Merry Christmas Eve!!!

I am sitting in my parent's living room watching Family Guy with my brother and describing the anatomy of the butt to my brother who apprarently doesn't learn this stuff in school. The details of this topic will be left to your imagination.

So here is the rundown of our agenda for tonight and tomorrow. At 5pm we begin our journey to a family friend's house for dinner and drinking. Then back home for our own little present extravaganza and some more drinking (Red Cat for me and furry tonight :) We will watch xmas movies and cartoons for the night, then bedtime. Tomorrow, Santa comes to fill our stockings with fun things so we will all sit around and open our stockings....and ooh and ahh, then breakfast and some more xmas movies and cartoons. Dinner is tommorrow night at 5pm which includes lasagna (both vegetable and meat) and ham. Then after dinner is another movie. And xmas is done for another year.

I know I haven't explained my trip to Detroit yet....been very busy at home. But I have all of next week so hopefully I will remember to write again before I return back to Brooklyn.

I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday. Take care :)

one down!

In Detroit. Today, I had my first interview....at St. John's Hospital. Went really, really well. Loved the hospital!! Loved the people there. Overall, I think I nailed it. I can only hope to match there. Second interview tomorrow at Sinai-Grace.

When I get home I will give you all a very special treat. A description of my trip here.....very eventful!! HAHA

I hope everyone had a wonderful night.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Today is my first thanksgiving at home in 5 years!!! And already my family is annoying me :) :) My mom is barking about the Macy's parade and how she has seen more of the today show hosts than the actual parade. Fur is popping blocks. Dylan just woke up (almost 11:30am). Randi and Garry just showed up. And I have to cut the dogs nails....possible go for a run, especially if I will be gorging myself today...and help my mom as much as I can with today (although she has to do EVERYTHING her way ;) I also get to eat some delicious food and stuff myself absolutely silly. I love this day!

My weekend was awesome...I had a very special friend come and visit. I had not seen her for almost 2 years and it was really nice to see her and talk with her. I miss her tremendously. Unfortunately, I forget sometimes who is visiting me. Usually I have friends that come to stay with me who have no idea where they are, how to get anywhere, and need my internal GPS for guidance. Kate needs none of that...which means I annoyed her for 4 days with my insistance of helping her navigate the big city which she is capable of doing by herself. I think by the last day I had gotten that fact in my head but then she left to go back home....sorry!! Other than that, it was fun to walk the city and eat and talk and I enjoyed every moment she was there.

Tuesday I traveled on the train home....I'm glad I left the city early before the onslaught of travelers. Good news: no pat down for me at the train station as they never search anyone taking an Amtrak train. Bad news: no pat down shows how vulnerable our trains really are.

I have been thinking about the pumpkin pie that is in the fridge...I think I am going to go and steal a piece....hee hee!! I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe thanksgiving. Have a great day!

I'm Bored!!!!

Actually, I have lots of cleaning to do before my special guest arrives on friday. But cleaning is boring without good music so I am busy looking for songs on Itunes to add to my collection. The reference of the title of this post is partly a joke. I am off from rotations until January 4th and I partly rubbing in to my friends who still rotating :) Of course, without the structure of something to do everyday I am a tad bit bored. So, I decided to log on and get typing since I have some recapping to do anyways...

I finished Cardiology on friday!!! :) It was a nice chill and relaxing morning and after rounds I said my goodbyes to everyone. I then headed into the city to Macy's to find some blouse tops. I scored big time by finding a nice pink and a classic white one ($24.95 each). I then headed home to rest up for the big birthday weekend. On Saturday, I met up with Daniel, Patrick, Yoshie, and the birthday girl herself, Ishie, for a wonderful weekend in Atlantic City!!! LOVED IT!! Lunch was at a nice Seafood restaurant where my 3 sliders (crab, lobster, salmon) were fantastic. Then we had some really bad $2 shots (hee hee). Then we walked the boardwalk, took photos, and avoided pigeons. After playing $20 in the machines and losing (no afternoon luck) we headed back to the hotel for wine and prepping for the evening. Then, off to the Borgata for an amazing buffett dinner. I housed 4 plates of food and dessert!!! Then, tried my luck again with Wheel of Fortune slots. I did manage to turn my $20 into $50 before I lost it all :( Then, it was back to the hotel for some more late night drinking and passing out. Woke up at 10:30am, checked out of the hotel and headed to breakfast at this cute diner around the corner. Then, back to NYC. It was a really nice weekend away with friends....I should do that more often :)

Monday was game face day. I had to travel to New Brunswick, NJ for my first interview (actually my 2nd but my first during interview season). I went out with the residents for their invitation social. The ones I met were very laid back and chill. The next morning, was my interview. The program director was great. The program looks amazing. And almost all of my interviews went really well, except for the one question from the Vice Chairman that threw we off for about 10 seconds but I think I recovered enough to not look like a total idiot :) I really, REALLY liked this program and would love to match there and I sold myself as hard as I could to show them this. Hopefully, it worked!!

So, today I am cleaning and writing post interview thank you notes. Good news: I received another interview offer. Bad news: SUNY Upstate (a top of the list program for me) did not offer me an interview :( That's twice I have been rejected from them, once for medical school and once for residency. Well.....their loss!!!

Veteran's Day....

Happy Veteran's Day! A big giant support hug goes out to all who have or currently are serving in the military. Without you, we would all be british......

Today meant a day off from work because city hospital employees do not work on national holidays and my boss told me not to bother making the trip in. Which means tomorrow is my last day of cardiology...YAY!!! Going to miss it...sort of. But, on to better and bigger things like interviews.

I have my first official interview on Tuesday in New Brunswick, NJ. I spent all day today preparing by researching the program and thinking about what I want to portray to my interviewers. I honestly have no idea what questions they will ask me so I pretended that I was an interviewer of potential applicants to my emergency medicine program and I thought about the things that I would want to know about the applicants. I am so happy I still retain some of my imagination from my childhood days.....it certainly came in handy today!!

After my last day tomorrow I am going shopping.....I need to buy 2 new dress shirts for my interview outfit. Then, this weekend its off to Atlantic City to celebrate my good friend's 30th b-day (hopefully I win some money).

Quickly....a big congrats to my friend Jesse for finishing the NYC Marathon. I am so inspired that I am thinking of running it myself next year. Of course, the minute my knee starts acting up I reserve the right to change my mind.

I just noticed that this blog seems to be all over the place tonight. That is what happens when you are not prepared!!! Which is why I need to get back to preparing for my big day on Tuesday. I hope everyone has a good night!! :)

Rally for Sanity!!

I know I should have blogged about my amazing weekend on Monday, but I was recovering!! Today, I have the energy to tell you all about my adventure to DC and making history...so here goes.....

Jesse (my partner in crime) was gracious enough to allow me to stay at his place the night before our journey since the bus left from a place not too far from him. At 6:15am on Oct. 30th, we left the apartment and walked to where the unmarked chinatown bus would whisk us away. The bus stop was PACKED, but we made it on the bus and at 6:50am we were off. The ride down was not too bad....lots of people sleeping...and talking. The only negative was the 2 idiots directly behind us who were yapping at the top of the lungs. The whole bus could here their moronic, immature talk. Eventually they fell asleep which meant peace for the next 2 hours :)

We arrived in DC at 11:30am and walked towards the National Mall. Not even a few blocks in and we already started seeing the signs.....some of them were hilarious, like "Down with zippers!". Some poked fun at the teaparty...some at Obama....some were serious signs about real world problems...but most were just clever, funny, and obviously thought up over some drug induced state the night before. Jesse and I tried to move through the masses on the Mall, trying desperately to make our way near a speaker or even the stage. No such luck. Too many people crammed into one spot and no one wanted to move. There were people there who obviously had been there for hours with there blankets and lawn chairs out and they locked arms and would not let anyone through the crowd. Eventually, Jesse and I became tired of this and decided to leave the giant ball of human flesh and head to the outskirts of the Mall. We walked for a ways, taking in all the signs, and costumes and then we came to the spot where history would be made in DC. The construction site!!! We decided to join about 30 others in trespassing onto this site, climbing a retaining wall....then a whole house, to sit on the roof and have the best seats in the house! That lasted about 30 minutes when A) More people than the roof could hold were up there and I became paranoid that I would end of in a newspaper article about a roof collapse and more importantly B) The police showed up....since we were all trespassing. So, we got chased out of the construction site. And instead of trying to rejoin the crazy crowd, we walked through the National Mall, seeing the sites....Washington Monument, White House, the new World War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial. Then, Jesse and I walked to a corner bar and did the most American thing ever....had a beer, a burger, and watched the rally on TV!!!!

We then headed to our hotel and rested. An old friend stopped who now lives in DC, so I got to spend some time with her before she headed back out to the streets to protect the citizens of DC (she's a cop there). Then, Jesse and I headed out on the town to take in the Halloween craziness in DC. Lots of crazy costumes....and cheap drinks. And then, it was back to the hotel for bed. On Sunday, we walked through DC chinatown (much cleaner than NYC's), saw some of the 35,000 runners of the Marine Corps Marathon, and walked through the National Aerospace Museum. Then it was back on the bus (with sandwiches and beer in our bags) to head back to NYC.

