so glad

I am SO GLAD to be back in Omaha!! I loved hastings and all, but i have never been so glad to climb into my own bed in my whole life. the first seven weeks, i tried to be really positive, at least to the people in clinic, and when they asked me how the dorm was i would always be really vague and say something like, "it's a good place to sleep" or some bs like that. this week, though, i couldn't hold back any more, i couldn't fake it. i was telling everyone how excited i was to go home. and i was!! and now i'm home and i have a test today but i don't even care because i never have to go live in a small town by myself ever again!
Also, i finally finished my paper on asthma, which is contributing to my euphoric state. it's kind of a sorry excuse for a paper, but i really did enjoy learning more about asthma and i think i came up with an intervention that could theoretically be used. (it's just a sheet to keep track of peak flows and meds and stuff like that. simple, but practical.)
and, to top it off, this weekend we will be attending the berkshire hathaway festivities. you know, because we own all that stock. it will be a good excuse to put on a dress (i don't know if i've ever actually said that last phrase out loud) and do some good people watchin'.
i know, i never finished my jamaica stories. i will this weekend, when i'm not trying to write a 20-page paper.

Yeah mon

I'm back from Jamaica. It was a fabulous trip, at least until the last 24 hours. I didn't write anything during the trip so I want to make sure I get it on e-paper now, before the memories fade.
Twelve students, four doctors, and four "Friends of Jamaica" traveled to Falmouth, Jamaica, to run a primary care clinic for a week. We (the students) functioned as triage nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and educators. I think I actually learned more by performing the non-physician functions - reinforcing the importance of taking accurate vital signs, solidifying my knowledge of basic medications, and learning how to convey basic health information despite language barriers. (Jamaicans speak English for the most part, but less-educated citizens speak patois (patwa), which is rooted in English but not entirely comprehensible to my ears).
I also gained experience as the sole provider for my patients. Most of third year consists of gathering information from patients and deciding what could possibly be wrong. This gets presented to an attending who decides what really is wrong and what will be done about it. In Jamaica, I was responsible for my patients from beginning to end, from coming up with a diagnosis to choosing a medication and actually getting it from the pharmacy. I hope that I can continue to see my patients in this light without reverting back to third year ways.
Okay, enough "what I learned on my vacation" stuff. Tomorrow I'll talk more about the fun stuff we did.