The end's in sight :)

So one of my mates found this site which reminded me I should update it :). So let's see...after the last blog, that was two months of hell studying for the paediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology exams. The written exams were ok but the orals are so subjective, it's really luck of the draw as to what case you get assigned and they're hell! But it all worked out ok.

After the exams, I went back to the Cleveland Clinic to do an elective in ER. It was awesome, maybe not as much fun as MICU in the summer because it's more individual and less team-based, but I loved it. For the last while I've been considering ER for my career and this elective just confirmed it, and of course the great staff made it more appealing. Just my personality seems to fit in - active, hate waiting around, want stuff done with some intensity but like having fun too. Anyway, I think I performed well during the elective and I enjoyed being there so hopefully will get an elective in a Level I trauma center for May after my last set of exams.

I came back to Dublin for Christmas and had a very lovely Irish Christmas as my friend's house (I love real fires. I don't care how much work it takes to clean a chimney, I'm definitely having a real fireplace when I grow up). And probably ate a whole hog in ham :)! It wasn't just all lazing around though, went sculling with friends on Christmas and Stephen's Day - water was lovely, would have been a shame to miss it. I do miss not being able to do as much rowing this year, but am definitely enjoying coaching novices. They're such a fantastic enthusiastic bunch, they make me smile :).

Then for New Years, myself and 2 other friends (from rowing) went to Oslo for 5 days in Norway to visit one of our Norwegian friends. That was really really nice. Her house is really cozy and modern, and it was fantastic getting to catch up with her again since she's really busy at her new job and all of us are busy with life in general. Didn't get to go skiing, but went ice skating instead, and visited a proper ski jump place so we could see what it was like looking down. Only it was very foggy, but you got the idea anyway. Visited her boathouse and stood on some frozen water, walked around Oslo city (it's lovely! big streets, clean). For New Years, we got dressed up and had a fantastic dinner (for 22 at hers), got quite drunk of course and toasted the New Year at a hotel. It might have been the drink or my lack of contacts but when we got home and into our comfy pj's I nearly got into a fight with a guy I thought was a burgler (we still aren't quite sure how he got into the house), but fortunately it didn't come to that. Haven't gotten that agro in awhile!

Now back and straight into hospital work for the last 3 months before our finals in Medicine and Surgery. It's been really tough. Sometimes in from 7:30 (meaning catching the tram at 6:30) and sometimes not done til 7, with no lunch break. Everyone's now stressing cuz we have no time to study and they keep telling us they want us to see patients and we're like...when exactly do we have time for that? And I have to take USMLE 2 Ck at the end of Feb so I'm being antisocial and studying / doing questions in any spare moment I have (now doesn't count). made more difficult by coaching (which I'm not giving up) so I don't get home til really late sometimes. Anyway, where there's a will there's a way! So hopefully everything will work out. There's still so much I need to refine and revise!