Overall, it was an amazing weekend....I had an awesome time and I owe a big thank you to Jesse for going with me. I would post pictures but blogger is acting up, so I will try to add them next time.....

Everyone have a great night!!

Restoring Sanity!!!

I just purchased my bus tickets, $35 round trip from NYC to Washington DC. Killer deal courtesy of the Chinatown bus system. Never rode on one before, but the asians and broke college students do it all the time so I figure why not. I'm just hoping that the ride is smooth and that I don't get car sick (dramamine packed and ready to be taken at 6:30am tomorrow morning). And why I am trekking to DC....to RESTORE SANITY....or march for fear, I haven't really decided yet ;)

Since watching Jon Stewart live and hearing about his march on the capitol, I have waited for this weekend with excitement. How many other time in my life will I have the time to hop on a bus for fun and do something totally crazy like partake in a Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert march. I know its Halloween weekend, but I will have plenty of other halloweens to attend, but only one march for sanity. So, my bag is packed (very lightly) and my friend Jesse and I will be heading out tomorrow.....2 medical students on a simple mission to bring sanity to the world/DC!! :)

In other news....this week in Cardiology went quickly....slowly while there, sitting in the conference room waiting for something to do...but quickly now! Two more weeks of cardiology and then a very long break where I focus on my interview skills and selling myself to all programs that walk past my street corner (5o dolla make you holla).

Speaking of programs....I received an interview at St. John's hospital in Detroit. REALLY looking forward to it because I hear its a great program. Also received an interview at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. I am still patiently awaiting monday when my application will be complete and then I can expect 50 interview offers waiting in my inbox. Although not from Medical College of Georgia or LSU New Orleans, sadly they rejected me this week. Can't win them all on paper I guess.

Last bit of news, and this may be shocking to all who further read this....but I changed my name. Yes, you read that correctly. I spent almost 7 hours today in a court in Brooklyn, NY. I furnished all my papers (birth certificate, passport, address), filled out the necessary paperwork, paid $65 and waited. Lots of cases today before the judge, mostly banks vs. the common person who does not pay their outstanding credit card bills. Finally, my name was called and my paperwork was complete and I didn't have to go before the judge at all...7 hours not to go before the judge!! I know, it really sucked especially because I left my book at home in my other bag :( So, on paper furnished by the civil court in Brooklyn NY, my name has changed. I now have to have a legal notice printed in the newspaper, The Brooklyn Eagle next week, and return to the court with the affidavit of the printing, and then I will officially be Jill Marie S______. I'll fill in the blank for you all later :)

Have a wonderful and safe Halloween weekend. I will post all about my wonderful DC adventure on Sunday night! Take care :)

And there goes the weekend.....

I'm sick.....and it's that time of the month. Could my life be anymore crappy? I can pinpoint the exact time when I thought to myself "I'm going to be sick soon". It happened Thursday night, when I was out in Gowanus at a Burlesque show with some of my friends (by the way, the show was fantastic!!!). I felt this slight tickle in my throat, grabbed my beer, took a few sips yet the tickle remained. I sipped some more and swallowed hard....tickle still present. That is when I first thought about it. By friday morning, the tickle was more like a small Gillette razor blade. Of course the cramps on the other end weren't helping. By friday night, full blown head cold...hardly any sleep. Saturday, still sick and still not a good night sleep. Today, throat is much better....but my nose is another story, and the entire box of tissues I have used has made me look like Rudolph! I am just really hoping for some sleep.

Okay, on to more positive things:
- Did I mention that the burlesque show was awesome!! It was intermixed with german polka music, dancing, beer, and of course bratwurst.
- I am currently on my Cardiology rotation which so far is very good (1 week down). Lots of ekg reads, and I'm getting good at it :) On friday, I had my very own ekg done and a echocardiogram...results of both were very good.
- I did make it out of the house briefly yesterday morning for my first volunteering session at Prospect Park. I helped to clean up Lookout Hill for this coming Saturday's Halloween Spectacular. I won't be able to volunteer for that because I will be in DC!! Have to March to Keep Fear Alive and Restore Sanity :)
- Today, I managed to venture out of the house for my tanning session. Have to look good for my interviews; no pasty whiteness here.
- I got an interview offer on Friday....WOOHOOO!! Traveling to Detroit on December 7th.

Speaking of interviews, this whole process is crazy. I spend all my time throughout the day checking my phone/email for interview offers. So far, I have 3 offers, and 2 rejections. But the real bulk of the offers will come after Nov. 1st when the Dean's letter is released. And I can only imagine the phone checking OCD that will occur when that happens. I may have to charge my battery every night!! Or, bring my charger to the hospital and charge it there!! I will have to go into more crazy detail about this whole interview process another night. I'm starting to get tired, and its only 8pm!! Hopefully, I can sleep tonight. Take care everyone :)

MICU OUT!!

Today at 1:30pm marked the last time I would set foot in MICU as a 4th year medical student in an elective on the 7th floor of Coney Island Hospital...can you tell how happy I am?? ;) The fellows were great, the patient diversity in terms of disease was great, the attendings were great but the 4 hour rounds in the morning were dreadful. The only good thing...I found a new game on Itunes called Pocket Frogs and now I am addicted!! Basically you have to grow and tame frogs, then breed them, then sell them for money. Its like the stock market for medical students on ICU rotations!! So far I am up to 4 scenaries and 32 frogs!!

Monday, I start Cardiology and I am hoping for the best. My main goal is to become more comfortable with reading ekg's and knowing which medications to use for the different cardiac pathologies. I will keep you informed of my progress...

By the way, I am celebrating my end of the 4 week rotation in MICU by drinking (and finishing) the half a bottle of Saki in my refrigerator while simultaneously cleaning up my external hard drive from the endless crap I have stored over 4 years. Panic set in at one point when I thought I deleted an entire file of really, really, REALLY important information.....only to realize that in my buzzed state I had the wrong file open....haha!!!

Tomorrow is a very busy day which includes: getting up, drinking coffee, eating breakfast, working out, going to the post office, tanning, taking my suit jacket to the tailor, and eating lunch. And that is all before 1pm, so the remainder of the day has yet to be determined. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe friday night!!! :)

That sucked....

So, last night I was in the middle of blogging about my weekend and my Columbus Day off, when a giant storm composed of thunder, lightning, rain, and hail swept through Brooklyn. I didn't lose power (Go National Grid) but Comcast was not so reliable....internet gone....blog gone. I really can't remember my entire blog and don't want to spend the time trying to remember, so today is a new day which means a new blog.

First things first...I hate my school. Even more now then ever before. On Friday I got a nice email from my clinical coordinator informing me that the Family Medicine elective I scheduled in Schenectady is out of network. That basically means that I would have to spend a ton of time, energy, and money trying to get the elective approved. Family medicine is in very high demand because you need the elective to practice in California and Texas AND there are not enough spots for all the students that want it. I was a little pissed, so I emailed the associate director of ClinEd who back in March had told me about this rotation and asked her what was going on. I heard back from her today. Good news....the elective is still an affiliated elective and I should have no problems with paperwork. Although I am happy everything has worked out, I still feel like making a voodoo doll of my clinical coordinator and poking it about 100 times for the scare she gave me!! If only I knew what she looked like....

This is my last week in Medical ICU. I'm kind of happy about it because these daily rounds that take 4 hours are killing me. Although, I have found a way to make the time go by alot faster. I downloaded Angry Birds from the Itunes Store last night and spent all morning playing. I am on level 14....and the time flew by!!!

Tonight I am in a mental tug of war as to what to do with myself...specifically where to eat. I have been extraordinarily good in my eating and thanks to Insanity I have slimmed down and I am looking good :) Tonight is an off day where I get to rest and I am thinking that sushi is in order. Of course, where there is sushi there is saki!! My other option is to order in some chinese (steamed of course) and watch a movie...and I have saki in my fridge as well :) :) Right now....sushi is winning.

Well, I hope everyone as a great night. Talk to you soon.

7:19am

Here I sit, all dressed up at my computer, trying desperately to convince myself that I should get on the subway and go into work. I'm not too convincing right now. I haven't been too convincing over the last hour. I've been up since 5:30am....showered....full of delicious breakfast (eggs, english muffin, coffee). I have even checked every email account, all my regular internet pages (ESPN, uticaod.com, CNN, Facebook, Foxnews, nylottery.org) and I have searched wikipedia for Susan Sarandon, Natalie Portman, Mark Zuckenburg, Jon Stewart, and some atheist (see below). I have also searched for all the scoop regarding Mark Sanchez and listened/read all the gossip. I was about to leave and get on the subway when I thought "I should blog". So, here I am...:)

Why Mark Sanchez you ask? Well, I went to the Daily Show last night and it was awesome!! I love Jon Stewart and although the whole process was long (waiting in line, going through security, waiting for the show to start), it was worth it. Of course, he talked about the whole Sanchez fiasco, poked some fun, had everyone laughing. Then he had some atheist on to talk about his new book. Don't misrepresent my last comment....I myself am an atheist, I just felt that this guy did not represent me AT ALL!! He was stiff, like a deer in headlights during the 10 minute interview. I really don't recall what he said because I sort of zoned out, although I was brought back to laughter when Jon made a comment about the 10 commandments being put on Styrofoam for easy toteability! After the interview I thought, "I should read his book maybe it will be more entertaining" but then I forgot the name of the book and spent this morning searching the internet for the details which I found easily because I am a super internet sleuth. His name is Mark Harris and the book is entitled The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values. All this effort makes me want to read the book more.

