No More VA!

Well, at least no more VA for MSIII year. I hear they have a great CCU rotation, so I might be back next year. But Medicine there was more than enough time to convince me I could never work there for a living; it's depressing, bureaucratic and decrepid. Not enough to make up for the (mostly) good house staff.

The week ended with more than free time than I expected so I got in some reading and errands. I also finalized my rotations for the rest of the year. The only change from my last post is that I was able to line an audition rotation at my third choice, Ft. Wayne, IN. Since I'll have a lot of surgery under my belt by then, I hope to learn firsthand how much and how they teach family practice Docs procedures and minor surgeries (appies, C-sections, hernia repairs, etc.). I hope to make a weekend trip over to the Memorial program that Tucker is looking at and maybe one more in Indianapolis. Might as well cover my bases while I'm there. However, I'll have to rent a car somehow.

Last night was fun. We had an impromptu dinner with Tucker and his family here so it was a great time unwinding, comparing notes on rotations and joking around with the wives. It sounds like Banner Desert is going to be tough, but a great learning experience. I just have to survive the 5:30am commute to Mesa everyday for the month. Actually, the drive home with probably be the worst part. Lots of time to listen to lectures on my MP3 player.

I had hoped to spend most of today studying for the Medicine shelf on Tuesday, but I spent in until 10am (about 11 hours!) and then have spend the day doing busy work. Tonight Becky and I want to go see the new Bond film, so all my studying may have to come down to tomorrow. It's making me a bit nervous because Medicine is a huge body of knowledge. I have some "remembered questions" from upperclassmen, so I will have to focus on those and hope for the best.

I'm already dreading spending most of the first five months of 2007 away from home, the family and anywhere to swim. Oh, well time to take my HIPPA test for Banner Desert and make sure I'm ready for Monday so I can focus 100% on the Medicine shelf next month.

Last Call at the VA

We just admitted our first patient of the evening. I already have two patients, so the other student is doing the H&P on him now. I'm just counting time by blogging a bit.

I think I finally have all my rotations for MSIII set up. I was up late last night doing paperwork, applications, etc. For January and February I will be in balmy Toledo, OH doing ER Peds and then Surgery with their respective residents. It will be two hard months, but I should learn a ton. Hopefully I can work my schedule such that I have at least two flights back home for a few days to see the family, depending on ticket prices.

In March I'm heading to Show Low, AZ for rural surgery. From everything I've heard, this should be an awesome rotation. Hopefully I can take my shelf test after this rotation so I have two months to learn the material and do lots of procedures firsthand. It's only 4 hours drive from home, so I can drive home every weekend.

April looks like an inpatient month at one of the John C. Lincoln hospitals. It's my elective, so I hope it's the hospital less than two miles from my house. If not, I might have to consider a preceptor rotation close to home. I'm going to need a break and time with the family after five hard rotations.

After that "easy" rotation, I will head back to Show Low, actually Snowflake, AZ, for a rural family rotation. Again, I've heard great things about it and been told I will fall in love with the place. By that time, Becky and the boys may want to come visit me for a mini-vacation. That's the last rotation of MSIII year, so I should be able to find some time to study for the third year final and my Step 2 set of Board tests.

Last night I even got around to filling out an application for an audition rotation to one of my first choice FP residency programs, Ft. Collins, CO. It might be a little early, but it shouldn't hurt to be eager and professional. I'm going to have to start calling my other top choices in UT and IN to try and line up rotations at them next Fall since neither offers online applications.

Well, time to go work-up some new admits to the VA...