Back to NY

Last post in February?  Look at me posting every month.  It's like I have nothing else to do. 

(I may actually have nothing else to do)

So since last post, I finished anesthesiology, spent four weeks of misery at DMU doing family medicine, and have done a week of PICU.  Family med was INCREDIBLY disappointing, especially since it was put on by my home institution.  I expected to have a solid learning experience.  I learned nada, and spent about 20 hours serving as a free TA to the physical diagnosis lab.  Grumblegrumblegrumble.  PICU has been a good learning experience, although they are expecting some effort out of me that I'm not super excited to give.  I want to be lazy these last few weeks of 4th year.  Grumblegrumblegrumble.

Speaking of end of 4th year, I'm ALMOST DONE.  Graduation is two months from today, and I have 5 weeks of rotations left!  I am so over being a med stud.  Not that intern year is going to be a walk in the park, but I'm ready to burn hang up the short white coat and be granted some responsibility. 

In even bigger news, last week was Match Week.  It sucked big time, but the outcome is fun:  we're moving to Long Island!  We'll be in the greatest city on earth, and no more than a half hour drive from the beach at any one time, and close to family we rarely get to visit, but I think we're most excited about the opportunity to 1) go see SNL and 2) go see Jimmy Fallon.  ANY TIME WE WANT.  Super exciting. 

Aaron and I have joined CrossFit at the end of February.  For the first week, we couldn't walk.  The next week, we couldn't raise our arms.  We've kind of alternated back and forth between these two extremes since then; we're still weak and the soreness isn't much improved.  But it's way fun and I think we'll stick with it. 

I've been doing a lot of reading.  Don't be too impressed; it's not medical reading where I learn the things I ought to know.  It's reading what I want to read, as well as some books on those lists of books you have to read in your lifetime (alistofbooks.com).  I read a few Malcolm Gladwell books, which were great, and now I'm working on James Joyce's Ulysses.  It.  Is.  The.  Worst.  WORST.  It's 800 pages of free association, verbal diarrhea, and most of it I don't understand because it's in fancy-pants English.  I'm going to suffer through it, because I'm not one to quit a book once I've started it, but here's a disclaimer to my future self:  do not ever revisit this text.  Blech. 

That's all for updates.  Until next time!

Indian Food

Last night my preceptor (the fast talking Indian) invited Aaron and I over for dinner.  Despite being a challenge to understand, he's super nice and is a great teacher.  Anyway, his wife cooked an authentic Indian meal, and she was kind enough to tame down the spicy for what she referred to as our "American palate".  The food was great and the company was even better.  Our hosts were incredibly gracious and we left super full and a little liquored up. 

This weekend we're making a quick visit to Missouri to see family and go to Jenn H's baby shower (so exciting!).  If some car shopping occurs while we are there I can't complain; I was hoping the little car would make it through med school but I'm a little doubtful.  Right now it makes a growling noise that is pretty suspicious, and at one point Aaron couldn't get it out of park.  Not good.  I'd like to just sell it immediately and not risk finding out what is wrong with it (and subsequently paying for it), but I couldn't do that to someone.  Even if I really want to...

In the Healer's Art class I took last year we talked about 3 specific daily journal prompts that can make your writing a little more...inspired?  Deep?  That doesn't sound like me, but it sounds like a good idea for giving a little structure to my ramblings.  Unfortunately, I can't think of them, so until I get home and have a chance to look them up it's going to be continued random topics.

Dilemma

Osteopathic Match Day was yesterday, and while I had no intention of participating, it has managed cause me some anxiety that I had not planned on battling.  After being assigned to a transitional or preliminary year by the Air Force, I decided that was a perfect opportunity to try to stay in Des Moines, for a number of reasons.  There are 2 TY programs in DSM, I interviewed at both, and had made up my mind that either of those programs were my goal.  Well, then yesterday happened.  Because I submitted a sort of 'dummy' AOA rank list (because I'm a dummy and didn't withdraw it), not only do I have the opportunity to view all of the unfilled AOA positions, but I'm actually being pursued by some of them.  It's killing me.  I could express interest and likely secure an offer this week, or I can take a chance, wait until March 17 to find out if I match, and hope to match in Des Moines.  It's brutal.  I'm trying to resist making an impulsive decision, but it is freaking hard. 

In other news...well, really, there isn't any news.  Starting this blogging endeavor has illustrated to me that the Elys lead rather bland lives.  This week I complete my anesthesia rotation.  So far the biggest challenge has been not the subject material, but understanding what in the world my preceptor is saying.  He has a heavy Indian accent, speaks faster than any native English-speaker I know, speaks under his mask in the OR, and tries to speak over the bone saw.  I do a lot of nodding and mmmhmmming, but I've definitely learned a lot about how to improve my intubation technique, as well as a variety of regional blocks, which I love.

