Well this isn't where I had hoped to be. Ideally I wanted to get both COMLEX and USMLE Step 2 exams out of the way before audition rotations and have scores that improved on my Step 1 scores to show off at residency interviews.
COMLEX Step 2 came back at just about exactly the same as my Step 1 score (551 vs. 565). Statistically they are identical. No problem there, however it looks like I won't be applying to any Osteopathic programs.
The Allopathic programs are going to be much more interested in my Step 2 scores. And my USMLE Step 2 score came back at 210 versus 225 for Step 1. The for Step 1 was an average of about 217 (180 is passing) with a Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) of 7 or so. Step has an average of 221 with the same SEM and a Standard Deviation of 24. In other words both scores are ok, but Step 2 is at the trailing end of average scores so worst case is that some programs now don't offer me interviews.
The whole thing is very frustrating with 20/20 hindsight. I didn't have to take USMLE Step 2 at all, and certainly not before ERAS applications went out. So I spent $500 for the test which now may have done me a great disservice.
Looking back I should have probably dropped out of the test before I finished it. I just couldn't concentrate well with interruptions from other test takers, the staff and the frigid temperatures. I kept running out of time and having to guess at the last couple questions for each block. The block right after lunch I didn't even read the last 5-6, I just entered guesses in the last 20 seconds. I should have practiced a lot more timed tests on my Qbank account.
So, now what to do. I'm going to ask around for some advice. I could just enter my COMLEX in ERAS and then present Step 1 USMLE when asked, but that might come across as hiding something. Or I can just submit the scores and go for broke, hopefully that I have a chance to address any concerns about the score in person. This probably the best strategy, but I hoping out to see if there's any other options. I still want my application to be complete by early September so I'm at the front of applicant pool.
The whole thing kind of bums me out. Instead of being a confidence builder, I spent all this money on something I feel a bit embarrassed about. I know I could have done significantly better. Moreover, I don't think the score represents my knowledge or ability. Ironically, the ridiculous and even unprofessional COMLEX test seems like a better representation of my study efforts and knowledge. I would have rested a lot more easily with a 220 or above.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Charleston
The trip was pretty uneventful. Continental Airlines came through on-time without any hiccups. And I found the car and house easily. With a little bit of daylight remaining, I drove through the lush, green country crosses many bridges along the intercoastal waterway on my way to James Islan, about 7 miles from the hospital. The room I'm staying is fine, if not the epitome of southern comfort. Another student interested in EM, Joe from Indiana, takes the other second floor bedrrom and bathroom. We've had a good time comparing thoughts and impressions on programs, EM and the Match. My only regret was that he arrived so he got first choice on rooms. I have no desk and no Internet access from the neighbors unsecured router.
Monday was a bit crazy. For a still relatively small town, Charleston has a ton of construction and activity going on. Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is a huge but compact campus with the Roper and VA hospitals adjoining it. Parking is a nightmare of highrises, remote lots and shuttle buses. After a quick orientation with the Pediatric Department, Joe and I ended up meeting at the MUSC medical school offices to get out IDs. Once we negotiated our way through one of the worst administration clerks I've ever dealt with (and she seems to have the reputation everywhere), started hiking.
It was a long, hot adventure walking across campus several times lugging my laptop and books around. It felt like an obstacle course with multiple stops for both MUSC IDs and Parking passes to lots for days and, separately, evening lots. I was too exhausted to volunteer for a shift that evening. Nine hours of sleep in a comfortable bed was just what the doctor ordered.
Tuesday I worked my first shift from 3pm to 11pm. It started off slow but I ended up seeing quite a few pediatric ER patients. Nothing was too serious, lots of abdominal pain, coughs and sore throats. The people are all very nice. Lots of southern charm and southern belles. For a people person like me, it felt great to talk with warm, friendly folk. And the teaching wasn't too bad either. Lots of pimping, but fair and non-threatening. I had received a large packet of teaching material including many relevant medical articles and little handbook that all the Pediatric Residents get. It has some great material, so I put away my adult ER textbook for a bit and managed to get through a few chapters before the shift started. This helped a lot on the pimp questions thrown at me. I hope to finish the severla hundred page packet in the next week or so.
