What's Next?

Final Exams:
Neurology
Psychiatry
Emergency Medicine
Gastroenterology
Nephrology
Surgery
Pharmacology
Physical Diagnosis Lab

Workshops:
Suturing
Casting/Splinting
Clinical Skills
Procedures

Research Papers:
Emergency Medicine: Meningococcal Meningitis
Psychiatry: Bipolar Disorder I & II

Presentation:
Psychiatry: Bipolar Disorder

**all within 7 school days!**

Fun in the Sun?

It's a picture perfect summer day. 90 degrees, slight breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. I settled in to study for neurology, but can't seem to concentrate.

So, I'm going to the beach to read the 190 pages of powerpoint slides!

Fun in the sun has taken on a whole new meaning...

It's Pouring...

I got a call today from the personal training academy that certified me several years ago. They asked me if I was interested in presenting a 3-hour lecture on HIV/AIDS and personal training.

I had a brief conversation with the director of the program several years ago about HIV and he expressed interest in having me present at a later date. Well, 5 years later I get the call.

Of course he called at one of the busiest times in my life!

When it rains...it pours.

Wow!

I'm sitting here revising my EMED paper on Meningococcal Meningitis when I suddenly realized that today was the last official day of classes! Now all I have left are 8 final exams, two suturing/casting workshops and a clinical skills review.

Where did the time go?

Stuff

I'm 99.9% sure that I'll be moving to Brooklyn come September. I was hoping to have the time to drive to Brooklyn to check out the apartment this week, but my schedule is packed since it's the last week of class. I've known my future potential roommate for a few years and I trust her. That's the key. Besides...it'll only be for 10 weeks. (I won't even write, "what can go wrong in 10 weeks?"...because I know better by now!) So, pretend you didn't read that thought!

4 more days of school!! Then finals begin. I found out that my third rotation will be Pediatrics and fourth rotation will be Long Term Care. I'm liking the progression...although I'm really nervous about Internal Medicine.

Last semester, our Rheumatology instructor told us, "Cross you fingers that you don't get Internal Med as your first rotation!" In reality, it's an excellent rotation to start off with. I was just hoping for a small office with one doctor...not a big hospital with different floors full of patients! And "rounds"...having to do rounds scares the beejeezus out of me. I sometimes have a hard time coming up with answers in front of other people...even if I know the answer, I'll stutter or give the wrong answer. I have to work on that...

In the meanwhile...I have no idea how many exams we're getting socked with in the next couple of weeks. I have to get back to focusing on the "little stuff" for now. Funny, how the big stuff is now the little stuff....with even bigger stuff on the horizon.

The real stuff. The really scary stuff. The life or death, this ain't no multiple choice test stuff!

The stuff that's going to pave the way to my future.

What have I gotten myself into now?!?!

;)

Brooklyn Bound?

It's no secret that I've been spending the majority of my free time in Brooklyn over the last year. I've plugged George and Omar's restaurant, Bogota Latin Bistro (www.bogotabistro.com), numerous times in this blog. I've made many friends from my time hostessing, waitressing, managing, and flirting with the Mexicans! As a result, the opportunity to move to Brooklyn has presented itself. And I'm at a crossroads as to what to do.

The first offer came from the cutie patootie, 21 year old, Mexican cook. Although the thought of living with a cutie patootie that can cook is tempting...it's probably not the best move for me right now.

The second opportunity is to move in with a girl that I've known through George for a few years. She's a psychologist and waitresses part-time at Bogota. It just so happens that her roommate will be moving out at the end of August and her boyfriend is scheduled to move in with her the beginning of November. This leaves open the months of September and October. The same months that I will be doing rotations in Brooklyn and Queens. The timing is perfect and the details can be worked out.

If I don't move to Brooklyn, I will be commuting at least 4 hours a day. And the thought of that commute stresses me out. I'd much rather put my energy into learning and taking care of patients than recovering from frequent bouts of road rage!

I've got a week to figure everything out.

12 Days

Just finished 12 straight days of class! I have been surrounded by my classmates for the last 12 days...and since I've been house/dogsitting for my aunt & uncle, I've seen my classmates more than my family! Many of our days have been really long...between 8-12 hours. But, there is a sense of nostalgia that is permeating the air now. With only 5 more days of class before the official start of final exams, the end is near. We can see the finish line now.

It is strange to think that I won't be seeing my classmates everyday after August 11th. We will have to report back to school once a month for "call backs". Basically, we go to school to take an exam based on the rotation that we finished. But, the insanity of what we've been through didactic year is coming to a close.

And although I cannot wait to get out of the classroom and get a move on with my life...(read: get one step closer to a paycheck!), I'm embracing the next few weeks. The last 3 weeks of didactic year.

Unbelievable.

BUSY

This is what stands between me and finishing the didactic component of this program (August 10th):

2 weeks straight of classes because of an ACLS 2 day training this weekend!
2 papers
14 cumulative final exams
1 week of suturing, casting, splinting, charting, etc. (Transition Week)

Needless to say, I'm a little stressed out!

And this is what I have to look forward to:

1st Rotation: September 5th, Internal Medicine (hospital), BROOKLYN
2nd Rotation: October 5th, Primary Care (private practice), QUEENS

I live in Suffolk County, Long Island. I'm more concerned about the torturous commutes than anything else right now. At least 2 hours each way...at least.

I can't wait til vacation starts August 11th!

I need it.

Who Let The Dogs Out?

I left a BBQ party early to come home to study orthopedics on a Saturday night. When I arrived at home I realized that there was a block party around the corner.

So, right now, I'm listening to a DJ encouraging kids to scream at the top of their lungs with "Who Let The Dogs Out?" playing in the background. It's been the same song for the last 20 minutes...I think they're playing musical chairs.

At this point, all I can do is laugh...and fantasize about walking around the corner and unplugging the power cord.

PA School = Party Pooper!