I didn't die... just moved across the country

So.... I've been bad about updating. I guess it comes with the fact that I live out of my car, change hospitals every 27 days, have driven 8,000 miles in 4 months, get very little sleep and just don't have the motivation to write at the moment.

Here's a brief re-cap.

October - I was in Danville, PA at Geisinger Medical Center. Rotation - General Surgery. LOVED IT!!.. minus my annoying resident, but he got better by the end of the month. Apparently all I needed to say was I didn't want to be a member of his harem and it made me cool. Who knew.. I would have said that much sooner. I worked mostly in surgical oncology, big belly cases, ovarian tumors, Whipples, lots of breast surgery. All things I love. I didn't knit much, I went to bed at 8:30-9 pm every night so I could get up at 4 am. Yay for rounding at 5 in the morning. But I did get to spend most days in the OR and we all know I love that, so I'll get up at un-godly hours of the morning for that. I interview in Chicago, Danville PA, and Lancaster PA. Chicago was hands down my favorite of those.

November -- I traveled up to West Hartford, CT to do Ob-gyn at University of Connecticut. Love UCONN... don't so much love ob-gyn. I had really great expectations for that rotation and it failed miserably in all aspects. I did get to stay with one of my best friends Heidi and her husband Hank, both whom I went to undergard with (Heidi and I also went to med school together). So it was good seeing them. I think they might have swayed me to pick general surgery... I enjoy ob-gyn in theory but the daily application of it makes me want to kill patients, and that's a bad thing. I did some knitting... started too many projects. I really need to finish projects one of these days (maybe that will be my new year's resolution...) I interviews in New York, Maine, New Jersey, and Connecticut. I liked Maine as a state, not sure I am ready to move that far north or for the moose. I did learn how to properly hit a moose with your car... always from the back, it's the only way you don't die. good thing to know. UCONN is my number one choice right now. I just love their hospitals, and all the things they have to offer. It will be a rough year, but I think I'll be super genius smart at the end of it.

December - I am currently in Hershey PA at Penn State doing Surgical Endocrinology. I've gotten to see thryoidectomies, parathyroidectomies, couple random surgeries here and there.. splenectomy, gastric by-pass, hernia repairs, etc. I did a couple days of pediatric endocrinology clinic, which reminded me why I am not going into anything outpatient based and pediatrics. I like Penn State. I might apply here next year when I do surgery (again 90% sure on this decision... but after next year I could change my mind again). Lots of knitting this month... seeing as I had no friends or TV and my computer was being temperamental most of the month and would randomly stop working. Again started more projects than finished any... I am really bad about that. I head home to Florida on Saturday... 17 lovely hours in the car with my cat....yeah it should be a blast.

I'll spend Christmas in Florida and then head back to the burg sometime after the holiday. I have to move all my stuff to storage. .... long story with the roomie and selling the house etc. I hope to come by the store and oogle yarn, and if mommy listened correctly spend Christmas money on some new yarn (noro sock yarn if any is left... or something equally as nice to look at)... then it's back to Florida until April. The family got tickets to the Orange Bowl, so we are going to that game. YAY!!! I've seriously missed some hokie football this year... it makes me very sad. It's a problem when you have no TV... I am ready to not be homeless anymore. I have two more interviews.. then it's time to sit down and make the final list.

So here's the plan for the rest of the year....

January -- I am doing ER down in West Palm Beach. I'll be quasi close to my family (1 hour) which is far better than normal. My grandparents live down there and I don't see them much, usually only once a year, if my Grandpa is feeling up for Christmas.

Match day is February 11th (the day where they tell me where I am going next year..) I'll be in Honduras... so we shall see if I actually find out or not. I hope I match, I really don't want to have to deal with the scramble process from a third world country.

March -Rotation in Florida... for some reason I decided a medical intensive care rotation would be good.. yeah pretty much retarded on that topic. I should remedy that soon.

Then April I am back to Salem, Va... which is like being in the burg. I'll be doing Plastics and Anesthesiology.. so I should have free time :-) Good job for picking slightly slacker rotations to end the year with ;-)

May I have OFF!!!!...I will be moving to where I match, getting stuff ready for Graduation, going on vacation, and seeing all my friends get married.

June.... GRADUATION!! I think today is 170 days... so close.

Oh.. I passed my Physical Examination Board Exam...where they grade me on simulated patient encounters. so YAY!!! all official board examinations required for graduation DONE.. one more before I get my official licence. Now all I have to do is write a paper, then all requirements for graduation complete.

So that's about it... enjoy the couple of pictures I have uploaded to the web.

al