92 Days Later

Yeah, so I kinda realized it has been a while since I have posted on here -- 92 days to be exact. A lot can happen in 92 days -- you can travel around the world once with 12 days to spare (which I believe would put you somewhere over Azerbaijan), birth 3 litters of rabbits (gestation of approximately 33 days in case you were wondering), or get a ripped set of abs with the Power 90X system. I, however, have done none of those things (as evident by my lack of passport, bunnies, and six-pack). Here's a quick run down of the highlights....

1. Completed my Medicine AI -- Somewhere between stealing mini-cans of Coke at 3 am, doing the robot during morning report (yes, I did break out that dancing gem from the '80s in front of 3 attending physicians), "discharging" patients to the ICU or the grave (I'm scared that these were the 2nd and 3rd most common way I got my patients off my service), or intentionally walking slowly to codes so I don't beat my team there (because seriously, do you really want the guy with the least amount of CPR training showing up there first?), I kinda fell in love with internal medicine. Plus more than anything else, I realized this is something at which I'm pretty good.

2. Decided to a pursue a career in Med-Peds -- Literally, its the best of both worlds (much like that Hanna Montana tour for which I still do not understand the nationwide obsession). I honestly don't know why I didn't pick up on this decision long before. It was staring me in the face much like PP stares down potential dates in the library (only not in a sexually predatory way). For those of you who still don't know about this specialty, I get double boarded in internal medicine and pediatrics in 4 years for the 6 years it would take to do both individually. That's right 3+3=4 (much like the math skills of TF's students). Come to think of it, this specialty may earn its own post later on.

3. Turned 25 years old -- yes, I am old. Somehow within days of turning 25 I went from young to old. This was most evident when I went to a college party as Penn State with CK (see item #5 below) where I realized "Hmmm, drinking hard alcohol out of a Rubbermaid bucket using a turkey baster does not seem like a good idea." (I will point out, however, that thinking it is not a good idea and not actually doing it are 2 different things). Nonetheless, I can take solace in the fact that I'm not turning 26 like some people (MKS, DK, SB, and KK just to name a few) -- now that's old!

4. Attended 2 Penn State football games in luxury boxes -- I have become spoiled to watching football games in person (much like $60 sushi a day in Los Angeles spoiled KK to dinner). There is no better way to watch a football game than on the 40 yard line in an air conditioned box while eating steak and lasagna (just like God intended). In addition, I had the opportunity to meet the great Franco Harris during one of these games. If you don't understand the transcendental experience of touching the hands that made the Immaculate Reception (much like touching the hem of Jesus' robes), you are definitely "on notice." However, the best part of the whole thing is knowing that even when I am in my mid-50s I can still act like a fool with my friends as evident by my dad and his friends sticking around the game 2 hours after it ended getting drunk and singing the full version of "American Pie" a capella (just ask CK, she saw it).

5. Moved to Pittsburgh for a month -- Ah, Pittsburgh, where the three rivers combine to form a heavenly glow of black and gold. I went there to do a rotation in pediatric heme/onc -- kids with cancer and bleeding disorders for the non-medically inclined. Yes I realize it sounds about as upbeat as well, kids with cancer and bleeding disorders. However, I had an amazing experiencing working there and currently Pitt is at the top of my list for interviews (see item #7 below). Furthermore, I ran into The Troy Polamalu in the halls of the hospital. Much like the ancient Greeks who stared into the wild haired Medusa, I froze when I stared at the wild haired Polamalu. However, he had an aura of peace surrounding him much like Jesus. (Yes, I realized I compared two Steelers players to Jesus in this blog but I think it is more than appropriate -- especially because if I meet one more I may very well die.) Most importantly, while in Pittsburgh I stayed with the amazingly fabulous CK. Thanks to lets just say due to a "dead to me list"-worthy series of circumstances, I ended up crashing on her couch for a month, but trust me, it was definitely for the best. We bonded over our mutual affinity for iPod commercials, Trader Joe's hummus, dancing to the clicks from Sheetz gas pumps, Penn State football, and secret knowledge of certain mutual members of The Circle.

6. Spent a rotation in the NICU -- This was by far one of the most haphazard rotations I have ever done -- whether it was missing days for interviews (see item #7 below -- don't you love the cross-referencing?), realizing "preemies" are a world apart from "babies" (something scary about needing literally every function for survival monitored), or having overnight call when you are not actually called (finally a rotation where the nurses realize that when you can't write orders, it is not worth calling you -- yes, I'm useless until I graduate). Either way, it should be a good learning experience (I pray) considering I have 3 months of it in residency (sarcastic "yay!").

7. Started residency interviews -- Three and half years of hard work all boils down to this. My final location for the next 4 years will be revealed on March 20th aka Match Day (insert scary ominous music here). Just to save you all from asking, here is where I am interviewing (in no particular order and a few may be added or removed depending on how I'm feeling): Christiana, Duke, Case Western, Rochester, UNC, Brown, Pitt, Georgetown, Yale. If you are a member of The Circle, I hope you like at least one of these locations because odds are I am going to convince said group to move wherever I match (and if you think I'm kidding, you obviously don't know me well).

8. Began a 10 week break from school -- That's right, Georgetown finally did something nice for me. I have until the New Year off for interviews (ie I'm sleeping in every day until at least noon and watching bad TV marathons on E!, VH1, and Bravo -- don't even ask how many times I have seen reruns of "I Love New York 2") and then I'm taking January off to study for the boards (so yes, there will be some work involved). With this much free time, I now know what KY (I just realized your initials are a little creepy) feels like when she goes to work. That being said, I'm currently held up in Punxs'y, which is very scary considering it is hunting season and about 94% of the population is wearing camouflage (because apparently you never know when you need to outwit a deer in the bank or Walmart).

Well, I hope that kinda catches you up where I have been in the last 92 days. As always, I respond to intimidating messages that politely (but threateningly) urge me to blog (as evident by TF and PP's posts).