Time flies!

What a busy month! I took the boards, vacationed in San Diego, and tried to mentally prepare myself for life in the hospital. And after just a week and a half as a 3rd year medical student, I can say with confidence that I had no idea what I was getting myself into. That isn't to say I'm unhappy -- in truth, I've loved my first real exposure to working in the hospital. But it's just such an enormous change from anything I've done before.

"It's like an 18-month job interview," said one of the speakers at our orientation last week. And she was right. Try getting to know your coworkers, while knowing they're responsible for evaluating you, and do it in a completely new environment, with completely new software, with a completely new schedule that is often revealed to you just days beforehand. Also, remember that your responsibilities are not clearly outlined, they change according to who is supervising you each day, and you should always try to anticipate what will be expected of you.

So far, though, I'm having a blast. Now I just need to get to sleep earlier. I have a relatively easy schedule this month -- getting up around 5:45 am, in the hospital by 6:45, done most days by 6:00pm. My friends on Neurosurgery, though, are waking up at 3:45 am to be in the hospital by 5:00 am. Or earlier.

Anyway, sleep time. Now that I have less free time than ever, I'll try to start posting again. :-)

Mood: optimistic
Song: The Killers, "Read My Mind"