Plugging along...

The past few weeks have been busy, with my sister leaving the country for London, and preparation for upcoming exams.

Sarah was so happy to leave the country, and see somewhere else different for a while.  I miss her so much, but I know she is very happy there, and we get to Skype every few days, which has helped.

I had my meeting with our clinical coordinator to discuss how I would like my 3rd year to pan out.  It went really well; in addition to my required family practice and general pediatric rotations, I have decided to focus my electives on surgery, and have at least 2 orthopedic surgery electives in the works, and a general surgery rotation that I'd like to do.

Other than that, everything is just settling into a routine.  Classes begin and end, and the amount of information being thrown at us about how to treat patients is never-ending.  However, once in a while, we do get gems thrown in there, like our suture workshop that took place last week:

"This little piggie went to market, this little piggie stayed home....this little piggie cried wee, wee, wee"....because they were cutting off his feet to use for suture workshops

I got practice in surgery this summer doing some sutures, and it was nice to drive home what I had learned, and really work on dexterity, and learning some other fun stuff.  I love my Emergency medicine class (suture workshop was part of EMed), and have always considered working in the Emergency room sometime in my life.   But for now, I am content with my pig feet.

That's all for now; gotta get back to studying for the 2 exams that are scheduled for Wednesday :-)

The (very) beginning of the end

Last Thursday, our 3rd-year clinical coordinator scheduled our first official meeting to discuss the specifics of 3rd YEAR!!!! (aka, the year of no more classes, no more scheduled exams, no more wanting to be in clinic, but you're really just camping out in the classroom).  It's the year that, from day 1, you look forward to, because it's when we actually get to apply the stuff we've desperately tried to cram into our brains for the past two years about how disease occurs, populations, clinical pearls, treatments, alternatives, things to beware, etc.  First year was exhausting, and at times, very disconcerting, and while 2nd year is already proving to be more enjoyable, I know it will quickly become much like the first, where I am aching to finish the didactic portion of the curriculum, and just see patients.

That being said, hearing about scheduling of our 3rd year rotations was so exciting, and a little overwhelming.  I'm part of the regular track, so I'll have my standard inpatient/ambulatory peds, internal medicine, family practice, OB/GYN, Emergency med, and some electives thrown in there (which I'm hoping will be surgery-related).  I have been thinking more and more that surgery is definitely in my future somewhere, but I just don't know exactly how that will eventually play out.

Each month during our second year, we will have meetings regarding 3rd year information, as we get closer to finding out our schedules, and where we will be going for our required rotations.  I am just anxious to get out there and start using what I have learned, although, with only 2 weeks down in 2nd year, I still have quite a long way to go before I know any more than I did during my first year about practicing medicine.  I just wish the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel was a little brighter, because I'm already getting a little tired and worn out.   June, please hurry!

I also know that, starting next Friday, this semester will undoubtedly become much more difficult for me emotionally, because my sister will be leaving the country to study abroad in London for the semester.  Whenever I have a God-awful, horrible day that makes me seriously question my decision to become a PA, or even enter medicine in general, she seems to have a sixth-sense about it, and knows just when I need motivation the most.  Not having her around will be hard as the semester drudges on, even though I know she will be having the time of her life in London.  Excited for her, but scared for how I will hold up while she's gone.  As said before, June: hurry the hell up!!!!