Wednesday was a long day that started with three hours of lecture with the EM residency program. Joe and one of the EM attendings helped to plug into it. The latter heard I might be interested in the program and offered to get me more adult ER shifts and take me to lunch to discuss the program next we week. The Program Director talked to us for an hour, then we had a chance to the residents. Somehow I had missed that the program is brand new. The PYG-1s that just started are the very first class of EM residents at MUSC. This a bit concerning but also might mean it's a little less competitive. The residents and attendings I met were all very nice and friendly. The lectures were pretty good, but I definitely got the feel that there are bugs to be worked out in the program. I can't think of better facility and medical system to start a residency program in though. This would have been a great place to go to medical school.
My second 3pm to 11pm started off the same and got a little crazy at one point. I tried to be helpful and took on three patients but got reminded that first and foremost I need to always be on top of the patients I have and not worry about new patients waiting to be seen. It was a good lesson for me.
Today I'm hoping to nail down housing for next month in Worcester, MA. But I've been spending some time working on loose ends. My ERAS (online residency application) Personal Statement is basically done. However, I got my Board scores back and they weren't where I had hoped. So I'm dealing with that too. I have two off starting tomorrow. I have to decide how time to dedicate to studying versus checking the area out versus visiting other programs in the area. Always more to do.
Monday was a bit crazy. For a still relatively small town, Charleston has a ton of construction and activity going on. Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is a huge but compact campus with the Roper and VA hospitals adjoining it. Parking is a nightmare of highrises, remote lots and shuttle buses. After a quick orientation with the Pediatric Department, Joe and I ended up meeting at the MUSC medical school offices to get out IDs. Once we negotiated our way through one of the worst administration clerks I've ever dealt with (and she seems to have the reputation everywhere), started hiking.
It was a long, hot adventure walking across campus several times lugging my laptop and books around. It felt like an obstacle course with multiple stops for both MUSC IDs and Parking passes to lots for days and, separately, evening lots. I was too exhausted to volunteer for a shift that evening. Nine hours of sleep in a comfortable bed was just what the doctor ordered.
Tuesday I worked my first shift from 3pm to 11pm. It started off slow but I ended up seeing quite a few pediatric ER patients. Nothing was too serious, lots of abdominal pain, coughs and sore throats. The people are all very nice. Lots of southern charm and southern belles. For a people person like me, it felt great to talk with warm, friendly folk. And the teaching wasn't too bad either. Lots of pimping, but fair and non-threatening. I had received a large packet of teaching material including many relevant medical articles and little handbook that all the Pediatric Residents get. It has some great material, so I put away my adult ER textbook for a bit and managed to get through a few chapters before the shift started. This helped a lot on the pimp questions thrown at me. I hope to finish the severla hundred page packet in the next week or so.
Wednesday was a long day that started with three hours of lecture with the EM residency program. Joe and one of the EM attendings helped to plug into it. The latter heard I might be interested in the program and offered to get me more adult ER shifts and take me to lunch to discuss the program next we week. The Program Director talked to us for an hour, then we had a chance to the residents. Somehow I had missed that the program is brand new. The PYG-1s that just started are the very first class of EM residents at MUSC. This a bit concerning but also might mean it's a little less competitive. The residents and attendings I met were all very nice and friendly. The lectures were pretty good, but I definitely got the feel that there are bugs to be worked out in the program. I can't think of better facility and medical system to start a residency program in though. This would have been a great place to go to medical school.
My second 3pm to 11pm started off the same and got a little crazy at one point. I tried to be helpful and took on three patients but got reminded that first and foremost I need to always be on top of the patients I have and not worry about new patients waiting to be seen. It was a good lesson for me.
Today I'm hoping to nail down housing for next month in Worcester, MA. But I've been spending some time working on loose ends. My ERAS (online residency application) Personal Statement is basically done. However, I got my Board scores back and they weren't where I had hoped. So I'm dealing with that too. I have two off starting tomorrow. I have to decide how time to dedicate to studying versus checking the area out versus visiting other programs in the area. Always more to do.
Quick Trip Home
I finished Arrowhead almost a week ago now. The last day was pretty interesting. I spent 4-5 hours sewing up a dozen or so lacerations on a guy who jumped out of second story window (a little Meth-induced paranoia). A couple of the lacs could have actually used skin grafts and one almost took off the end of his pinky. But perseverance and some reinforcing vertical mattress ties and his was closed up - if not pretty.