Of course, after the show I got some really good Thai food at a place whose name escapes me...I tried to google "Thai food in NYC" and got like 500 restaurants...maybe I should google "Thai food 9th ave".......nope, still can't find it. The food was really good and the wine was even better ;) I thought on the subway ride home that I should blog not only about last nights adventure but my super fun weekend in the city. On saturday I went kayaking at Pier 40, had a homemade ice cream cookie sandwich at Milk and Cookies in the West Village, and then proceeded to lose my metrocard, got really angry, ordered some chinese, bought a bottle of Sake and went home and drank my $89 investment away (currently working on getting reimbursed by MTA). Sunday felt better, worked out, went to the movies to see The Social Network, had really good pizza and a cupcake and went home.

So the point of this entire blog today is to point out the fact that 4th year medical students really have way too much time on their hands because not only can they leave their rotation at noon to get into the Daily Show line but they can also sit in front of the computer and search endlessly for things just to fill time and blog about their NYC adventures so they can put off getting on the subway to go to work. Okay, 7:42am....time to get going. Have a great day.

MICU adventures

Last week I started in MICU. Fortunately, the motto of MICU is "we only take them to our service if we can improve there quality of life". Throughout the day, many consults come in from attendings on the floor for patients that may need extra help. The consult team has to decide, do we take this patient or not? Last week, an 85 year old man with 4th stage laryngeal cancer was turned down because coming to our floor wouldn't benefit him at all....the guy is on his deathbed and palliative care is a much safer option than bringing him to a floor that does all they can to save people. I am sure there are some in the hospital that do not like the fact that MICU is so picky when it comes to taking patients, but when you have limited resources and staff, you can afford to be picky.

Yesterday was the start of week 2 and it was nothing but exciting (from a medical standpoint). Because of my love of emergency I was given the 23 y/o patient who accidentally overdosed on iron pills. It was quite interesting to see her progression throughout the day....the iron was destroying her liver, GI tract, and kidneys....she was slowly dying before us. My superior senior resident was on the phone with all of the major hospitals (Mt. Sinai, NYU, Columbia) trying desperately to transfer her out because what she really needed we couldn't provide....a liver transplant. The problem: the patient was not a citizen of this country and therefore does not qualify for the $500,000 procedure. As the day progressed she looked worse and worse. The critical care fellow had a great idea to rectify the situation....have the patient sign out AMA (against medical advice) and drive to either Mt. Sinai or NYU and go to the emergency department. Sounds weird but it happens all the time and it works because of federal law....once a patient shows up at the ED care has to be given and if that patient happens to be in liver failure and she shows up at the ED of a liver transplant hospital, well then guess what?? Her chances of receiving the necessary care just increased. The problem with this....the patient was just too unstable even for her family to drive her. Unfortuntely for this patient, she just picked the wrong hospital to come to that morning. Eventually, by mid afternoon, NYU agreed to take her and she was quickly whisked away to their medical ICU. But whether or not she gets the liver transplant is anyone's guess...she may just spend her last days in the MICU at NYU instead of Coney Island.

Oh, I also got to show my superior CPR skills yesterday on an elderly patient who coded on our floor. We got her back....but only long enough for her family to come to the hospital and say goodbye....she passed away about an hour later :(

Okay, back to work. Have a great day!

2 more days

My time at Methodist is almost over. Only 2 more days of work in the peds ED and and exam left, where has the time gone?? I was going to blog about my Tuesday morning shift last night, but I was so exhausted that I fell asleep around 6pm :) So, it was not surprising to wake up at 5am today :) I have to go in at 8am, so I have some time to write now. Lets start with sunday's shift, then I'll fill you in on Tuesday's.

Sunday, I was in the peds ED with Micah another 4th year student. And unfortunately, it was very slow. The shift was 4pm-12am (I missed the final episode of True Blood, although Chelsea and Matt were kind enough to let me make it up Monday night :). I have come to the realization that I just don't like peds ED. As you all know, I am not much of a "kid" person, but its more than that. I get so annoyed when parents know nothing about their kids illness: when it started....how high the temperature was (most don't even own a thermometer or know how to use it)...how to dose medication properly...or the worst, waiting until the child looks like death before coming in to see someone and then getting mad at us because their child needs to be admitted and that would cut into their precious time. Seriously??

So, I have a 13 year old girl on Sunday who is having knee pain and swelling. Very bright and intelligent girl, answered all of my questions with complete sentences, not just "I don't know" unlike Mom who seemed to be bothered by the whole experience of being away from home and the television. Anyway, I find out that this young girl was run over by her cousin on a bicycle one week ago. Over the last 7 days she has been limping and the pain and swelling have increased. So, what does her mother do....she brings her into the Emergency Department at 9:30pm on a Sunday. We send the girl for x-rays....the mother complains about everything (putting the gown on (her daughter, not herself), going across the hall, waiting for the radiologist to read the films). We tell the mother there is no sign of fracture....the mother complains (what a waste of time, this ED is horrible and I'm not coming back, how much longer do I have to sit here). We ace wrap the knee and give the girl some crutches to use for the next week AND the mother complains (how is she supposed to go to school with crutches (I seriously almost laughed in the mom's face for this statement). My daughter needs a note to stay home from school, what?? you aren't giving one, fine then one for gym for the next month. What do you mean for only 2 days until I follow up with ortho I am not taking her to no ortho doctor. How am i supposed to get her to the bus stop, I want a voucher for a taxi company for the next month....etc, etc, etc. This went on for almost 20 minutes, until finally the doctor gave the mom all of the paperwork and told her to leave. Interestingly enough, the daughter was fine with the directions and fully understood everything we were saying. I almost felt bad for the girl having to put up with a mom like that.

So, my final adult ED shift was Tuesday morning 12am-8am. I was hoping it was going to be busy and was it ever, the time flew by and I was so happy, although the night had its moments, specifically with the nursing staff. We were so slammed that patients were waiting 6 hours to be seen by a doctor. I was working with a 2nd year resident who did a great job for having so many high acuity patients at one time. Unfortunately, the nurses were not doing a great job at all. I had to do most of the IVs and blood draws on our patients, and was asked by one nurse to do her job because "I am too busy right now" and then she proceeded to sit down and talk to another nurse for 15 minutes. Then, at one point our patient needed pain meds so the resident asked me to go to the nurse and inform her the order was just placed and to give the medication. As I am telling the nurse this, she says "I am going on break, it will have to wait" and she walks away. I was floored. I understand you haven't received a break yet, but neither have I...or my resident....or the attendings for that matter because its so froggin busy. Luckily I found a nurse willing to give the meds for our patient.

The one thing about Emergency Medicine that I love is the team atmosphere. It really takes effort from everyone in that department for a successful night. The clerks...the nurses....the transport team....the xray techs...the residents....the doctors....and even med students. What sucks about Emergency are those nights when this system falls apart.

So, today I have a peds ED shift 8-4pm. Tomorrow is my written final and oral presentation. And my final shift is Sunday from 8-4pm. Soon, it will be Monday and I will be back at Coney Island, my first home, doing medical ICU :)

PS Done

With the help of my sister and her amazing english language skills, my personal statement is done!! I uploaded it to my application on Saturday and sent it to all 76 programs. So, everything on my end is complete. I am just waiting on 2 letters of recommendation, one from Maimonides which should be sent out at the end of this month and the other from Methodist, my current rotation. So now I just sit back, relax, and wait. Of course, I am busy preparing myself for interviews, formulating answers to questions that may be asked. I want to come across as very confident with no signs of stress or nervousness as if this interview thing is something I always do in my spare time. Hence, the preparation now.....

So last night I went out in the big city with a friend for drinks and sushi. While walking towards Washington Square we come upon a jumper. Easy to pick out because A) Everyone was looking up B) There were 8 police cars and 2 firetrucks C) There was red tape blocking the area off D) There was a gigantic inflatable device waiting to catch said jumper (almost looked like the ones used in movies for the stunt men). I didn't see the jumper, although everyone on the ground watching this scene were pointing saying "There he is....." "Look, I see him...." "He is going to jump...." And of course, they were pointing in all different directions and areas of the building, so I am not sure exactly where he was. But I would say he was at least 30 stories or higher in this building.

