Category Archives: General

Intern Year

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I finally got my block schedule for my intern year yesterday!  I had been waiting for it since late May (when it was first projected to be available).  I am very excited about my schedule and starting residency and, just, everything!  So here it is:

Month 1: Med 1(General Inpatient Service, aka "Floors" or "Wards")
Month 2: Development
Month 3: NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, located at UW Hospital on Labor/Delivery Floor)
Month 4: Newborn Nursery (located at UW Hospital on Post-partum Floor)
Month 5: Elective (to be determined)
Month 6: Med 2 (general Inpatient)
Month 7: Continuity Clinic/Ambulatory Pediatrics (All clinic work)
Month 8: Hematology/Oncology (Inpatient service for kids with genetic anemias – like Sickle Cell – and with cancer)
Month 9: Emergency Department
Month 10: 2 week vacation and 2 weeks of "float" (where I cover for anyone who is sick, etc.)
Month 11: Med 3 (General Inpatient)
Month 12: Emergency Department

On the Med / NICU / Heme-Onc months I will be on call every 4th night (staying overnight at the hospital).  The Continuity Clinic month is call free (yay!).  When I’m assigned to the Emergency Department (ED), I will work about 18 shifts (8-12 hours each) during each month.  When I’m on my Development and Elective months, I won’t have any call for those services, so I’ll be doing a few shifts in the ED during those months.  When I’m in the Newborn Nursery for a month I’ll help to cover the NICU call nights a few times over the course of the month.  And of course, no call during my vacation, and no call when I’m a float, since I have to be available to come in whenever needed.

 So there it is!  I love that I’m starting on a floor month so I’ll have a chance to learn the new computer system / hospital layout / how rounds work / etc all from the get go.  Also, I think it’s best to be a little shaky on the floors in June (when people know it’s your first time there) rather than not having a floor month until December (like some people have) and have to remind everyone that it’s your first experience there.  I also like the spacing of months with heavier call vs. months with lighter call.  Overall I’m very happy with my whole schedule!

Fireflies

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I saw a firefly tonight when I was out for a walk.  Two, actually.  It was the first time I had ever seen a firefly in real life and it was amazing.  It was nothing like I thought it would be (though I have to admit I have not spent long nights wondering what fireflies look like).  They are relatively dull looking, just another grayish flying bug, and then *flash* they light up (kind of a greenish-yellow) and then the light fades into an ember and then into nothing.  Then it starts all over again with another *flash*.

It’s a lot of fun to try and follow the little guys after their lights fade only to see them *flash* again in a totally different location than where you were searching.

Degrees Granted

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A quick check of the transcripts today revealed that A.J. and I did indeed receive our respective degrees (which we intend to pick up tomorrow from the school).

Just to note… I think it’s quite funny that I am listed as "Magna Cum Laude" since we don’t have GPAs at the med school.  Nor do we have class rankings, which would make it difficult (impossible, really) to actually determine who would qualify for such honors, since they are all based on how a student does in comparison to all other students in the same program – a comparison that the medical school administration has worked hard to eliminate. 🙂

P.S. Brasten, I saw your question and I will answer it… just give me a little time to get my thoughts together…

Paging Dr. Cook

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So it’s official folks – I am now the proud owner of a new degree: Doctor of Medicine.

It’s been a whirlwind weekend of graduations and family fun with the visiting relatives… and now we move on to packing up 4 years worth of living to move it back to Seattle.

But first I think I’ll take a nap.  🙂

Leaving St. Louis

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Things I will miss when I leave:
Sen Thai Asian Bistro
Movies at the Moolah / Chase Park Plaza Theatres
Bunnies in my yard (but I have those in Lynnwood too!)
Sonic – America’s Drive-In
Uncrowded Costco shopping trips
Multitude of options for weekend road trips
Taking walks around the neighborhood
Mint steamed milk from Nadoz (the BEST I have ever had!!)
Working at a hospital where I already know my way around
Toasted ravioli
Central time television (I can stay up long enough to watch Jay Leno at 10:35pm)
Admissions Committee meetings

Things I will NOT miss when I leave:
Humidity like nobody’s business
All the smokers
Being land-locked
Provel Cheese (and "St. Louis-style" Pizza made with provel cheese and cut in squares instead of slices)
St. Louis drivers (no drivers-ed here!)
Annoying Neighbor Lady and smoking, smelly, hacking Neighbor Man
Difficulty finding good produce
Worst seasonal allergies ever
COCKROACHES! (and other icky bugs)
Weird sewer smells
New road construction on the main freeway – sure to cause much traffic
Crazy, crazy weather

Let me know if I’ve missed anything. 🙂

Right Place, Right Time

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Right Place: Starbucks counter

Right Time: Just after a drink had been made in error

Outcome:
Barista: "Would you like to try a Mocha Frappucino?"
Me: "For free?"
Barista: "Yep.  I’d rather see someone enjoy it than just dump it down the drain."
Me: "Okay, thanks!"

This week I …

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… touched a beating heart.
… wore one of my Australian skirts (twice!).
… walked around my neighborhood and enjoyed BBQ smells.
… assisted in operating on the heart of a frozen baby.
… volunteered at an information booth about the harms of tobacco products.
… gave advice to 1st and 2nd year med students.
… ate homemade soup (Zuppa Toscana al la A.J. – yummy!!).
… bought toilet paper at Costco.
… drove to and from the airport on 2 consecutive days.
… earned an Honors for my peds heart surgery elective.

Just a short list off the top of my head… I’ve done a whole lot more than that!