I forgot how utterly draining and time-sucking a surgery rotation can be.

I am only on Day 2 of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, but man Day 1 was a doozy.  I rounded at 6:30am, then scrubbed in on two cases.  Doesn’t sound bad, huh?  Well, each case was about 4 hours long (standing, holding retractors, not getting to really see all that much since the kids are tiny and their hearts are tiny and so the incisions are tiny… even being 2 feet away is sometimes not close enough.  And my attending is variable kind/considerate/a good teacher and frustrating/angry/yelling, which really keeps me on my toes, I guess. 🙂  I didn’t get to leave the hospital until about 7:30pm.  That’s a long day.

The surgeries are very cool, and I am excited, in theory, about these major corrections we are able to make to cardiac anatomy that would otherwise be uniformly fatal.  But in practice, I really am not interested in being the one to PERFORM these surgeries.  I have gotten many comments from attending and residents over the past two years on my "great surgical technique" and "intuitive OR instincts", and I am certain that I could do the job of a surgeon (and make the pay of a surgeon) – but then I would join the ranks of doctors who are unhappy with their career and end up changing specialities (or leaving the medical field entirely) because they didn’t follow their hearts in the first place.

I just got a really cool package in the mail… it said it was from the Seattle Children’s residency program and it was a total surprise (since I already received my package of papers and information).  As I opened it, the smell of fresh coffee wafted out  and I saw a variety of items in the box…

As you can see… many different goodies with an accompanying poem which I will reproduce here:

Oh the Places You’ll Go
By Dr. Seuss (and the Seattle Children’s Interns)

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’ve matched at "U Dub".
You’re off and away!

Umbrella in hand,
Bike and skis on the rack,
You’re off to Seattle,
Will you ever go back?

The white coat is long
But stuffed in your locker.
The dress code is fleece,
And maybe some Dockers.

Survival Guide in hand,
Computer orders on "COWs".
You’ll be ready for call.
How many patients? Oh wow!

My own phone on the wards?
You’ll ask with a smirk.
It’s helpful for play,
As well as for work.

Fruit roll-ups and Handi-snacks
Help feed your mind.
And don’t forget support group!
Take your time and unwind…

Your seniors are glad to be here,
Ready to work and play!
Need advice?  Need a break?
We’ll take care of you every day!

Giraffe, train, balloon, whale,
You’ll walk the great halls.
Tully’s coffee is liquid gold,
Enjoy your "double talls".

Senic mountains to each side,
And water all around.
San Juans, Victoria, and Whistler:
Even vacation spots abound!

Oh the places you’ll go!
And will you succeed?
Yes! Yes! You will,
98 3/4% guarenteed!

Welcome from the resident of Seattle Children’s –
We can’t wait to get to know you!

And just in case you can’t figure out what all is there… here is what else came in the box (all packed in purple and "gold" construction paper confetti):

A copy of Seattle Weekly
An easy-finder laminated Seattle street map
Brochures for Stevens Pass and Anacortes Kayak tours
A detailed downtown Seattle map
A UW postcard
A name badge holder on a "Children’s" lanyard with a calculator velcroed to the back
A CD with hand-picked music just for us (some classic "Seattle" bands and other eclectic tunes)
A "Seattle Washington" pencil
Assorted goodies: Peet’s Coffee, a fruit roll-up, handi-snack cheese and crackers, teddy grahams, and a vanilla-frosted "Fairlight" cookie

Very classy… I keep getting more and more excited about matching there and being a part of this group of people!

I got up and worked out this morning, and took a long shower, and did a bunch of online surveys… and it’s still not time to go yet!  Soon though – I will be heading down to Windows Off Washington (it’s a location venue… :-)) and we will mingle a bit, and have some lunch, and my Dean of Admissions will start handing out envelopes at 11am.  They are in random order and there are about 150 people in my class (though not everyone is going through this proces today – some specialities have an early match – so there’s maybe ~125 people on the list for today) and I could be called at any point.  And there you have it, i open my envelope and find out where I’m going and it’s over, just like that.

I’m excited to find out, but there’s a little sadness about not having the anticipation anymore.  I guess it will be replaced with other kinds of anticipation, though, so I won’t be lacking.

Keep coming back for more updates today!  I’ll photoblog when I know, and A.J. will be taking lots of pictures!!