But, then it occurred to me what SHOULD happen next. The police should just push the guy off the building onto the giant bouncy thing. Why you ask?? Well, here is my explanation. First, it is obvious that this jumper has been up there for a while since the police had time to unroll red tape everywhere and blow up a giant inflatable bouncy device directly underneath him. Second, the police should be getting their money's worth for all of the time and energy spent on this one person by at least using the giant bouncy. And lastly, if this person was really serious about committing suicide they would have jumped already, long ago, BEFORE the police got a chance to respond. I don't doubt that this man is depressed or has issues, but he is crying out for help and attention and not at all interested in killing himself. So, push him off the building onto the bouncy. That drop alone (and the almost heart attack like scare that comes from it) in a person who really doesn't want to jump will prevent any future ideas of jumping. He will land safely....think "Holy Shit, I will never do that again" and will be taken to a psych facility for treatment. Of course, there is a small chance he is serious about jumping and in that case, next time he will do it well before the police get an opportunity to use their toys. I would hope though that the time spent in a psych ward for his "push" and the help from psychiatrists would lead to treatment of his disease and prevent any future episodes.

So, tonight I work 8pm-8am. I am hoping that we get more than intoxicated patients on this Labor Day. Have a great day, oh and a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sister. I don't have a present for you this year, but I promise in a few short years to make it up to you ;)

September 1st!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I am aware that the title of this blog has alot of exclamation points. Its just my way of saying that today marks the official upload day for residency applications...and I just electronically sent my application!!! YAY!!! Of course, that was after ERAS conveniently subtracted $1525 from my bank account. Wow....applying for a job is very costly.

I have been lucky in that my application process has gone fairly well. I think it has alot to do with my preparation skills. I had most of my application completed in mid August and certified MyEras on August 27th. All of my letter writers are marked in the system, and so far, two letters are in the gate ready to go. My photo is uploaded....my transcript is sent. I also spent 1 week at the end of August researching all of the Emergency Residencies throughout this country and narrowed my list to 76 programs this past weekend (thank you to Microsoft and their wonderful product called the spreadsheet :).

There is only one thing I am missing. My personal statement....the paper albatross that has been swinging around my neck since March. I have tried and tried with numerous attempts and countless drafts to get it just right with no such luck. This is my opportunity to really shine and sell myself and I want it to be absolutely perfect. So, I called in some help in the from of my sister, who is not only a speed-reading demon (hello, I finished the final book of Harry Potter in 2 1/2 hours) but an equally fantastic writer. I am hoping she can help me bang out the last little details leaving me with a concise, polished, and striking statement about myself that will quickly draw the reader in and make them think "Wow, I need to meet this girl". And once that is uploaded, my application will be complete.

And then....I wait....for interview invites to roll in. I hate waiting.

12 hours shift...here I come

Today is shift #3 at Methodist ED....12 hours. No big deal as long as there are patients today.

My last shift was Wednesday, overnight....12am-8am. I was lucky to see 5 patients. Nights like that are wonderful for the residents...chill, relaxed. But for me, I would describe it another way: long! At some point during the night, you start to feel like a stapler...a piece of equipment just waiting to be used. Every once in a while someone glances over and sees you sitting there, waiting... yet they quickly continue their conversation about nothingness with the other residents while you continue to stand there. I had nights like these in 3rd year as well. Terrible nights. I would rather have patients coming out of the woodwork with shady complaints of back pain....or a drunk patient. At least they are entertaining and make history gathering fun. Unfortunately in medicine, and especially in the emergency department you never know how a night will turn out...whether it will be extremely busy or painfully slow. My luck turned into the latter.

Let me stop being a downer and say that there were 2 positives for the night. One, I was able to do an abdominal ultrasound on a gentleman with right upper quadrant pain. The 2nd year resident could not locate his gallbladder and after about 15 minutes gave up. He did allow me to continue to try, and after about 5 minutes of my own skilled probe work, I found it!! (Thanks Maimo for the skills you taught me). Unfortunately, I did not know how to use the U/S machine...they are all different. So, I could only save pictures....no measuring...no sweeping pictures. The resident was very impressed though :)

The second positive....got to see my resident sew a tongue laceration on an elderly lady with possible tongue cancer. She was hemorraging from the mouth, coughing up blood....after 3 sutures, no more blood. I never saw that before, so it was a nice experience. Now I am ready to conquer my own tongue lac in the future!!!

I am hoping that today makes up for Wednesday night. I'm thinking Sunday, nice day out, bound to be some accidents requiring suturing....and residents ALWAYS seem to want the medical student to suture. Not sure why that is but I love suturing. I can see myself as a resident doing all my own sutures...sorry medical students but this is all mine!!! HAHA!!

Of course because I am working until 11pm I miss out on True Blood. Now I have to wait until tomorrow to see Sookie :(

Methodist minus 1

Last night was my first shift at Methodist, 8pm - 8am....very busy! Here are some of the things I got to do:

- ABG on a gentleman with COPD
- Vaginal ultrasound on a woman 5 weeks into her pregnancy
- Biliary ultrasound on a young woman with abdominal pain
- IV placed successfully followed by 2 not so successfully (a little out of practice ;)
- 8 sutures in a right medial wrist laceration from a young man who went to dunk and shattered the backboard...he miss the dunk
- Thumb spica placed on a gentleman who couldn't decide if his right or left wrist was injured more (he kept changing his story). So, the resident finally told me to put it on his right

I am on again tonight from 12am - 8am and I am hoping it is equally as busy as last night. I will let you know tomorrow :) Everyone enjoy your night!!

Back in Brooklyn.....

Wait...how can I be back in Brooklyn if I never left??? Well, I have been MIA the last 5 weeks and never posted that I went home for 3 weeks. The busy life of a medical student...no time to blog ;)

Okay, so where did I leave off....oh yes, I was at Maimo for emergency medicine. Well, that ended. My last day was July 30th. Overall, the rotation was awesome and I enjoyed everything from the environment, to the people, to the patient population. I could definitely see myself as a resident at that program. Lets just hope they could see me as that too!

On the 30th, Furry made a surprise visit to NYC!! Not a surprise for me, but for him. Mom had told him I was coming to Albany on the train and they were going to pick me up. Once they got to Albany, mom gave furry his ticket to NYC. Only problem, she gave it to him like 15 minutes before the train was departing....he freaked!!! Furry's entire world was turned upside down...he took the surprise well though. We spent the weekend walking around...saw the Intrepid....saw the Natural Museum of History...saw the WTC....saw True Blood! Then on monday we headed back home.

I get home to find my dog does not look good. In short, I took him to the vet...vet finds enlarged lymph nodes all over his body....vet takes blood work....blood work shows liver and kidney failure...vet is highly suspicious of malignancy....we decide as a family to make him comfortable with medication and food....one week later Geddy can barely stand and vomits all of his food...I have to put my dog down :( Very sad day, but I am happy I had the chance to see him and to be with him when it was his time. He was a very good dog....my buddy...and he will be greatly missed.

I though mom would take Geddy's death poorly but Z-dog has been a wreck. She wouldn't go outside unless once of us went outside too. She wasn't eating. She wasn't moving much. She looked depressed. So, my mom got a new dog!! I didn't get a chance to see it in person because she got it the day I left (today), but it apparently is a very sweet, docile dog and that is exactly the kind of friend Zoey needs. Hopefully they hit it off and Zoey gets back to being the fun loving dog she was before Geddy departed.

Of course, while home I got to see some friends....Mit, Alana, Laura and many others :) I went to Enchanted Forest with my family for my mom's birthday. I saw Dr. Hess and Lynn...love seeing them!! And I relaxed a little...but not too much because I also had to finish my application for residency, which I am almost done with. Just need to nail down that Personal Statement...

So tonight is off to True Blood at Professor Thom's :) :) And tomorrow, I start my next rotation, Emergency Medicine at Methodist. I am really excited!! Although the 3 week vacation was much needed, I secretly miss the hospital....shhhh, don't tell any of my 4th year friends ;)

Everyone have a great night and I will talk to you all soon!

Night shift

Tonight is my 4th shift at Maimo in the ED, starting at 11pm and going until 7am. I have another night shift tomorrow, 7pm-7am. Over the last couple of days, several non medical friends have asked me how I can do this?? How can I shift from day shifts to nights shifts and then back to days?? Well, its not easy especially when I am the type of person that loves a schedule (to bed at the same time, to rise at the same time). Fortunately, the people that make my schedule are generous....they schedule a few nights and then give me a day off. And, it helps that the place I work at currently is very, very, VERY busy! I know for certain that from the time my shift starts until it ends I will be on my feet doing everything and anything and that always makes the time fly. In fact, its not during my shift that I am tired, its immediately after as I slog to the subway and fall asleep at the station waiting for the train....then snooze on the subway to Atlantic/Pacific where I transfer to the Q....and then snooze some more until my stop :) As long as I am busy, I am perfectly content and awake. If I was working overnights with little/nothing to do, well then I would not be choosing emergency medicine as my future career.

