Thankful this Thanksgiving 2009

Well I have a lot to be thankful for this year but today I'm looking at the glass half empty. I don't know if its the stress of this whole match process that seems to get to me every few weeks or if its just the holidays approaching and making me wierd (billy too...i'm not taking all the blame ;). I'm starting to realize that my life isn't balanced and it effects other important aspects of my life...i want to make sure people understand that medical school is not hard, but it impacts your personal life in such a big way. there isn't time to do everything and make everyone happy and its so frustrating. its really difficult from having to be a perfectionist at work all day long and not continue to be a perfectionist at home...while i have to put up with it at work, i guess nobody else does. i haven't learned how to switch from being the best medical student to be a fun, loving, relaxed girlfriend. this is probably more evidence to support why all my classmates are cracked out on psych meds...is that the secret that i just haven't experimented with?? would a little dose of prozac every morning take me out of my own little misery? i remind myself that one day i'll be thankful for these hard times. ps i guess i'm thankful that i don't have gyn cancer... i'm doing a month of gyn onc and i was surprised that girls my age are plagued with cervial, endometrial, and ovarian cancer. so thanks for my health and being cancer free (as far as i know!!!)

For accurate record keeping, I spent Thanksgiving at Billy's mom's house. I made homemade macaroni and cheese and a homemade pumpkin pie cake which was the hit of the family festivities. Billy was impressed that I spent the day cooking and cleaning like a normal Southern housewife. And yes, I, " the devil that tempted the favorite son into a sinful life of living together outside of marriage" did ALL the thanksgiving dishes. billy and jody were so proud of me.

Interviews

So several months ago I submitted my application to become an OBGYN and continue my training. Its not something that is guaranteed and as previously reported can be stressful. To date I have about 7 interviews scheduled. A fair number, practically an interview at every program that I applied to. The thought of traveling was exciting, now its a drag and expensive, but absolutely necessary. A few weeks ago I went to Michigan, last week to Philadelphia, this week in Augusta, then California on thursday to return to work in atlanta on Monday. A few days later, I'll be driving to Alabama, then work a little in Atlanta then off to south carolina...the schedule continues like this until mid January...Its exhausting just writing about it, but I'm so so thankful. Some of my friends who want to be an OBGYN as bad as me, have no interviews!! Yep, this is the most competetive year for OBGYNs in the past decade! Last week I was told they received over 400 applications, invite 70 to interview for ony 3-4 spots. Yikes. So keep me in your prayers as travel around and scope out the scene. On the homefront, Billy is pretty excited. I wish he could travel with me but he's saving his vacation time for real vacations. He recently shared with me this elaborate plan he has if I match in south carolina. I had no idea that he had put this much thought into it. He's even talked to his work about it, and everything appears okay. Its a little extra pressure on me, but its really up to God at this point....I'm doing my absolute best and he's being supportive by lining up our future together. We both know I might not get SC, so we'll have back up plans, but we do have a goal and an ideal.

ps we went to a barefoot and pregnant southern wedding last weekend.

Life as a 4th Year

Well, I'm at another residency center working my butt off trying to impress the gang. I've decided that I hate being a 4th year med student and i can't wait for residency. For now, I'm the second lowest on the totem poll (3rd yrs is the pits for sure). I'm required to pre round at 5am, write a note, that gets re-written by a R2 (2nd yr resident). I retract in surgery and maybe if i'm lucky suck blood out with the sucker, perhaps cut suture- not too long, not too short. I'm told to read about some subject and teach the Residents before their own scheduled lecture. Throw in a weekly presentation and you're golden. Today was real good b/c I did get to do real surgery but the entire procedure was repeated by a R2 again...but i'm not really complaining b/c technically i got to do the surgery too!! Sure I'm begging to be an Intern now and no doubt will be begging to be something else then too....the good news is, i'm making progress and one day i'll be a real doctor. On the home front, Billy has been amazing...provides me my daily pep talks, spoils me on weekends, talks about where we are going to live...he's now stressing out a bit in regards to Match Day....its sorta funny b/c i'm over the anxiety and just waiting to see what all happens next spring.