http://www.head-rush.com/ en-us 2009-06-17T17:03:36-08:00 2009-06-23T04:14:44-08:00 Today I began my residency training. Nothing too special to report - just getting through a week's worth of PALS, BLS, ACLS, etc. Then a week of orientation. The real clinical work begins on 1 July. My first rotation is the neonatal ICU. I've done a rotation in this before during the beginning of my 4th year in med school. It's a rather chill rotation - or so I'm told. I've been told things would be easy in the past and have been woefully misinformed. I got my call schedule, and it is Q4 (on call every 4th night) during months of FP rotations. I'll find out next week what it will be for the NICU. Then I believe I have peds, adult medicine and ICU. My first vacation is two weeks at the end of November. A looooong way away. I'll be spending the holidays in the ER. I'm looking forward to the new beginning... a new chapter in my life.... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001298.html Residency diaries LA 2009-06-17T17:03:36-08:00 As of 11.30am yesterday, Friday, May 15, 2009, I am officially a physician!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!! In the course of this 10-year journey, I've had many moments of intense joy, extreme sadness, profound awe, eternal gratefulness and thousands of cups of coffee. I wouldn't trade it for the world. And, yes, I would do it again in a heartbeat. They say it takes a village to raise an idiot, and Lord knows I've got a ton of people who are responsible for getting me throught the past 4 years. I owe my friends and family a huge debt of gratitude for being so patient, supportive, and encouraging. I somehow managed to get through this while maintaining both my sanity and dignity! And I couldn't havedonw it without each and every one of them! :) Right now, it is time to celebrate and relax. The next part of my journey, residency, begins in a month. Until then, I plan on spending as much time with friends and family as possible. Internship is going to be busy busy busy...... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001297.html Med School Diaries LA 2009-05-16T22:34:39-08:00 Kaiser Permanente SUNSET/ UCLA!!!... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001296.html Med School Diaries LA 2009-03-19T10:41:26-08:00 24 more hours until I find out where I will be doing my residency... this waiting period is ridiculous! It's a good thing I am on vacation right now since I am mentally a basket case. I'm glad I am not in a tough rotation where I would have to think and make decisions about patient care when this distracted! Fortunately, I do know I am going to a great program since I only ranked 8 programs and all are very competitive and places where I would want to be. Still, tomorrow morning can't come fast enough. This time tomorrow I will be in the middle of packing for my weekend camping trip to Joshua Tree while waiting and obsessively hitting refresh on my email. As soon as I get the news, I'll be popping champagne (yes, at 10am!), calling friends and family, then probably fielding a few phone calls from my new residency director and some residents and then jumping in the car and heading out to JT! Until then... I am just going to try to chill, play my new Wii, and try to not think about it. Yeah... right.... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001295.html Med School Diaries LA 2009-03-18T09:19:42-08:00 Very quick update: I matched today to a residency program! After pulling out of the DO match and entering the MD residency match, I've been on pins and needles waiting to find out - and I just learned moments ago that I will be doing my residency here in Southern California!!! I will find out which program on Thursday morning - stay tuned! I ranked 8 programs and got very good feedback from my top choice - so fingers are crossed. I've been a complete maniac for the past week waiting to find out, so I'm 50% better for the moment. I'll be great on Thursday when I learn where I'll be spending the next three years of my life. As a teaser: all but two are in Los Angeles, one is in the OC and one here in the IE. But hell - I'M GOING SOMEWHERE!!! And in 6 weeks I'll be a doctor! woohoo!!!!... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001294.html Med School Diaries LA 2009-03-16T09:07:42-08:00 A strange thing occurred to me the other day: I have been in an exceptionally good mood lately. Not that it's a rare occasion that I am happy... it's just that I have been... dare I say, gleeful! Is it true love? Well, yes, duh. I LOVE my job! heh heh. (Seriously, I am still in the infatuation stage of being a newly minted doctor to be.) Have I been drugged? No more than usual. (Blood pressure meds, that is!) After a few days of pondering my joviality (is that even a word??) I realized that for the first time in about 15 years, I actually did not have to study for an exam in the last few days leading up to Christmas! I could enjoy the stress of christmas shopping without the stress of final exams! I never really realized how much test-taking took its toll on my emotional health until I didn't actually have to do it. Phew. That's not to say there hasn't been stress in my life: I have been spending the past month interviewing several times a week, so it hasn't been THAT relaxing. (8 down, 6 or 7 more to go.) However, it was nice to finally get a chance to really relax the past few days. I actually finished my shopping in time and only had to do about 25% online. So, now, with regard to my residency: I will find out in mid_March where I will match. It will be in SoCal... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001293.html Med School Diaries LA 2008-12-26T19:06:40-08:00 Wish I had something interesting to write, other than I wish I was back in New Orleans! After a few days in Texas on business, Beth and I took a spontaneous road trip to the Big Easy for oysters and absinthe last weekend. Sigh... And now that's all I want to eat. Seafood. Can't even get excited for a big ol' turkey dinner. Thinking I will be going back in the spring... LOVE that city.... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001292.html Med School Diaries LA 2008-11-24T23:28:19-08:00 OK, I usually don't take a 1.5 month hiatus from blogging, but it's been a bit busy 'round here. I am right in the middle of residency applications... well, I was. I'm now done applying and have been busy as hell scheduling interviews! I'm pretty pleased, actually. In the past week I've had 10 requests for interviews -- one of which includes UCLA -- the main reason why I moved to Los Angeles! My goal has been to do my residency there, and now I at least have a shot. I actually have 2 interviews - one at each campus. It's still a few months off, so I have time to panic and obsess about it. My other interviews are all in SoCal. I have applied to programs mostly in Southern California, with the exception of 2 programs in Chicago I am interested in. But the goal is to stay here in LA, so I am gunning for my top choice, obviously. We'll see where the Match gods decide to place me. I won't know where I match until mid-March. Hopefully, my last month of medical school will find me celebrating like mad as I soak up the sun in Oahu. My plans have been finalized, and I will be doing my addition medicine rotation at the Univ. of Hawaii the entire month of April. Woo hoo! Now to find a place to live...... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001291.html Med School Diaries LA 2008-10-25T11:14:06-08:00 For my rotation in Addiction Medicine in Hawaii next spring, I have had to jump through hoops of fire in order to have my application "complete." They have needed letters of good standing, transcripts, board scores, and... proof of immunizations. Flea shots, distemper, ... yadda yadda yadda. Ordinarily this is no big deal: this is the usual stuff you need to go to pretty much any school in the US. And because I am thorough (OK, a tiny bit OCD), I actually had new titers drawn in June to prove that I was in fact immune to the things I am supposed to be immunized against. (Turns out I had blown through all my HepB antibodies in 3 years -- scary stuff -- so I am restarting that series... but I digress.) However, for my rotation, the school in Hawaii wanted DATES from when I got my ORIGINAL vaccines. As in, the kind I got when I was 1. Yes, 40-year-old info! Are they serious??? This is age discrimination! I don't even think paper existed when I was a child! As you can well imagine, I only mildly flipped out ... where the hell was I supposed to get THAT info?? As it is, I think I blew through 3 pediatricians as a child (all died during my reign of terror - ages 2-4), and was cursing that no way in hell would I ever be able to find that out. All was lost, I thought. I'm going to be... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001290.html Conversations with my mother LA 2008-09-03T21:21:04-08:00 I am STILL getting people coming to this site by searching on the phrase h e a d i n v a g i n a. And Yes, I know I am only perpetuating it by adding it to the site again. But seriously. Is life for you people THAT deprived? Dear god. So, I'm thinking of trying a bizarre phrase of the month just to see, experimentally, what it does to my traffic. So, this month's phrase, courtesy of the Monkey In Chief herself, Beth, is "monkey pessary" ... (Oh for fuck's sake, go look it up...)... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001289.html Med School Diaries LA 2008-08-27T22:24:08-08:00 Last night Beth and I made what's become an annual pilgrimage to see the Dave Matthews Band. We last saw DMB at Hollywood Bowl, which was astonishing. It has become my favorite venue, hands down. The acoustics are incomparable. And we are planning to head north to see him perform at the Gorge and do a little camping as well. Last night, however, we saw them perform at Staples Center. It was a great show, despite the sad overtones as the group's sax player passed away yesterday. But as always, it was an amazing performance. That said, here's the setlist from last night: Bartender Proudest Monkey (YAY!!!) Satellite So Damn Lucky Eh Hee Water Into Wine Burning Down The House Dancing Nancies Loving Wings The Maker Sledgehammer Grey Street Dreaming Tree Crash Into Me Everyday Anyone Seen The Bridge Too Much Intro Ants Marching Encore: Sister Corn Bread Two Step I was a little bummed they didn't play Crush which is my favorite DMB song and has special meaning to me. But they played some great cover songs including Burning Down the House and Sledgehammer. I've been a long time Peter Gabriel fan and have probably seen him in concert more than any other artist. And who doesn't love Talking Heads?? I must say though that despite a fantastic show, I was unimpressed with the acoustics at Staples. I was surprised at how inadequate it seemed. I dont think the venue was a particularly good location for DMB, as they... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001288.html Med School Diaries LA 2008-08-20T10:58:31-08:00 I can once again breathe. I killed that pig! My last exam of medical school!! I took Step 2 of the Boards today - a hellatious 8-hour, 400 question beast. Ugh. But its done, and it's behind me. Now I can watch the damn Olympics!! And go to the beach every weekend... and exhale. Yes, Beth, you can exhale, too. Monkey juice???... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001287.html Med School Diaries LA 2008-08-13T20:46:30-08:00 Holy shitttttt... (I still get chills thinking about it -- this whole doctor thing. Wow.)... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001286.html Med School Diaries LA 2008-08-10T23:02:50-08:00 Yes, I take my Step 2 of the boards this Wednesday. Hence the stress. Unlike many others, I did not have a vacation the weeks leading into my exam. Oh no, I had to go and choose Pediatric Fucking ER (which I love, don't get me wrong) the weeks leading up to the exam. My schedule is so erratic, it's hard finding more than 4 hour blocks to study. Sigh... I'll get through it. Somehow. I can remember fretting madly over the MCAT. Seems so trivial now. (It WASN'T.) And I am sure my propensity to stress over exams has not diminished. But I'm certain the amount I bitch has most definitely been reduced. You shoulda seen me 4 years ago. I was an insufferable pain in the ass. (Yes, I am aware of that NOW.) It's just that, now, I know I'll be a doctor in 8 months. (!!! holy shit!!!) I just want to make sure I'll be a decent one. OK, done procrastinating. More questions. (Peri... it's just not the same when we're not sitting face to face on the deck or at the table drinking coffee and sobbing softly together... I hope Jade and Sara and Chris are pleased with themselves! ;)... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001285.html Med School Diaries LA 2008-08-10T22:52:48-08:00 Menstruatng monkey ass pheromones must die.... http://www.head-rush.com/archives/001284.html Med School Diaries LA 2008-08-05T21:45:36-08:00