Over the last 3 shifts I have seen many things to numerous to name. So I will just concentrate on one case, which occurred wednesday. An 80+ year gentleman was brought in from the nursing home after falling out of his wheelchair. Unfortunately, he has dementia and it was difficult to obtain any pertinent info as to how the accident happened. A CT scan of the head was ordered to rule out a bleed in the brain. In addition, he had 2 large lacerations, one on his scalp and one on his right forearm....and the best part...I got to do all the suturing and stapling :) The scalp wound was simple, with clean edges which only needed 6 staples. The arm laceration was a different story. It was very complicated, jagged edges, and deep. So, my chief resident suggested placing vertical mattress sutures which I had never attempted before. So, I pulled up the internet, did some reading, watched as my chief put the first suture in, and then, I was on my own to finish. I placed 3 more vertical mat. sutures and then 3 interrupted sub-cutaneous sutures. It took me almost 40 minutes because I was trying desperately to make it look pretty, and anyone that has attempted to suture 80+ year old skin knows how impossible that task is. The best part, both my chief resident and attending looked at my work and said I did a beautiful job!!! In addition to the great compliments that totally went to my head (LOL), I learned a new suturing technique which I know will come in handy in the future!!

As I said, I have many more stories but not enough time or patience to type tonight. I hope on Sunday I will have the energy to type some more. I hope everyone has a great night!!

Happy Independence Day!!

Happy July 4th to all!!! While friends and family back home are grilling hamburgers/hot dogs, boating on the lake, hanging out on the back deck......I will be eating Brunch at noon....maybe going to Jones Beach....and definitely skipping the fireworks on the Hudson!! I have come to the conclusion that there are just too many people down here in NYC, and on a holiday weekend it is very wise to participate in low key events!!

So, I am done w/Peds emergency at Lincoln. Overall, it was a great rotation. I saw alot of fever, or "My child felt warm and no I don't have a $4.99 thermometer at home but I did just get my nails done for $40" LOL. I also had the opportunity to sew some lacerations....a few scalps....a forearm, but the best was the adult lac I closed. What?? Adult you ask?? Well, here is the story:

I was working on Sunday when a peds trauma came in, 8 y.o. boy was hit by a bicycle while standing on a fire hydrant and he fell. Luckily, the only trauma was to his face, a 2 cm laceration that transected the lower portion of his right nostril from his face. So, the oral maxillary surgeon had to come in and sew it back on and I got to watch!! :) After that, the surgeon says "Student, follow me" and away I go to the adult side where he has 5 people w/broken jaws anxiously awaiting him, and 1 guy who was jumped last night at the bar. He turns to me and says "Can you please sew up that guy" and I say ABSOLUTELY!!! The young man spoke very little english, but I find out that he went out to the bar, got really drunk, was jumped by 4 guys, had a bottle broken over his head, returned home around 3am, passed out, awoke at 4pm in a pool of blood, came to ED. The surgeon was called because the cut was just above the eye, through the eyebrow, about 6-7 cm in length. I was instructed to place 3 internal stitches first, to bring the wound edges closer, and then to sew it up. Then the surgeon left to attend to the jaws. So, about 23 sutures later, I was done. And it was AMAZING!!! The surgeon came and looked at my work and said it was excellent!! By this time it was 8pm, and my shift had been over for 2 hours already....so I packed up my stuff from the peds ED and strutted out of the hospital feeling like a rockstar!!! Then, I headed to Professor Thom's for True Blood, and blabbed my entire story of the day to my friends who were amazed and awed :) Actually, they are medical students too...so there reaction was much more subdued because like all 4th year medical students, they have been there and done that. But still....overall it was an awesome experience for me!!!

What have I been doing since my rotation ended on Tuesday. Well, my application for residency!! I bought my $90 token on Tuesday for use on July 1st...the official day of ERAS opening. ERAS is the service me use to send programs our application. I started filling out some of the tabs of my application. I have until Sept. 1st to complete it...on that day it gets released to the hounds (programs that I am applying to). My biggest challenge right now is completing my personal statement which has been a work in progress since January. I have imposed a deadline of August 1st for the final draft, lets hope I can do it!! I am thinking of employing a secret weapon in my quest to finish this damn statement...of course, I can't tell you what because then it wouldn't be a secret :)

Tueday starts my next rotation, adult Emergency at Maimonides in Brooklyn. I am so excited for this rotation to start....4 weeks is going to fly by!!! Hopefully, I have some good stories and I keep up with the blogging this month!

Well I hope everyone has a great day with family and friends! And I just want to give a big thank you to all of the men and women, present and past, who have put on a uniform and defended this country!! I am very grateful to them and everyday I am proud to say that I am an american!!! Everyone have a happy and SAFE 4th of July!!!

Passed and Passed

It is official....I passed CS and CK!!! I am very excited right now and i wish I could come up with the proper way to show my enthusiam on a blog :)

I was particularly worried about CS. I know I am good with patients, with information gathering, and note taking. But to do all of that in a timed setting is tough. Its great to know that I passed, and that I will never have to pay $1200 to take that test again!!!

My CK score surprised me. I came out of the test very confident knowing that I had done at least as good as my Step I score. I got 6 points less :( A little disappointed. But, I can't do anything about it now because its done and over with. The only thing left to do is kick butt in my 4th year electives and get awesome letters of recommendation.

I started my 3rd week of Peds ED in the Bronx. So far it is going well. I am learning alot. Yesterday I was able to suture 2 head lacerations. And last week I stapled 2 scalp lacerations. Its interesting to think that in about 2 weeks I will be done with this rotation completely and on to the next. That, to me, is the best part about 4th year :)

Okay, I am working the 8pm-8am shift tonight so I have to eat dinner and get ready. I hope everyone has a great night!!!

Where is the time going??

Wow, already June 2010. Before long it will be June 2011 and I will be graduating :) :) :)

I had every intention of blogging while home and for some reason, I just never did it. Its all kind of funny how it works in my head; as I sit at the computer in the morning sipping my coffee I think "I should blog, but I'll do it later". Then later comes and I'm doing something else. And soon it is bedtime and as I am about to fall asleep I remember I was supposed to blog and I think "I'll do it tomorrow". Multiplied by a few days and you get long blogging draughts (as many of you have noticed). Again, I will try to blog more....but I can't promise you anything ;)

Where did I leave off?? Oh yes, I successfully sat for Step 2 CK on May 18th!! I was hoping that all of my brain cells would show up. Many did....a few stayed home. Its really hard to know what a test like this will ask. I tried to study and know all, but sometimes that seems like an overwhelming task. In the end I go into tests like these saying to myself "you are prepared, you will kick ass" but deep down I just hope that the test asks me something I know....and can answer. For many questions I knew the answer, but then there were some that I was like "what the f***???" I get my results in 2 weeks so lets hope it is good news. Note to anyone wanting to take the test at Penn Plaza....apparently you can not eat in the building, except at the coffee shop on the ground floor (building management policy). So, for food breaks I was to get into the elevator, go down 19 flights, walk to the coffee shop, and eat. Since that would cut into my precious break time, I did what all the other testers were doing that day....going to the bathroom and eating in there. Although there were signs posted everywhere saying "NO EATING, NO DRINKING", none of us really cared.

After the test, I packed up my things and headed home for 10 days!!! It was awesome, seeing everyone.....family, friends, 2 stupid dogs!! Here is a quick run down of everything I did:
- I was able to see Dr. Hess and Lynn (I loved seeing both of them, I missed them so much)
- Saw 3 of Mit's softball games which allows me to see basically everyone I know all in one convenient place :)
- Saw my Uncle Dave and his girlfriend Debbie who has been dating my uncle for years but because of this medical school thing I have been unable to meet
- Went to the Mohawk field days and saw Gridley Paige and my favorite bass player :) :)
- Went to a Saranac Thursday (first one in about 4-5 years)
- Had a really nice lunch at Red Lobster courtesy of my grandmother
- Did some major gardening for my mom (the spiders in upstate NY are getting bigger and bigger)
- Had a coffee date with an old friend
- Played with my puppies ALOT, and of course gave them both a bath
- And many more things that I'm sure I am forgetting right now, but also enjoyed :) :)

And now, I'm back in Brooklyn. I am starting my 1st official rotation of 4th year (by the way, let me just say I'M A 4TH YEAR!!!!!!!!). As soon as my urine tox comes back I will be working at the Pediatric emergency department at Lincoln hospital. Lets hope that I keep you all informed of my progress throughout 4th year, because knowing me, my next post could be "I'm graduating"!!! HAHA. I hope everyone has a great day.

One down.....one to go....

