Finally! I'm nearly done!! (with med school)

The last time I posted, I'd just finished Step 2 CK. It didn't go as well as I wanted, but passed anyway. So that's my ECFMG certification stuff done. I'm not that happy with how I've done academically during med school, but considering all the stuff I've been able to do apart from medicine, I'm fairly happy with the life experiences I've gotten from studying abroad in Ireland. I'll go more into specific pros and cons later.

The exams were nerve-wracking as we expected. The medicine and surgery papers were fair (except the surgery MCQ was a bit all over the place and definitely not very well organized). The day between the med and surg papers, I found out about a job opening in the US and given the uncertainty of getting a job in Ireland this year, I spent the whole day getting ready and faxing application materials, so didn't start cramming surg until 6 pm ! Definitely not good preparation, but I figured I had to take a shot at this opening, even if it was a long shot.

Then the day after the surgery paper, I was cycling a friend's racer to meet a couple friends for lunch near the hospital. My front wheel clipped and got stuck in the tram tracks, and I went flying. Must have landed under an out-stretched shoulder cuz I dislocated my left shoulder. Being in front of the hospital, I walked to the Emergency Department and was seen fairly quickly (it was quiet). It hurt like hell...I knew dislocated shoulders were supposed to be really painful, but I was really surprised at how much it actually did hurt (when the meds wore off). So then I had to be in a sling for the next 3 weeks - didn't take pain meds cuz they made me really sleepy, and then the diclofenac they prescribed made me quite ill, so stopped taking that. My friends took care of me that weekend though ;). Healing is really slow...nearly 6 weeks on, and I still can't extend my arm to its full range of movement. Abduction's back though!

The following Monday I had a psych paper, which was ok... I wish I'd done more studying for it because I could have done quite well on it. Studying was basically non-existant because the pain meds knocked me out or I was sick from meds. I learned my lesson! Then had a week off before the clinicals. The orals were strange given I only had one arm and couldn't do some of the physical exams....so I got asked some very weird questions instead. Can't say I'm the most loquacious... I wasn't really happy with the long cases, but the shorts in medicine went well. Managed to get through them fairly un-traumatically, one hand and all, and then had an agonizing wait to see if we got Dublin internships or not. After the school playing us around a bit, the postings finally came out 5 days late and fortunately I got a job! Unfortunately, 16 of my class didn't...I hope they've all found suitable alternatives that they're happy with. This whole situation is absolutely ridiculous.

Went straight from finding out about job postings to Kerry to spend with two of my best friends (both rowers, both in medicine) and it was absolutely beautiful. 3 days of doing nothing except enjoy the gorgeous sun on the beach. Anna took us to places she grew up with during childhood, with some stunning spots that have and will remain untouched. Some of the area is very mountainous so can't really be habitable, and the water lying between the mountains is therefore pure. The views were amazing and it made me fall in love with Ireland again (the past couple years have seriously tried my enthusiasm for the place). But I think it's back :).

Then the 2nd week of May was a hectic one, spent searching apartments in the Islandbridge area for something suitable. As all my classmates were away on holiday and I wasn't really keen on sharing (8-9 years in dorms is quite enough, thank you!), landed myself a sweet little place right next to the boathouse (my 2nd home!) in a lovely complex. Quiet, young area and professional area, with a little fountain and garden...expensive but worth it. Especially after some of the infested ones I visited during my search!

That weekend, I was off to London - sent by the IARU (rowing union) to attend a FISA classification workshop for adaptive (disabled) rowers and it was really useful. Once my documentation's turned in, I'll be the first and only medical and technical rowing classifier in Ireland for awhile, until they send more to be classified. Basically, I'll be officially classifying the athletes into boat categories to optimize their rowing abilities. It's a great project to be involved with helping the IARU to set up a Paralympic team, now that rowing is part of the Paralympic games. And from a medical point of view, the neurological conditions the athletes present with can be very interesting...complete or partial transections, amputations, polio, etc.

A few days later, I was back home to do an elective in Pediatric Emergency Medicine in the Cincinnati Children's Hospital. After a flight back from hell (I had to spend a night on the airport floor and it was Newark, for god's sake) I had a couple days to become unjetlagged and catch up on movies. I've completed 2 weeks of the elective and now have my last 4 days (yay!). To be honest, I haven't enjoyed this rotation as much as my November one at CCF - I liked CCF's structure a bit better, as it can be over-staffed and over-structured here. Also, I think I'm more of a fan of adult medicine versus pediatric medicine. I've found it hard to get to know the attendings because there's not as much contact with them as I had at CCF, so trying to ask for a letter might be awkward. And this whole precepting to fellows who then precept to the attending thing gets kind of annoying. Plus, there's no computer charting at our level anyway, which I don't really like. On the flip side, the kids can be really cute! This elective hasn't deterred my interest in EM any, and overall it's a good experience - I've rediscovered my weak points and have learned not to make assumptions (even though my assumptions are usually right. Better to be completely thorough!). I just feeling "meh" about this rotation has partly to do with me being at the end of my med ed tether and just wanting a break for awhile.

I go back on Friday, and when I land I go straight to Belfast to try to catch my gals' race (Lomac Tiles against Queens University is always very fun!), back down to a 21st, and then to Castleconnell for an adaptive rowing meeting the next day. A couple days to fix up my apartment and set up utilities, then mom's coming for graduation (June 15th, yay!). Busy busy busy! I'll be with my friends again! YAYAY!