Tuesday, January 30, 2007

One Year Anniversary

I just realized that today marks the one-year anniversary of this blog (you might even call it my one-year bloggiversary). No one is more surprised that myself that this weblog has lasted so long, and I am glad it has. The few blogs I have tried to maintain over the years have all died after a few posts, so for me to write fairly consistently for a year is unprecedented for me.

Anyway, thanks for whoever reads my blog, and I'll try to keep up the posts.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Boards Done, Radiology Done

I took my USMLE Step 2 board exam today. It was much like Step 1 (the board exam that really matters), but more clinically oriented. I dedicated one month of semi-serious studying and that was it. It was a 9-hour test, which is damn long. I haven't sat down and focused all my attention on one thing for a long time (since Step 1, actually) and that made it very tough. More importantly, having taken this test signifies the last test I will take in medical school.

Today also marks the end of my radiology rotation ... more accurately, radiology rotations. After having spent December in neuroradiology and this month in radiology, my "radi-holiday" is now over. I definitely did not learn much over the past 2 months, but I have to admit I'll miss the radiologist lifestyle. Gone are my 1-hour "work" days. The rest of my school year still won't be rigorous, since I only have two more months of rotations, one of which is a research month.

Relatedly, I am also starting to understand part of the reason why internship is so stressful and difficult. After going through the fourth year of medical school, the last half of which is spent mostly doing nothing, it must be a rude awakening to be thrust full-time into the hospital again. Going from slacking to 80-hour work weeks, no free weekends, and a call schedule can't be pleasant for anyone. It is a good thing no one expects much from interns. I hope.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

2 Months Until Match Day

I just realized today that Match Day is two months from now. The big day that dictates where I'll work and live for the next few years is no longer in the distant future ... it's just a matter of months now.

Interview season is also winding down, which means the next step in this residency application process is to create and submit the "rank order list", the ranked list of programs you are interested in. (Where did the time go? I swear, I was just a first year med student recently.)

As the big day gets closer and closer, I also get getting lazier and lazier. Fourth year of medical school really is like senior year of high school. I have been on most of my interviews and so I'm tired from all the travelling. I also have lots of free time but can't find motivation to do anything too productive. I am still in Radiology, which is a joke, in terms of time commitment; simultaneously I am trying to study for Step 2 (the next step of the national boards), which I am taking at the end of this month but not having much luck with my attention span. Life is so slow that I watched American Idol last night (making me realize that Seattle is full of freaks ... a shame, since I love that city).

That's it. Not much else going on in this so-called life.

Friday, January 05, 2007

Happy New Year and I'm Back

Happy new year everyone!

I know it is a little belated, but I've been busy trying to settle down now that I have returned from my trip abroad. I'm glad to be back, although the trip was lots of fun.

My plane rides, however, were not enjoyable. I first flew 5 hours to Frankfurt, Germany, which was not too bad since at the airport I sat and drank a great beer (Licher). Excellent taste while being served at the perfect temperature (not too cold). Ze germans really know how to brew and serve beer. Even better, this beer was for breakfast ... but don't worry, I balanced it out with a healthy bowl of yogurt and muesli (dubbed "The Fitness Breakfast" in their menu). Great combination. Not a bad way to start off the 5am hour.

I should also mention that at Frankfurt's security checkpoint, I was thoroughly "inspected" (felt up). That guy was poking and rubbing his hand in places that even girls haven't visited. Not at all enjoyable, even with a crowd of people watching me squirm with each new body part being examined.

My next flight -- back to California -- was over 11 hours. Think about that. Think about what you typically do in 11 hours. There is only so much sleeping, reading, watching movies (You, Me, and Dupree), and eating you can do when on a plane before you go stir-crazy, or get a PE. Needless to say, I was very excited when we touched ground, especially since I have a new-found appreciation for life.

In any case, I'm back. The plan for this month: radiology. Yes, last month was neuroradiology, and now it's plain old radiology. After one week, I have realized my schedule will be nearly the same as before. Instead of starting at 9am, however, I start at 8am ... which just means my day is done at 9am. Not too shabby!