I am taking a quick break from studying.....my head feels like it is about to explode!! Too much studying and trying to cram in all the last minute details. I find that medicine has so many details. Little tiny tid bits of info that keep popping up. It is so hard to know it all, and even harder to try and figure out which detail is more important to know (at least according to the USMLE). My final preparation for Step 2 CK has been going over all the practice questions I got wrong and hoping that this information will not only stay in my head, but will help me navigate my test on Tuesday. Here's to hoping my plan works :)

In other news, I had my Step 2 CS exam on friday in Chicago. I did study for this test going over the USMLE book twice and practicing my interview/examination skills. I was really confident Friday morning.....I got up, had a great breakfast, and told myself that this test would not be a problem for me. I know myself....I am great with patients....great at getting relevant information....and great with thinking up differential diagnosis. What I found I am not great with is a time limit!!! You only get 15 minutes to interview and examine the patient and an additional 10 minutes to write the note. I found myself running out of time while in the room, unable to complete necessary physical exams. And my notes, well....lets just say I forgot many, MANY things (pertinent negatives and positives). I came out of the test feeling like shit!!! Of course, so did some of my fellow classmates who joined me at the Chicago site. But still.....my earlier invincibility was long gone. I spent most of the night thinking how I could have done better. How could I have asked the questions better?? How could I have done my exams better?? And the most important question of all....was I empathetic enough??? You see, this test really has nothing to do with medicine. It is a weed out test for two groups of people: those that are foreign born and don't speak english well....and those that do not show empathy towards pts. I keep asking myself over and over in my head....was I empathetic enough?? THIS is what I am worried about!!!! Because I could have nailed the exam...nailed the patient note, and yet, still fail on empathy. It sucks knowing that you could have wasted $1200 and your career because an actor didn't think you cared enough.

I will officially know my results on June 16th. I am trying hard to not think about it (since I can't really do anything about it now), and focus on Step 2 CK....but believe me, it is very, very hard!!! I'm thinking that medical school should throw in a course or two on acting!!

I will be home in 3 days.....can't wait.....:) :)

3rd year.....officially OVER!!!!

Today marks the day where I am no longer a 3rd year medical student and I can officially say, I AM A 4TH YEAR!!!! I walked out of Coney Island today with a huge smile plastered on my cute face :) I can't believe I have spent one entire year at Coney....it seems like I just started. I can only imagine how nice I will feel next year when I will be done with 4th year and starting my life as a doctor. I guess you will all just have to wait a year for that post :)

I have fallen off the face of the earth....literally!!! I have been so busy preparing for my upcoming Step exams that I have had little time to do anything. Of most significance....I finished my 1/2 marathon on April 25th!! I ran 13.1 miles in 2hr 11min 29sec. Unfortunately it was a wet and cold morning in Central Park....I was soaked even before the race began. Because I was so cold, I ran incredibly fast....and most of my body was completely numb, which at the time was great. However, I think I over extended myself just a little bit. I spent most of last week hobbling around, my right knee completely unhappy with my accomplishment. I tried to run this past Tuesday (only 3 miles) only to be in a lot of pain the past 2 days. So, running may be on the back burner for at least this next month while I give my knee a chance to heal. I'm thinking of buying some rollerblades or bringing my bike down from upstate so I don't completely lose my endurance, or my figure ;) Here are some pics of me:

Before the race: I think I look cold here....that or I need to poop (just joking, I did that already)

Here is me after the race: food in hand and my medal!!!! Actually, I cared more about the free food at the finish line

Now that 3rd year is over, what will I be doing?? Well, I have Step II CS in Chicago in one week and then Step II CK on May 18th....so I have alot of studying to do in the next 11 days. Then, I am heading home to see my family, friends, and most imporantly....my puppies!!!! I hope everyone is having a great May....the weather is gorgeous here in Brooklyn. I will see some of you really soon!!!!

4 weeks of craziness!!!

Yes, it has been 4 weeks since my last blog and I think I forgot most of the things I wanted to discuss!!! :) But since this is a medical blog predominately, lets start with that....then I can briefly discuss my adventures and what is coming up.

My final 2 weeks at Maimo for psych was okay....nothing too crazy or dramatic. I was in consultation and liason which basically means we do floor consults all morning. We get calls from the medical teams on the floors asking us to rule out delirium....or depression....or to evaluate the patient's competence for medical decisions. I saw a few interesting cases. One woman in her 80's who was grossly cachectic and severely depressed. She was not eating on the floor at all and although she wanted to go home, they would not discharge her until she ate food. She had been depressed for 12 years since being in a car accident that killed her mother, left her with 2 broken hips, and severely injured her husband. It was very sad to see this patient discuss all of the things she was able to do....walking to the store, playing with her grandchildren, cooking, cleaning...etc. Now she says she spends most of her day sitting in front of the tv with her husband....both unable to fully move around or enjoy life. It reminded me alot of my great grandmother and her final years. And it also empowers me to be very conscious about my health and activity level now (eating well, exercising, etc) so that when I am that age I can still move around and enjoy life. At least, that is what I hope I will be doing. Because I can envision myself being totally depressed and upset too if I was unable to do the simple things in life.

So, I started Emergency Medicine at Coney Island on March 29th. So far it is going okay. I was really looking forward to learning as much as I could on this rotation so I could use that information to wow my attendings on my 4th year emergency electives. Unfortunately, it has been mostly self teaching on this rotation. A new director was hired, who is looking to make alot of changes in the department (and he has already started implementing some of those). The attendings are mostly internal medicine doctors who aren't fully versed in emergency handling of patients. So, I have been getting more of a internal med view of treatment. Also, many of the attendings are very busy and don't have the time to teach or discuss cases. The good thing is the Director gives us about an hour of his time per day where we go over an interesting case and discuss emergency management. That is the most useful hour of the day. The rest of the time, I scavenge through the ED looking for interesting cases and look up the management and treatment options. I also have been spending alot of time studying for my upcoming Step 2 exams, both of which are in May.

Now, onto the outside of medicine things.....I had the nice opportunity to go museum strolling with Kat at the end of March. I got to see The Frick, MOMA, and The Whitney. All were great!!! I especially liked the MOMA exhibits....very powerful.

This month is full of exciting things as well. This wednesday I am going to an off broadway show with Kat. I then leave Thursday morning for Vermont. 4 days of hockey, friends, and fun!!! On April 23rd I am going on a dinner boat ride in Manhatten which I am totally looking forward to. And, on April 25th is my 1/2 marathon in Central Park. Yesterday, I did a pre-trial 13.44 mile run which took me 2 hrs and 24 mins to complete. My first 6 miles were great, about 10 minutes/mile. The last 3 miles were very difficult and tiring. I think I was running about 14 min/mile.....mothers walking behind strollers were passing me :) My knees were screaming at me to stop around the 10 mile mark but I pushed on. I wanted to be sure I could run the full 13.1 miles before race day. So, for the next 2 weeks I am going to run much shorter distances (no more than 10 miles) and work on shortening my time. I would like to run the full 13.1 miles in under 2 hrs and 15 minutes.

May is even crazier....with Step II CS on the 14th in Chicago and CK on the 18th in Manhatten. But once that is done, I get a nice 12 day break where I get to go home and see my puppies!!! I can't wait for May 19th!!!!

Take care and I will try to blog before I leave for Vermont.....try being the important word in that sentence!!! :)

Busy....Busy....and very Busy!!

I think I broke a record for not blogging.....I give up, I am really bad at this :)

So, I finished week #4 for Psych, and starting next week I will move to consultation for the final 2 weeks of the rotation. Bye Bye 6th floor, it was an experience at best. Here is a brief recap:

- 28 year old man admitted over 2 weeks ago who is extremely paranoid and violent one minute (will jump up and scream at people saying "what are you looking at", and also punched a nurse) and the next minute he throws himself to the floor and starts bawling, real tears!!! They have tried several medications with really no effect. I hope for his sake they eventually get the cocktail right because this guy spends a majority of his time in restraints.

- 31 year old woman who is normally quite functional on the outside; she has a job, and a life. But, something happened, her manic side set in and now she has extreme religious preoccupation and delusions. The good thing about this woman is if she takes her medication, she will resume her outside life without much problem at all. Of course, with all patients, they have to be compliant with the meds.

- Had the pleasure of going to court. Not for anything I did :) One of our patients requested the hearing because he wanted to leave the hospital. Of course the hospital also wanted the hearing because he is not taking his meds. There was another case that went before our patient and it was very entertaining. The judge allowed the woman to speak and the things that came out of her mouth (I actually felt bad for the court reporter who had to type all of this out). At one point the woman tried to convince the judge his real name was "Sam" and that he used to sell her root beer floats at the Five and Dime when she was little. She insisted on calling him Sam for the rest of the hearing. Our patient actually looked normal compared to her, until the judge started to ask him questions, and then his delusions started to slowly trickle out.