After I was done with his knee and arms (about 8 Prolene sutures later) a maxofacial surgical resident took over on his face. The resident also took some time on four big lacs across the patient's nose and forehead, but when he was done the result looked much nicer. Now my wounds were much dirtier, so I had leave them more open even after irrigation. But I have to remember that the knots should all be pulled to the same side so you have a nice clean looking finished product.
We also had a trauma where I successfully performed the CPR to get the gunshot victim resuscitated. He had two bullets in his chest and had been pulseless for about 25 minutes when we got him into our trauma bay. About 10 people including nurses, emergency docs and surgeons surrounded him but I squeezed my way in to relieve the paramedic from doing CPR. We were about to call the time of death when the ultrasound showed a weak heartbeat. I felt for the carotid pulse and it strong! His radial pulse was very weak but the surgeons immediately decided his only chance emergent surgery (he had already had 5 units of blood after we removed 2L from a hemothorax).
I learned later that they had removed one bullet in the OR, but his blood gases showed a pH of 6.6! Being that acidic is NOT compatible with life. So I'm sure if he's with us today. If he is, what brain function remains, not to mention kidneys, etc., is questionable.
The rest of the 12-hour shift went fast with small procedures and lots of patients to see. Then I loaded up on caffeine and drove a little over fours to get home in Phoenix around 11:30pm. The boys were pleasantly excited to see me even at 6am. We played for a bit, them Becky and I took long 3-hour naps. The four of us had a leisurely afternoon and went to a movie together. The evening was also relaxing. We just had a great time hanging out together. I made sure to touch, tickle and cuddle them as much as possible. After everyone went to bed, I spent 1-2 hours packing for the long 2-month trip.
While it was sad to hear, I was happy too that Connor told Becky, after she returned from the airport; "One day just isn't enough mom. You just end up missing him more when he's gone."
After I was done with his knee and arms (about 8 Prolene sutures later) a maxofacial surgical resident took over on his face. The resident also took some time on four big lacs across the patient's nose and forehead, but when he was done the result looked much nicer. Now my wounds were much dirtier, so I had leave them more open even after irrigation. But I have to remember that the knots should all be pulled to the same side so you have a nice clean looking finished product.
We also had a trauma where I successfully performed the CPR to get the gunshot victim resuscitated. He had two bullets in his chest and had been pulseless for about 25 minutes when we got him into our trauma bay. About 10 people including nurses, emergency docs and surgeons surrounded him but I squeezed my way in to relieve the paramedic from doing CPR. We were about to call the time of death when the ultrasound showed a weak heartbeat. I felt for the carotid pulse and it strong! His radial pulse was very weak but the surgeons immediately decided his only chance emergent surgery (he had already had 5 units of blood after we removed 2L from a hemothorax).
I learned later that they had removed one bullet in the OR, but his blood gases showed a pH of 6.6! Being that acidic is NOT compatible with life. So I'm sure if he's with us today. If he is, what brain function remains, not to mention kidneys, etc., is questionable.
The rest of the 12-hour shift went fast with small procedures and lots of patients to see. Then I loaded up on caffeine and drove a little over fours to get home in Phoenix around 11:30pm. The boys were pleasantly excited to see me even at 6am. We played for a bit, them Becky and I took long 3-hour naps. The four of us had a leisurely afternoon and went to a movie together. The evening was also relaxing. We just had a great time hanging out together. I made sure to touch, tickle and cuddle them as much as possible. After everyone went to bed, I spent 1-2 hours packing for the long 2-month trip.
While it was sad to hear, I was happy too that Connor told Becky, after she returned from the airport; "One day just isn't enough mom. You just end up missing him more when he's gone."
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead
Becky and I had a great vacation from Saturday until this morning. She's picking up the boys right now, in Phoenix, while I'm trying to finish up some logistics for rotations.
On Saturday, we had a chance to visit with my father and his wife. It was nice to catch up since I haven't seen them in quite a while. My dad was also helpful regarding information about locations for different residency programs. Since Becky nor I know anything about some of the East Coast locations (e.g. the Carolinas) any information was helpful. He also seemed excited for us and not too disappointed that we didn't seem sold on Arrowhead.