If Aaron would log on here and write a post you'd know what he was up to (hint hint wink wink), but he doesn't, so I'll do my best.  He is a teaching rockstar, and got some positive feedback last week after his classroom observation.  Other than that, he spends most of his time spoiling me and being pretty much awesome.

That's all for now.  Hopefully things pick up so that I have something to write about next time.

2014

Alright, perhaps I forgot about my blogging commitment for a few weeks months, but I'm back again.  And I'm going to get caught up (again), so that hopefully instead of writing in the past tense I can record the present.  And maybe muse about some other topics that deserve some musing. 

So...back to November. 

As positive as my Einstein interview experience might have been, I super-duper, without a doubt, did not like Philadelphia.  Part of it was the rotation; I spent entirely too much time with snarky attendings & senior residents that didn't want to teach.  But mostly it was the city.  It was dirty, the public transportation was terrible, and I felt like I needed to look over my shoulder.  Constantly.  I thought I was imagining things at first, but after hearing gunfire and seeing a crowd scatter one afternoon in front of the hospital, my concerns were validated.  I was so ready to leave the city that I felt both dread and relief as I took the train to my last shift, an overnight.  I got off at my stop and went to walk up the steps, and realized the man in front of me had stopped to urinate in the public stairwell.  I was disgusted and irritated, but felt like that incident was pretty symbolic of my whole Philadelphia experience. 

I survived the shift and was THRILLED to pack up my crap the next morning, take a cab to the train station, and take the Amtrak to NYC.  I find New York to be beautiful and amazing compared to the turd that is Philly.  This probably, in part, has something to do with the kindness and generosity my family has shown me during my time there.  They took me in and pampered me (again), and I was able to spend some time with my grandmother as well.  Early in the week of Thanksgiving I interviewed at Maimonides, and then took a train to Baltimore to interview at U of Maryland (which was AWESOME).  On Wednesday we went upstate to a country house, where we celebrated the holiday.  Aaron flew in on Thanksgiving Day, and ended up on the same train upstate with Jackson.  We had a great time, ate way too much, played some great games, but it was a little sad not being with my parents and Ashley on Thanksgiving.  I'm sure I've missed holidays before because of work, but usually we celebrated a few days later.  This might have been the first we missed completely.  I wish they could have been there too. 

Aaron and I left early Saturday morning so that he could go to a rehearsal before his Sunday barbershop concert at CARNEGIE HALL.  Awesome, no?  The concert was hilarious, and the venue was impressive.  I'm so glad he was able to take advantage of this opportunity--even though we were (are) poor, it was worth it. 

We flew back on Tuesday on different airlines.  Aaron got stuck at O'Hare due to fog, so I thought I'd go hang out with him during my layover--until I realized I was actually at Midway, and that wasn't going to work. Oops.  My flight took off as planned, and Aaron missed a day of school he hadn't planned to.  Oops again. 

I spent 2 weeks doing plastic surgery, which was...weird...and then started FP/UC.  Being at home, seeing Aaron every day, and sleeping in my own bed, was FABULOUS.  Somewhere in that time I found out that I was found FIT for duty and my scholarship was reinstated.  We rejoiced, but then on Dec 18 the military match assigned me to a civilian transitional year.  I was bummed, but more concerned than anything since I hadn't received any interviews for TY programs.  I resolved not to worry about it until after the holidays. We spent an entire week with our families for Christmas, and again ate too much.  Mom, Aaron, Ashley, Meme and I went to a movie that week, and I think we played Monopoly at least twice.  Aaron put together some Minute to Win It games for his family, and we had a great time overall.  I always hate leaving. 

We were extremely boring on New Years Eve, with just the 2 of us drinking champagne and going to bed at approximately 12:01am.  I did some frantic emailing and managed to drum up 2 transitional year program interviews, both in Des Moines.  I completed the FP/UC rotation, and then did 2 weeks with the State Medical Examiner, which was pretty fascinating.  It was a great anatomy review, and pretty eye opening as far as the things people do to themselves.  People with suicide pacts, being able to see fatty liver disease and coronary artery disease with my own eyes--it made me want to go work out right then.

Currently, I'm about halfway done with a 2 week rotation in anesthesia.  I don't have a lot of motivation now as my 4th year is winding down, but my preceptor seems to think I should work at least a little.  Bleh.  So that brings us to the present day.  I'll end here, but here's some pictures of the adventures the Ely's have had since my last post.  I can't find any of Aaron's Carnegie pictures on my laptop, so that will have to come next time!

The "Country House"

Ready for Thanksgiving Dinner

Yogi and Hunter resting near the fire

Rockefeller tree.  We left the day before it was lit.

I guess Meggin missed me?