I have so many other psych stories but I would rather focus on my adventure that occurred today. So, today was a nasty day in NYC with lots of rain and wind. I decided to head to the West Village to meet up with a friend for coffee and food. Around 4pm I left and headed to Union Square, did a little window shopping, picked up some food and decided to head back home. Just before the subway entrance my poor umbrella gave up; the weather was just too much for him. So, I hustled into the Union Sq. station at around 6:30pm and that is where my adventure began. I waited almost 40 minutes for a Q train. Usually when you wait that long it means something is wrong with the line. The train pulled in and it was packed with people (looked like a rush hour train). I squeezed on and thought "well, I will be home in about 20 minutes". NOPE, think again. The train makes it to Dekalb and then an announcement comes on telling us that because of debris on the tracks near Kings Highway, this train would continue running on the "N" line, which is nowhere near my apt. But, the announcement continues to say that another Q train would be coming to take passengers to Prospect Park, which is about 4 blocks from my apartment. So, I get off and wait....and wait....and wait. About 45 minutes later another announcement comes on and says no Q trains will be running at all. Now I am irritated!! So, I get on R train and take that to Atlantic deciding to get off there and take the bus. Now it is pouring outside, like extreme downpouring plus harsh winds, and remember I have no umbrella. So, I walk to the bus stop and wait. One bus passes me...packed. 10 minutes later, another bus passes me....packed. I get frustrated and decide to start walking. I walk about 8 blocks and come to an overhang near another bus stop with about 15 people waiting. I wait again. Finally a bus comes and stops and we pile onto an already packed bus. Then the fun begins because everytime the bus makes a stop for people to get off, those at the bus stop who are stranded because the subway is not running come rushing the bus. And by people, I mean 40-50!! The driver at one point gets up out of the driver seat and stands up and starts yelling at people trying to board the bus saying "we are too full", actually screaming it. It is mass chaos and the bus is not moving. So, I decide to get out and walk since I am about 6 blocks from my apartment. Now, it begins to rain harder and heavier (if that is possible). I keep walking. Eventually, at 9:20pm I reach my apartment....almost 3 hours after I left Union Square (usually only a 20-25 minute trip).

So, I stripped down....dried off....put my pj's on....took my wet books out of my bag and placed them near the heater.....threw my bag out (not salvagable)....ate my dinner....and decided to blog about my amazing trip!! I guess overall this is the best part of NYC because when you walk out of your apartment, you never quite know what the day will bring. Unfortunately, this wet and wild journey ate into my study time. I am scheduled to take Step II in 3 weeks....AHHHH!! I definitely do not feel as prepared as I should be and need to kick my studying up another notch. So what am I doing blogging now???

I hope everyone has a great night!!! :)

Busy week.....

I just ended week #2 of Psych. The experiences are getting better and better as this rotation moves on. This week, I had the pleasure of meeting a 31 year old gentleman. He is very intelligent and goal oriented. He is a writer of screen plays for theater and movies. During the interview he spoke well and there was rarely a hint as to what this young man's troubles were. Until he was asked "Who brought you here?" Then the floodgates opened and he started spewing out delusions of a secret government conspirarcy against him that involved the military, how he had lots of proof and was prepared to go to the Civil Rights Court....but then they found out and started teleporting razor blades to his eyes, mouth, and rectum and eventually they found him....beat him up (this is partly true considering he resisted NYPD arrest, attacked an officer and they had to subdue him; he had some bruises and cuts on his face)....and placed him in this maximum security facility (the Psych floor he is currently on) where he has no access to the outside world. I had a chance to read some of his writings and they were quite amazing. He also has a blog which clearly shows his delusions and train of thought regarding those that are after him. Unfortunately for this young man, he has suffered from mental illness since 14 and refuses to take his medications because he firmly believes there is nothing wrong with him. It seems his only option now is to be placed in a state mental facility for long term treatment and care.

Disappointment this week as the women's USA hockey team could not beat Canada and settled for a silver medal. I was very upset. Although, I will say that those Canadian women sure know how to party....beer and cigars!!! Hey, its hockey and a gold medal. If I won an olympic gold medal I would be out there doing the same exact thing!!!

Alison left NYC :( and headed back to California. With the snow storm that came through NYC on thursday/friday it looked as if her timing was really good. Except now the temps are pushing into the 40's (great running day today), so she may have left a little too early. But, hopefully she will be back in the summer and the fun in the city will continue. The best part about Alison leaving the city.....her, layne, and myself had dinner with a doctor who was our neighbor in Grenada. This doctor is now doing a residency at Maimonides. The dinner (Indian food) was fantastic and it was really great to catch up on everyone's lives....especially Layne since I haven't seen her since December!!!

Today is February 28th!!! Tomorrow starts March!!! The time is flying and I have so much to do. I am busy studying for Step 2 and the test is fast approaching (only 5 more weeks :( I also have to work on my personal statement for residency programs....which is a work in progress ALWAYS!! I loathe writing about myself....and just when I think my statement is good, I end up re-reading it....hating it....and starting over. So, I am on draft 43!! LOL

Did I mention it snowed her in NYC??? Normally, snow here is like a few inches or so....that doesn't even compare to what we get upstate. But betweeen Thursday and Friday night, this massive Northeastern storm dumped about 2-3 feet on NYC and for here, that is alot!!! There were so many cars/trucks/buses trapped and stuck in the snow. I of course managed to make it to work on Friday only to find out that all of our lectures were cancelled and we could go home. Getting to work only took me 30 minutes but getting home was almost an hour and a half!!!

Okay, back to some studying. I was going to watch the men's hockey final....USA vs. Canada, but I am still disappointed about the women's loss and I have alot of work to do. I do hope the men can win the gold though!!! Everyone have a great night :)

:)

Yes, that would be a smiley face.....because I just watched USA beat Canada in an Olympic grudge match!! (men's hockey) It was a great game, made better by 2 beers and some potato skins. Dane was gracious enough to invite me and several others to his hood (Bay Ridge), to watch this game at the Salty Dog.....an old firehouse turned bar. Awesome place!!! Good food!! Lots of tv's!! I even got my pic with the resident Dalmation:Today was an overall nice day. I woke up and decided that since I had spent the entire day yesterday in my apt studying for the Step, that I was going to do something fun today. So, I called Daniel up to see if he could come out and play.....he could, so away we went.

First stop, Chelsea's to see the new addition to the family...LOLA!!! Matt and Chelsea rescued this adorable Pit bull mix and she is the sweetest, most lovable dog ever. We took her out for a walk....went to the pet store.....then to the dog park. Every step of the way, she was adorable.

Then, Daniel and I headed into the city for some comfort Japanese food....and hot chocolate at The City Bakery (its the hot chocolate festival). It was a very rich hottie, but super yummy!!

Sadly, Daniel and I had to part ways as he was off to a pool party and I needed to watch some hockey!!!

I know you are all interested in how my first week of Psych went....it went well. The program is very structured, which is nice. I get to sit in on interviews with patients, and some have been down right entertaining!!! This week's recap of interviews include:

- the lady who thinks her stepmother is hiring people to rape and kill her, and therefore tried to "get her first".

- the young man who says jesus is telling him to "get his lithium NOW" and that he will die a horrible death without it.

- the middle aged man who tried to slit his wrists, but after the first attempt realized he is not very good at it and became extremely depressed, thus voluntarily admitting himself into the hospital. With all honestly, looking at the wound on his left wrist, my cat could have scratched deeper. We also learned that he spent his entire disability check of $1900 for this month on crack.

Overall, I really like the resident I am assigned to and my supervising attending is great too. And, there has been a lot of study time which I have been utilizing for Step 2. I will be sure to post a more "play by play" of the psych day later in the week. Right now, I am off to bed.

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Take care. :)

End of Ob...trip upstate....Psych!!!

Recap of the last week:

So last wednesday was my final call in Ob/gyn and was I ever busy!! I had the pleasure of sharing my call with Dane (fellow medical student extraordinaire). We took turns scrubbing in for c-sections which by the end of the night totalled 5. The highlight of the night was my lone vaginal delivery. Dane was scrubbed on a section and I decided to help the midwife who was very busy (side note: big storm the night before caused alot of snow and icy conditions which in turn led to alot of people calling in and the unit being very short-handed). The pregnant mother was a russian woman who was about to have her 1st child (2 prior pregnancies were miscarriages). So, the midwife, nurse, and myself all helped deliver the baby....A GIRL!!! The mother and her family were so happy. About an hour later, while I was eating dinner and the midwife calls me and says "I have a surprise for you, come down to the unit." So, I go downstairs and she hands me a 750ml bottle of Cognac VSOP and a box of Godiva chocolates. Apparently the family of the above woman bought me, the midwife, and nurse celebratory alcohol and chocolate . I was completely stunned. This was by no means a cheap bottle of alcohol (or chocolates). I went to the woman's room and thanked her which got me numerous thanks in return. I was very surprised and humbled by the whole experience.....and very grateful. Of course, I shared my good fortune with Dane....I don't drink Cognac so I gave him the bottle to take on his ski trip. Hopefully, he enjoyed it :)

After my written exam on friday (no need to explain because I am sure I did well), I packed my things and headed to Albany courtesy of Mit and Roberta who bought me round trip train tics for my b-day. Friday night I attended a Hawaiian party (great food)!! Saturday I drove with Mit and Roberta to Ithaca to see some hockey, and then drove back to Albany (6 hours is a long time in the car, but the DP dough made up for it). I had breakfast with Alana and Cynthia on Sunday morning. Enjoyed a nice Valentine's day dinner of meatloaf with Mit and Roberta on Sunday night. And relaxed on monday until my train left. It was a very nice break from the city and I am thankful to Roberta and Mit for the wondeful weekend!! Can't wait to see you both in Vermont!!!

