Happy New Year 2011!

First off, some resolutions (okay, 15 days late...but still... ) for the rest of the year

1) I will not let others get to me and I will be more patient with the stupidity of others (yeah yeah I know that sounds condescending, but it's what I need to tell myself before I explode at them). Try to be more patient because patience is not my strong suit
2) Go to the gym more - already making progress on that one!
3) Eat better - ok, not making so much progress there but because of all my night shifts lately, I'm nearly down to my high school weight!
4) Explore and enjoy NYC more before I leave - this will have to wait until after the exams
5) Go snowboarding!! - haven't made it yet this season!
6) Study Study Study - congrats to me for getting an Ivy League fellowship, but I better make it stick and not look foolish up there
7) Find that old optimism I used to have and start each day with a clean slate and look at each relationship I have through clean glasses
8) Find time for creative activities so that I can feel more balanced

I've got a lot of positive things to look forward to, especially in the first half of this year. First off, I'm going to my US fellowship at an Ivy League place full of history and tradition (I love that kind of stuff!) so already I feel I'm finally kick-starting my career.

After 2.5 years of residency, I really do feel like I'm ready to be an attending. There's some knowledge-based things that I really need to hone up before I get there, but in terms of spirit and attitude, I'm ready to handle anything thrown at me. It's nice when your attendings tell you as well, "You looking forward to this yet? You're ready and you'll be great!" Positive feedback is always so endearing. I've just finished two weeks at Harlem. Got a great thoracotomy case (my 2nd) and this one I saw up close and personal. I have the pictures to prove it, which I can't post unfortunately for legal reasons. Got a pure inhalational smoke injury which was a fantastic case, and between Harlem and Monte, I've gotten a lot of tubes on the first attempt. Although many codes come into the ER already DOA, I feel like I know how to handle them.

I feel like my residency has been a success, although I haven't achieved as much on the research end as I have wanted to. I'm comfortable with most cases, sick or FP-like. I'm comfortable with procedures. I'm happy with my patient through-put. I wish I had more time for reading or my elective or research, but we can't have everything. I'll get more of that during my fellowship, so c'est la vie! I definitely wish I had more time for creative venues, but that might change in the future, who knows?