Rotations: Surgery

So don't laugh when a fresh new face walks into your room at the hospital/clinic/etc and introduces themselves as "Student Doctor ___" and PLEASE don't laugh if the only thing they mess up on is their name...it's hard to spit all that gibberish out, it's even harder to hear our name behind the title "doctor"...

And so I have begun the third year of medical school. I finished my boards three weeks ago, it was a hellascious experience to say the least. Our testing center had computer problems and we didn't get to start our 9 hr exam until close to 12:30...needless to say we got there when it was dark and we left when it was dark. We were just excited we actually got to take the exam, they were threatening that we might have to leave and reschedule. I'm sorry though, you don't study for 12 hrs every day for the last 5 weeks: eat, drink, and dream of medical shit for them to say "too bad guys, come back later" Talk about a moral killer. Brent had told me when we got out of bed the morning of our exam, "You know how good it's going to feel getting back in this bed with the exam behind us?" I REALLY didn't want that to not be true. Anyway, after the exams our parents flew in and helped us pack up all of our belongings, and then Brent and I started our roadtrip north. We had a great time camping at Big Sur, Redwood National Park, and Crater Lake. They were all places we had never seen before (with the exception of Crater Lake for me), but we definitely need more time in each place.

Then, last Monday I started my surgical rotation for the next month at Good Sam. The hours are early, but not always long, which is nice. Since I doubt I will go into surgery, it was probably the best place I could have chosen to do my rotation. I love it, love it, love it. The doctors are really down to earth and the residents aren't all trying to stab each other, and me, in the back. I'm learning a lot while also not having my confidence shot down at every turn. And believe me, there are plenty of times I SHOULD have been yelled at, and plenty of times in which I was being "pimped" and didn't know the answer, but no one seems to care...they are all about teaching. This, believe it or not, is a rarity. I'm exhausted though, but it's the kind of exhaustion that is exhilarating, I feel like every sec (literally) I'm learning new things, it's amazing.

With that said, it's almost nine and I need to read for the next 30 min before I fall asleep. Thinking of all your girls, can't wait to get together. Oh yeah, that's the other freaking awesome thing about my rotation, NO CALL and NO WKNDS!! Yay :)

Incorporating Taren's latest post. One thing to never ask a third year medical student: "So, what specialty are you thinking?" Umm, the only thing going through my head is, what profession are you so I don't insult you by not saying yours? Yeah, right now everyone wonders if I'll be another surgeon, I just keep saying "I'm not sure" to keep it simple. But seriously, we are just getting out into the real world, we really don't know what we like, we still have a year to decide, throw us a bone and stop asking us. We ask ourselves that same question about 1,000 times a day (probably more even)...

Okay, that's enough. Sorry my thoughts were so scattered this evening. Love you girls.
Ash