Saturday night we drove the windy climb up to Lake Arrowhead on Hwy 18. Our Inn was a bit of a disappointment. It was a quaint place with some style, but our room was so small it only had room for one chair. And the internet connection was a joke, so I couldn't research things to do, residency stuff, etc. The boys said they were having a great time in Seattle with their cousins on a camping trip. They are at the age where the conversation is very short and they don't miss us too much since they are with family.
Sunday we had a great breakfast in Arrowhead and walked around the village. It was relaxing and really nice to spend some time alone. We realized the last time we'd spent more than one night with just the two of us was probably before Connor was born!
Monday we drove the 26 miles of cliff side curves to Big Bear Lake. It is bigger and the town is more residential than the private, resort-like Arrowhead. We had another incredible breakfast and then hiked up to Cougar Crest (2.6mi) where the Pacific Crest Trail overlooks Big Bear. The hike and the weather were perfect. The lake was a little green, but still beautiful. Dinner (surprisingly good Ahi Sashimi) and a movie in Arrowhead topped off a second great day. The only "downer" if you want to call it that, was a house tour of a new three story, 4k sf place on Big Bear with the lake on two sides. While the place was lovely, $2.2 million seemed crazy for a place destined to be a second home for some rich LA socialite.
The weirdest experience was during the drive over. Arrowhead is at about 5k elevation and Big Bear at 7,500'. The drive you're above the clouds, but you can see the smog and cloud layer hanging over LA. The thought of living in that brown air wasn't attractive.
Tuesday we weren't too sore and decided to drive back to Big Bear for more activities. By this time, Becky was used to my driving on the twisties. I had the minivan's wheel squealing quite a bit! We drove our Treks around the North side of the lake for a few scenic miles. After lunch, we rented a sea kayak and paddled around the South shore for an hour. Another relaxing evening in Arrowhead with our books ended the evening.
Wednesday we packed up and took our last drive to Big Bear. Breakfast at our favorite place, Grizzly Manor, included a skillet meal called "the Mess" that served at lunch as well. A local eating at the bar next to us (you know it's good when the locals wait 30+ minutes for seating!) filled us in on some of the activities we'd missed. For starters we headed to one of the two ski resorts and road the chair lift to the top. What a view! I wish we had left our bikes behind and rented some real mountain bikes the day before. You could hundreds of miles of National Forest with views of Big Bear and a handful of nearby mountains. You couldn't ride down the ski slopes (too many injuries) but that seemed crazy to us anyway. My idea of crazy would be to pack a week's worth of food and just start walking to the tallest peak in the area. The high alpine terrain didn't have too much undergrowth, but it would still be some good exercise.
Finally, we drove back down into the smog. We drove through the Redlands area just to see if we live there for three years, but it was pretty depressing after being in the clean mountains. Locals told us a few people commute from Arrowhead to Colton every day, but Hwy 18 can get really treacherous and icy in the winter. And Emergency Medicine residency wouldn't look too kindly to me calling in late because I'm was snowed in or stuck behind an accident.
Becky and I agreed that after residency a community like Big Bear would be perfect. It has all the services you could need, a hospital with an ED and an incredible setting for the family. However, we still have to get through residency before we start comparing Big Bear, Tahoe, Jackson Hole, Bend, Durango, etc. While agreeing to not write off Arrowhead yet, there are certainly good EM programs located in better areas for the family. Michigan, New England, the Carolinas, OHSU have possibilities. Unfortunately the only EM/Peds combined programs are in Indianapolis and Baltimore. I still might throw my hat in the ring for them just to see where it goes.
Didactics this morning was fine. It made me glad I got about 100 pages of my EM textbook read over the trip. Time to hit the books in between my upcoming seven 12-hour night shifts.
On Saturday, we had a chance to visit with my father and his wife. It was nice to catch up since I haven't seen them in quite a while. My dad was also helpful regarding information about locations for different residency programs. Since Becky nor I know anything about some of the East Coast locations (e.g. the Carolinas) any information was helpful. He also seemed excited for us and not too disappointed that we didn't seem sold on Arrowhead.
Saturday night we drove the windy climb up to Lake Arrowhead on Hwy 18. Our Inn was a bit of a disappointment. It was a quaint place with some style, but our room was so small it only had room for one chair. And the internet connection was a joke, so I couldn't research things to do, residency stuff, etc. The boys said they were having a great time in Seattle with their cousins on a camping trip. They are at the age where the conversation is very short and they don't miss us too much since they are with family.
