extended absence

After an extended absence and a few requests from my dad, I'm back. I had no excuse for not writing, really, except that it's a harder habit to keep than it is to break.

It would be impossible to sum up nine months (I guess pregnant women do it all the time), but here are some of the highlights.

I finished out my third year of medical school with a surgery rotation. I lucked out and spent most of the eight weeks away from the Med Center (where the surgeons are notoriously harder on med students, especially those who have no interest in surgery). I spent four of those weeks observing pediatric surgeries, which will be very useful when I have to explain procedures to anxiety-ridden parents next year. I also became more familiar with Children's hospital, which helped a LOT during subsequent rotations. I spent two weeks on vascular surgery, which was really interesting. I had no idea what vascular surgeons did (yeah, something with veins.) Basically they monitor a lot of clogged arteries and veins and get out the roto-rooter when they need to.
My final two weeks of surgery were spent on ... colorectal. That was exactly two weeks too many. The faculty were fantastic, it's just the subject matter I couldn't stand. Any office that has special tables just for looking up butts is not an office I want to be in. And the surgeries - well, it's a good thing everyone in the OR wears a mask.

I had a nice relaxing week at the lake between third and fourth year, and then it was off to pediatric endocrinology. That was the first time I ever thought seriously about specializing. I loved being in clinic, I loved the attending, and I loved most of the patients. I still think I'll end up in general pediatrics, but it was nice to realize that there was a specialty I could see myself devoting my career to.
Pediatric infectious disease was next. Terrible hours, laboriously detailed histories, smelly pus-filled diseases. More power to them, because I couldn't do it. The bright spot of the month was when my brother got married. The wedding was beautiful and romantic and fantastic and fun. Matt and Molly are really good for each other.
NICU and subintern stories will have to wait, but I'm going to be able to keep up on this a lot better now that I'm on a "self-directed learning" month. Ahh, the life of a fourth-year.