Yesterday started Psych at Maimo and the day was filled with running around getting IDs, and computer training and meeting with our teams. I am assigned to the 6th floor which is an inpatient floor. Today I arrived at 8am for morning rounds. At 9am, I sat in on a group discussion with about 7 patients (very interesting conversations and opinions shared). At 9:30 I was able to sit in on a patient interview. This patient was admitted the evening before. His story on how he ended up at Maimo was very interesting. By the end of the 30 minute interview it was clear that this gentleman was severely bipolar and currently in a manic episode. After the interview, I sat with the resident and discussed his diagnosis and treatment plan. At 10:30 we had grand rounds followed by 11:30 medical clearance rounds. I ate lunch and then headed to the library to read up on Bipolar as well as schizophrenia. Lecture was cancelled, so I was able to head home a little early (or so I thought........)

I have to catch the bus to Maimo which is nice because it picks me up right in front of my building. However, waiting to return from the hospital can be annoying and at this time of year, very cold. So, I left the hospital and headed to the bus stop and.....missed the bus by 20 seconds (it was pulling away as I turned the corner). So, I had to wait 15 minutes for the next one which really turned into 25 minutes because of traffic. Finally on the bus, I thought I was almost home free. But, about 10 minutes into the ride the bus driver pulls over and tells us we have to disembark and wait for another bus. No explanation is given by this driver. WTF??? So about 20 of us pile off and wait.....and wait.....and wait. Finally a bus comes and this one makes it to my apt building....about 65 minutes after I left the hospital (normally should take 15 min). I was so chilled to the bone that once home I jumped into a steaming hot shower for 30 minutes and then proceeded to climb under my electric blanket!!!

I am done typing for tonight...have to get back to my studying. I hope everyone has a great night! :)

"You are pretty...and the boys, they are only after one thing....SEX!"

I am not even going to apologize for not posting in weeks. It really is no use considering I am a crappy blogger. I try to remember to post, but then I get sidetracked. Tonight, I just happened to be looking at another blog and thought "maybe I should post to mine"...thinking it had only been a week or so. No, not even close....try 4 weeks :( I have alot of catching up to do. So here is the short version:

This is the last week of Ob/Gyn....YAY!!!! It seemed only slightly shy of 6 weeks ago I started this rotation. I have my last overnight call as a medical student tomorrow. Overall, the calls were okay. I got to deliver a few babies....scrub on some c-sections....and spend lots of time reading and learning (considering it can take hours from the start of labor until the end). The past 3 weeks I have been in Ob clinic. Lots of checking the position of the baby, measuring the fundus, finding fetal heart sounds on portable dopplers. I also was able to do a dozen pelvic exams with specimen collection...have to protect those babies from Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Group B strep!!!

Today I had my oral exam with the Director of the Department. Hard to prepare for an exam from someone you have not formally met. She is a very busy woman!! The oral went well though. Her questions were thorough without being ridiculously hard. She also explained and did some mini teaching during the exam. I got the impression that she loves to teach and I think we would have benefitted from having more exposure with her. Overall, my oral exam went really well. I have the written portion on Friday and then I am officially done.

My caption for this blog entry is courtesy of Dr. L, one of the funniest Ob doctors I have met. He tells it like it is. One of his favorite words is Bullshit and he uses it alot!! Here is a play by play of his interaction with one patient today:

Dr. L: What are you planning on using for birth control after the baby is born?
Patient: Ummm.....not sure
Dr. L: You know, you are a pretty woman and the boys, they are only after one thing from you....SEX!! Trust me, I know.
Patient: (just giggles)
Dr. L: I won't even suggest Depo Provera....you know why??
Patient: No
Dr. L: Because it will make your ass fat!
Patient: (giggles more)
Dr. L: How about an IUD....there is no way you will get a fat ass from that.
Patient: Can I think about it?
Dr. L: You want to think about getting a fat ass or using an IUD?
Patient: The IUD
Dr. L: Of course, think about it and get back to me.

How I will miss following that man!!!

Before I go, I would just like to post the following:

A new addition to the other 4 :) :) And I absolutely LOVE IT!!!!!

Take care everyone. Have a great night!!!

Week 2 down......

Okay, so I am about to go to bed and realized "CRAP.....I haven't blogged in almost a week!!" So, this may be a little random because I have alot on my mind, but my fingers don't feel like typing. Here goes:

My 2nd call for Ob/gyn was last Sunday.....it sucked....badly!!! Got to assist in one surgery, ectopic pregnancy, which was cool to see. But NO DELIVERIES....vaginal or cesearean. Talk about a very boring day and night. I went to bed around 9:30pm....oh, I should also mention I got yelled at by the attending. Long story, but I will admit I was partially to blame.....maybe 10%. Ask me about it when you see me next and I will give you all of the play by play details!!!

This week I began training for a half marathon. While home during the Christmas break, I was reading an issue of the Fitness Magazine and my mom pointed out a 12.1 women's only marathon in Central Park the end of April. She said "You should do this!!" My first thought was "Are you crazy.....my knee would never allow it!" But, over the last few weeks I have been thinking about it because it won't seem to leave my brain. So here is my plan. Over the next 2 months I am going to gradually build up my running distance. If I can hit 12 miles by early March, then I am going to register for the race. On Friday, I ran 6.75 miles in 1 hour 9 minutes and 45 seconds. That is the most I have run in a very, very, VERY long time. And boy was I tired!!! Today, I did it again (partially why I will be passing out very shortly). I really hope I can realize this goal!!! Not only would it be fun to run a half marathon, but I can't imagine how skinny I will look come April :) :)

I am also into week 2 of my studying for Step 2. I have decided to take this April 4th. Many of my friends and fellow medical school colleagues think I am insane for taking it this early. But I figure I can take the next 3 months during Ob/Gyn and Psych to study. And, if I don't feel prepared, I can always postpone it. So far, I am doing really well on my practice exams. Unfortunately, I didn't do as much studying as I wanted to over this long weekend....but that is okay. I can make up for it this week.

I am on call tomorrow with Dane! YAY!! At least I will have someone to talk to, or complain to! Hopefully I get to see SOMETHING tomorrow. I will fill you all in later in the week.

Oh, and......I got to do my first pelvic exam on Friday all by myself!!! Although the attending was there to cheer me on (and give me little pointers). Put the speculum in....did the Pap exam...did the bimanual.....I felt like an Ob/gyn!!!

I hope everyone has a great night!!!! Take care :)

1 week down......5 to go!

One week of Ob/gyn completed.....which also included my first call, on the first day! I decided to volunteer because what else was I going to do on Monday night. It was a fairly quiet night. Only 1 c-section....I went to bed around 11pm and woke up at 6:30am. Then the best part occurred, I got the rest of the day off!!!! NOTHING like surgery where we had to suffer through a whole day of work post call. It was nice having that day off....I actually got alot done. I also had plenty of rest time to attend Daniel's birthday party.....drank alot of wine :)

What to say about Ob/gyn at Coney Island? Well, it is not well organized (not like pediatrics or surgery and worse than internal). There are no residents from Maimo, just PAs and midwives who deliver. The attendings are all overworked and it clearly shows. There is a lot of down time to do nothing which in a way I am not complaining about because I am currently studying for Step II. But it does get annoying to show up to clinic at 9am to only have to wait for the attendings to strole in at 10:30am. Overall, I am just hoping that 5 weeks come and go very quickly.

Call #2 is tomorrow so hopefully it is busy for a sunday.

In other news, according to UPS my computer should arrive here on Tuesday.....YAY!!! What happen you ask?? It broke.....the screen would freeze over and over. Diagnostics run by the service guy at Best Buy showed a bad hard drive. So, it had to be shipped out for repair. A one week without a computer adventure turned into 2 1/2 weeks. I almost had to come back here to Brooklyn without a computer. But Walt let me borrow his very old Dell which I am totally grateful for. He also picked up and shipped my computer.....Thanks Walt!!! Hopefully Toshie can give me another year or so....then I can buy myself a new one as a graduation gift :)

Well, I have another hour or so of studying before bed time. Have to prepare myself for monster #2 in approximately 12 weeks!!! :) Everyone have a great night.

2010

Well, it is official....I made it through another year!! More importantly, I am even closer to becoming a doctor...only 18 months to go! I know this next year will fly by, but I still wish it would move a little quicker :)

Today I leave to head back to Brooklyn. These last 2 weeks have been very nice. I had the wonderful opportunity to see my family and my puppies :) In addition, I got to hang out with so many of my amazing friends who I am truly lucky to have in my life. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see everyone :( But I am hoping to make up for that this year.

Before I get to the important thing, let me just show you the best xmas present ever:

I LOVE THIS HAT!!!!!!

Okay, so now to my new year's resolution. I have been thinking about this for the past few days. And it has been a serious internal discussion because if you know me at all, I don't normally make these resolutions. I don't really see the point. So what if it is a new year and it happens to be the first day....you should be making mini resolutions everyday! But, I decided to cave in to popularity and force my brain to come up with something, anything....and came out with a zillion things I wanted to accomplish this year. So, in order to make as many of the pieces fit, I came up with this:

In 2010, I resolve to push myself to a new level, emotionally, mentally, and physically....to strive to be a better me everyday.

I hope you all had a safe and happy holidays. Good luck in 2010!!! :)