Sunday we had a great breakfast in Arrowhead and walked around the village. It was relaxing and really nice to spend some time alone. We realized the last time we'd spent more than one night with just the two of us was probably before Connor was born!
Monday we drove the 26 miles of cliff side curves to Big Bear Lake. It is bigger and the town is more residential than the private, resort-like Arrowhead. We had another incredible breakfast and then hiked up to Cougar Crest (2.6mi) where the Pacific Crest Trail overlooks Big Bear. The hike and the weather were perfect. The lake was a little green, but still beautiful. Dinner (surprisingly good Ahi Sashimi) and a movie in Arrowhead topped off a second great day. The only "downer" if you want to call it that, was a house tour of a new three story, 4k sf place on Big Bear with the lake on two sides. While the place was lovely, $2.2 million seemed crazy for a place destined to be a second home for some rich LA socialite.
The weirdest experience was during the drive over. Arrowhead is at about 5k elevation and Big Bear at 7,500'. The drive you're above the clouds, but you can see the smog and cloud layer hanging over LA. The thought of living in that brown air wasn't attractive.
Tuesday we weren't too sore and decided to drive back to Big Bear for more activities. By this time, Becky was used to my driving on the twisties. I had the minivan's wheel squealing quite a bit! We drove our Treks around the North side of the lake for a few scenic miles. After lunch, we rented a sea kayak and paddled around the South shore for an hour. Another relaxing evening in Arrowhead with our books ended the evening.
Wednesday we packed up and took our last drive to Big Bear. Breakfast at our favorite place, Grizzly Manor, included a skillet meal called "the Mess" that served at lunch as well. A local eating at the bar next to us (you know it's good when the locals wait 30+ minutes for seating!) filled us in on some of the activities we'd missed. For starters we headed to one of the two ski resorts and road the chair lift to the top. What a view! I wish we had left our bikes behind and rented some real mountain bikes the day before. You could hundreds of miles of National Forest with views of Big Bear and a handful of nearby mountains. You couldn't ride down the ski slopes (too many injuries) but that seemed crazy to us anyway. My idea of crazy would be to pack a week's worth of food and just start walking to the tallest peak in the area. The high alpine terrain didn't have too much undergrowth, but it would still be some good exercise.
Finally, we drove back down into the smog. We drove through the Redlands area just to see if we live there for three years, but it was pretty depressing after being in the clean mountains. Locals told us a few people commute from Arrowhead to Colton every day, but Hwy 18 can get really treacherous and icy in the winter. And Emergency Medicine residency wouldn't look too kindly to me calling in late because I'm was snowed in or stuck behind an accident.
Becky and I agreed that after residency a community like Big Bear would be perfect. It has all the services you could need, a hospital with an ED and an incredible setting for the family. However, we still have to get through residency before we start comparing Big Bear, Tahoe, Jackson Hole, Bend, Durango, etc. While agreeing to not write off Arrowhead yet, there are certainly good EM programs located in better areas for the family. Michigan, New England, the Carolinas, OHSU have possibilities. Unfortunately the only EM/Peds combined programs are in Indianapolis and Baltimore. I still might throw my hat in the ring for them just to see where it goes.
Didactics this morning was fine. It made me glad I got about 100 pages of my EM textbook read over the trip. Time to hit the books in between my upcoming seven 12-hour night shifts.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
First week at Arrowhead
It's only Thursday afternoon, but I've completed three 12-hour shifts and four hours of didactic lectures. Now I'm off until I start two weeks of night shifts (seven 12-hour 7p - 7a) next Friday.
Arrowhead is definitely busier than Ft. Wayne and right up their with St. Vincent's in Toledo. I've been working in Pod D which is unmonitored, so the patients are typically abdominal pain, OB/Gyn, Peds, inmates, fractures and that sort of thing. I've seen a lot of very interesting cases and got to do a ton. I see all the patients first, write up the H&P on the charts and then present it to the Attending. The Attendings have been pretty good and had some time to teach Monday and Tuesday. Yesterday was just too crazy though with no time rest at all.
Monday I did an adult lumbar puncture (LP) with a little assistance and a reduced a dislocated toe. Tuesday I did an infant LP and had some good cases, but the day was slower so I also got in a little reading. Wednesday I did an I&D. We had 3+ appies, several kidney stones, a guy with face kicked bloody and an assortment of infections and fractures.
