Settling in....

Just a few pics of my new home (that's my guest room--my room's not in a condition where it can be viewed by outsiders).

Basically I have been getting oriented for the last 1.5 weeks. My first real day is Tuesday, with my first night of call being Wednesday. I'm mostly just nervous about the computer system, especially since the attendings on my first month of service like to have the notes done and in the computer before 6am rounds!

But I have been making friends, slowly. Some of us went to the beach last week (I know, rough life), and had a dinner party after that. And then we're heading to Casey's Seafood Cafe tonight, so that should be fun.

Movin' on Down

So a couple weeks ago my dad and I made the trek from Ohio to Texas. It was about 1250 miles and 20 hours. The credit card company even called me on the way because it looked like I had suspicious activity on my card. But I assured them, no, I was just charging hundreds of dollars worth of gas in 5 different states. :)

Graduation time....finally!

Ok, so I have finally gotten around to posting some graduation pictures. The first couple are from before my hooding, with the last two being after (notice I'm actually wearing my hood in the latter).

I don't really have anything else to say about graduation. It was a really fun day! It was so nice to have my family and friends there supporting me. :)

Let the doctoring begin.....

Ok, so I'm waiting on some graduation pictures before I continue to update, just in an effort to keep everything chronological.

So, just a debriefing: I graduated, I made the long drive to Texas, I've been going through orientation for way too long, my first real day is Tuesday, and I already miss Ohio. :(

T minus 20 hours

Holy moley! I will be a doctor at this time tomorrow. Weird.

Today I was thinking about how skewed my perspective has become since becomming a medical student. I mean, I'm around medical students all the time, and all (or most) of us are going to be doctors soon (as in, tomorrow, or in the next 3 years). This seems to me to be the norm.

But then I talk to my family and friends who aren't in medicine, and it seems that they are more excited about my being a doctor than I am! I think they realize how rare it is, while I have just become accustomed to the idea over the last four years.

I think we often need a reality check to realize just how awesome it is that we can be doctors. That not everyone can do it, nor does everyone want to do it.

I think we often forget how amazing it is and how lucky and blessed we are to be able to do something so fantastic, and something that we love so much, for a living.

Woo hoo!!!! Let the fiesta-ing begin! :)

Almost there!

So, I just realized that the next time I post something I'll be a doctor. Freaky. But, for now, for 55.5 more hours, I'm still a student. Hopefully I'll always be a "student of life," but atleast I'll get paid for it.

This past weekend I headed to Chicago for a roomie reunion with Amanda and Kimberly. 'Twas super fun to see them both! The weekend seemed to go by really slowly, which was a good thing. We ate a lot of delicious food, saw the Sex and the City movie, went to a rock and roll dueling piano bar (Howl at the Moon), and the Cubs game.

Then I came back late Sunday night, and re-entered reality, which is graduating, throwing a graduation party, and moving 1200 miles....and trying to afford it all, which is the most overwhelming of all to me.

So, I get hooded on Thursday night, followed by my graduation party on Friday. I have a couple family members coming, which should be fun. I have even made an itinerary and to-do list for everyone involved, so hopefully it will run smoothly. Maybe it's a control issue? Who knows.