also just registered for my board exam... June 15th is the BIG day!! It's a 9 hour exam and it costs $445 to take. YIKES. It's scary though because now it's real.
Step-by-step.
One more exam friday then down to Delaware with Shawn and Angus for 10 days of break. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!
Climbing back up the face of the earth
Yes, I fell off. For some time now. I thought I'd give this a shot as a way for family and friends to keep up with what I'm doing since I'm not very good, ok, I'm AWFUL, at keeping in touch with everyone that I'd like to. There's so much going on with school and it's only going to get worse as I start studying for boards in a couple of months. I cannot believe I'm already done with my first year and a half of medical school!! I've had SO many people that have been a part of this journey and in getting me here that I want to make sure they know I haven't forgotten about them.
So the point is, I'll give updates every once in a while and hopefully fill some people in and reconnect with others. I'm LOVING medical school and there are so many awesome things I'm learning everyday that I'd have to have a week worth of phone conversations to catch everyone up. And since I hate the phone and can type pretty quickly this looks more promising :)
So the point is, I'll give updates every once in a while and hopefully fill some people in and reconnect with others. I'm LOVING medical school and there are so many awesome things I'm learning everyday that I'd have to have a week worth of phone conversations to catch everyone up. And since I hate the phone and can type pretty quickly this looks more promising :)
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