Overall there's been a good variety of pathology and I've been learning a lot. However, I don't think this program will be my first choice. One thing that irritated me was that the Nutrition Dept(?) decided to end the $9 per day food allowance without informing us, so I was embarrassed as the cashregister with food for my Attending and myself but no cash.
I am still considering the program because the Attendings seem good, there's of good learning cases and it looks like EM is getting very competitive. As a four year osteopathic program, Arrowhead should be easier to get into than the allopathic programs that I like better, at least on paper. Becky is driving over this weekend to spend a few days with me at Lake Arrowhead (and no kids!), then we'll spend a day looking at neighborhoods. My father would love to see us here as it would give me much more time and access to the kids.
Speaking of the kids, they seem to having a great time in Seattle with gandmothers, cousins and aunts/uncles. I've had a few minutes to talk with Gregor, Krintina, my neice Jane and nephews Cooper and Oliver. It's been nice, but brief given twelve hour days. I even spent one evening at an informal journal club with the residents and another swimming at an LA Fitness nearby.
This afternoon has been all about updating flight plans, tickets, rental cars and Outlook with the latest plans. Luckily Christiana has free housing to offset the cost of canceling the flight to Carolinas and buying a new ticket to Wilmington, DE. In case I didn't mention it earlier, I canceled Carolinas because of all the trouble (obstacles) UNC was giving me to confirm the rotation and the fact that they have never a DO resident. Christiana looks every bit as good, has DOs in the program now and it much easier to work with. Free housing doesn't hurt either!
Well, I plan to study my new EM books most of the day tomorrow and get in a swim. However, tonight I'm going to relax and maybe catch a movie. It's going to be an enjoyable week before I hit two long weeks of 12-hour night shifts. I'm not even sure that I will have time to drive back to Phoenix to see the boys :(. Speaking of which, I need to call them now and see how they are enjoying camping with their cousins.
Arrowhead is definitely busier than Ft. Wayne and right up their with St. Vincent's in Toledo. I've been working in Pod D which is unmonitored, so the patients are typically abdominal pain, OB/Gyn, Peds, inmates, fractures and that sort of thing. I've seen a lot of very interesting cases and got to do a ton. I see all the patients first, write up the H&P on the charts and then present it to the Attending. The Attendings have been pretty good and had some time to teach Monday and Tuesday. Yesterday was just too crazy though with no time rest at all.
Monday I did an adult lumbar puncture (LP) with a little assistance and a reduced a dislocated toe. Tuesday I did an infant LP and had some good cases, but the day was slower so I also got in a little reading. Wednesday I did an I&D. We had 3+ appies, several kidney stones, a guy with face kicked bloody and an assortment of infections and fractures.
Overall there's been a good variety of pathology and I've been learning a lot. However, I don't think this program will be my first choice. One thing that irritated me was that the Nutrition Dept(?) decided to end the $9 per day food allowance without informing us, so I was embarrassed as the cashregister with food for my Attending and myself but no cash.
I am still considering the program because the Attendings seem good, there's of good learning cases and it looks like EM is getting very competitive. As a four year osteopathic program, Arrowhead should be easier to get into than the allopathic programs that I like better, at least on paper. Becky is driving over this weekend to spend a few days with me at Lake Arrowhead (and no kids!), then we'll spend a day looking at neighborhoods. My father would love to see us here as it would give me much more time and access to the kids.
Speaking of the kids, they seem to having a great time in Seattle with gandmothers, cousins and aunts/uncles. I've had a few minutes to talk with Gregor, Krintina, my neice Jane and nephews Cooper and Oliver. It's been nice, but brief given twelve hour days. I even spent one evening at an informal journal club with the residents and another swimming at an LA Fitness nearby.
This afternoon has been all about updating flight plans, tickets, rental cars and Outlook with the latest plans. Luckily Christiana has free housing to offset the cost of canceling the flight to Carolinas and buying a new ticket to Wilmington, DE. In case I didn't mention it earlier, I canceled Carolinas because of all the trouble (obstacles) UNC was giving me to confirm the rotation and the fact that they have never a DO resident. Christiana looks every bit as good, has DOs in the program now and it much easier to work with. Free housing doesn't hurt either!
