Late night ramblings.
Well this is decidedly unfortunate: I was so wound up about taking Step2 that I have not slept well in days. Now that it's over, I'm so happy to have that hoop behind me that I cannot sleep. I've spent the last month on my Pathology rotation during the day and studying for the exam in the evenings and at night. It was surprisingly consuming and now I have a handful of little tasks to accomplish because I have been ignoring them: filling out my residency application for would be one of them.
Pathology was a great rotation! Faculty are relaxed, residents are happy, and there's even teaching going on. It doesn't start particularly early and it doesn't go particular late. A perfect combination! Many of our lecture topics were focused on Step2 material, in part because of the caring and generous nature of our pathology attending (can you tell I think he's one of the best?), but, it was too bad for me that almost none of the pathology material we were responsible for actually showed up on my 360-some-odd questions? At least I don't think any did!
As a student you get to see a lot of path during the preclinical years, but it's even better (yes, I am implying that I enjoyed it the first go-round) after spending some time on the wards. I suppose it's that macroscopic to microscopic transition that I like. And, I should add that I think radiology bridges the two quite nicely.
The person in charge of my path rotation let the students have control over their own schedule with the suggestion of spending some time with each of the fields and then focusing on what you like. It was actually a very similar mantra during my neuro radiology. Almost makes you feel like an adult (again). I enjoyed all of the subspecialties, but I ended up hanging out, mostly, in "Room 1." That is where the surgical specimens are viewed--lots of different biopsies: lung, thyroid, parathyroid, nodes… Oh, speaking of neck biopsies! I got to see a bunch from the various attendings I worked with during my first surgery rotation. It was like being part of a (weird) little club. What I noticed about room 1 was the ambiance was a little different than the other rooms. It was a little more "down-in-the-trenches" and that was true for each of the attendings that rotated down there during the month. Maybe it was just that I was more familiar/friendly with the residents who were down there but it just seemed to have its own air.
One other aside, turns out that I really like to look at mitotic figures. I'm not sure why I find them so fascinating, but I do. Maybe it's because I think the whole mechanism of what is going on is way-cool! Some day I will image it. (If I ever start doing research again.) And, before you say it isn't possible. It will be--very soon. There has already been an image made of 30 micron neuronal cell bodies from a squid, in situ. Granted it took 10h to acquire, but it has been done. Boy! That is a truly shameless self-plug I just included in this blog.
It has come to my attention over the month that some friends of mine would like to make a posting. They don't seem willing to do it officially as a guest blogger, but they want to be a guest blogger under my name. I think it has to do with anonymity, or something like that. I'll make it clear when it's not me, but, hopefully it will be an interesting perspective.
Next month (next week) starts anesthesiology. I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about the early mornings, but at least I don't think there will be too many late evenings. After that, we hit the road with an away rotation in Atlanta (home town) in an outpatient, family run, dermatology clinic. (Here's a funny note: the derm clinic is operated by a father and two sons. The father was one of the professors to my main pathology attending last month! It's a small world.) Then back to Texas with my old radiology department. It should be fun to kick-it-around with my old crew. I'm sure they'll enjoy kicking me around!
So, last thoughts: I apologize for the silence, but that too, is a big part of medical school life: lots of prioritization and time management. I wonder, however, if some don't occasionally forget what is important, and, that, what is important to one may not be so important to another. This is much too sappy and it's obviously getting far too late at night. I should try to fall asleep
YIPPY! I finally got honors in a clinical course! RADIOLOGY!!!
M3/M4 grading seems horribly arbitrary, but for once, doing everything I was asked to do and putting my best foot forward actually WORKED!
HOT DAMN!
(There must be something wrong with the department, I suppose.) :-)
I'm studying for Step 2, so posts will be sparse for a few weeks.
