So where has this former blogging addict with an increasingly jaded streak disappear to for the past few months?
2 words: 4th year. I finally hit the sweet spot between matching and graduation where nothing mattered but enjoying the last few weeks of having absolutely no responsibilities.
How to celebrate? An epic 3 week trip to Utah for credit learning about wilderness medicine with awful views like this (Wasatch range):
And this (Desolation Canyon)...
and this (Needles District of Canyonlands)...
Yeah...awful, I know...and it was for credit.
I met some of the best folks that I've ever interacted with. There's something special about living together outside of the hum-drum hospital-based world, outside of the rigid rules of medical hierarchy and on the edge of everyone's comfort level. Seeing attendings play in the mountains/desert, listening to them speak passionately about both their medicine and their wilderness pursuits in the same breath reminded me that doctors are allowed to be people too. I guess that I had sterilized my images of my attendings and didn't think of what they dowhen they hang up the white coat. It was so easy to do while I spent the past 2 years on the wards being dehumanized, deprived of sleep and weekends, constantly discussing medicine and being humbled by lack of knowledge on a daily basis. Regardless, it was the best month of med school by far and it has given me a good deal of hope heading into my residency.
*****
So I turn to my transitions: I should probably mention that I'm officially a doctor now (whatever genius is trusting me with that title should probably have their head examined!). My ACLS stuff showed up the other day and that reaaaaly hit home (you mean I have to run codes not just watch the code team bumble through the ACLS protocol???). On a cooler note, I'm also in the process of moving into my new city upstate and the fiancé will be moving in as well later this summer after she finishes up some work stuff. Our apartment overlooks a big park and is huge and bright and pet-friendly and perfect. Oh yeah, and I'm registered for the Marine Corps Marathon on Oct 31st, so we'll see how marathon training as an intern goes.
For the first time in a loooong time I can confidently say...life is good and I am at peace.
*****
As for the fate of this blog...who knows. I'm still a Bostonian in NY, and I'm sure that residency will bring its fair share of angst/frustration/ridiculousness/fun for me to litter the interwebs with as well as some fun adventures through the 'daks, 'gunks, Greens and Whites as I meet my very outdoorsy co-residents/attendings. Or it will turn into a cat blog.
For now, I'll be enjoying the last few weeks of freedom by helping my mom get her house on the market, getting back on the roads when my feet are healed and into the woods whenever I can.