Well, I plan to study my new EM books most of the day tomorrow and get in a swim. However, tonight I'm going to relax and maybe catch a movie. It's going to be an enjoyable week before I hit two long weeks of 12-hour night shifts. I'm not even sure that I will have time to drive back to Phoenix to see the boys :(. Speaking of which, I need to call them now and see how they are enjoying camping with their cousins.
Making Trouble
Last week I failed to mention an interesting series of events. On Tuesday, my one afternoon off early from Derm, I went to AZCOM to take care of a bunch of administrative stuff. One of my main goals was to look over my LORs and hopefully my Dean's Letter as well, seeing as how I wouldn't have much opportunity over the next few months when applications are due.
Well as I walk into the Dean's office, I get told that students can't look at LORs or Dean's Letters anymore! They asked; "Didn't you get the e-mail?" Ah, no. I had been working all morning and the e-mail had only gone out the previous night. I was pissed, but held my breath since chewing out the staff does no good. I read the e-mail at home at home and was further disgusted by the lack of explanation and "stick it to you" attitude. And then I waited 24 hours to cool off.
Wednesday night I wrote an e-mail to the Dean and our class officers explaining that the e-mail was incomplete and the decision to restrict our access was wrong. I outlined, without being too pissy, four good reasons including: poor timing due to our brand new Dean writing letters on students she doesn't know; forms we submitted for the Dean to consider were written under the old policy; the policy changed three times on a little over a year; and classmates that knew the previous Dean were able to look at and/or discuss their Letter's with him.
That set off a firestorm.
Tucker, the class Prez and I ended up meeting with the Dean on Friday after Dr. G., the university Pres and many others got involved. She made a good case for us to not look at the Letters (more impact on residency PDs) and agreed that the decision wasn't explained very well. She promised to consider Tucker's proposal that we be given the option to look at the Letters this year. She also agreed to send out an e-mail explaining the decision and how it benefited us. It was a friendly, positive meeting that included lots of sharing of ideas and thoughts.
As our new Dean, I think she appreciated hearing some of the preconceptions we had going into this process given our school's reputation of providing little support third and fourth year. She also appreciated hearing about how her office could be more helpful to us with guidance through the residency process and openness in communication.
I don't know what changes will come from the meeting but I had a chance to air my grievances. And I think meeting the Dean this may benefit my Dean's Letter (she knows I care) instead of blackballing me like I initially feared. She may accept all or part of Tucker's recommendations, but at least she will do a better looking at this decision from the students' perspective.
Well as I walk into the Dean's office, I get told that students can't look at LORs or Dean's Letters anymore! They asked; "Didn't you get the e-mail?" Ah, no. I had been working all morning and the e-mail had only gone out the previous night. I was pissed, but held my breath since chewing out the staff does no good. I read the e-mail at home at home and was further disgusted by the lack of explanation and "stick it to you" attitude. And then I waited 24 hours to cool off.
Wednesday night I wrote an e-mail to the Dean and our class officers explaining that the e-mail was incomplete and the decision to restrict our access was wrong. I outlined, without being too pissy, four good reasons including: poor timing due to our brand new Dean writing letters on students she doesn't know; forms we submitted for the Dean to consider were written under the old policy; the policy changed three times on a little over a year; and classmates that knew the previous Dean were able to look at and/or discuss their Letter's with him.
That set off a firestorm.
Tucker, the class Prez and I ended up meeting with the Dean on Friday after Dr. G., the university Pres and many others got involved. She made a good case for us to not look at the Letters (more impact on residency PDs) and agreed that the decision wasn't explained very well. She promised to consider Tucker's proposal that we be given the option to look at the Letters this year. She also agreed to send out an e-mail explaining the decision and how it benefited us. It was a friendly, positive meeting that included lots of sharing of ideas and thoughts.
As our new Dean, I think she appreciated hearing some of the preconceptions we had going into this process given our school's reputation of providing little support third and fourth year. She also appreciated hearing about how her office could be more helpful to us with guidance through the residency process and openness in communication.
I don't know what changes will come from the meeting but I had a chance to air my grievances. And I think meeting the Dean this may benefit my Dean's Letter (she knows I care) instead of blackballing me like I initially feared. She may accept all or part of Tucker's recommendations, but at least she will do a better looking at this decision from the students' perspective.
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