Albeit, not a lot of stuff.
Computer training today, which was about 4 hours of learning how to use a lot of charting techniques I'm probably not really going to need, but it wasn't bad. Entering scrips and having to sign them "MD" in the system adds a level of importance that probably isn't warranted. Had a fabulicious dinner out on Johns Island with some of my co-interns. My colleagues are taking turns on the "provide transportation for Ishie" charity, of which I am the sole beneficiary. I swear, I will eventually get a car.
Next up, pager training on Wednesday. The for real stuff starts on Friday, but then we get the fourth off, so I'm kind of feeling like a bum, but in a good way.
In other news, Charleston has a crapton of mosquitoes. Like more than Grenada. It's amazing. I've counted thirty bites on my legs *tonight*. Time to put that bottle of DEET back by the door.
Jun 27, 2011
Jun 25, 2011
Requisite Grad Shots
How could I forget?
Today I found an amazing farmers market at Marion Square, thus continuing my increasing love of Charleston. Said market included a roti stand (!!!!?????), banh mi, and beignets. So much for losing weight here. Though the bike helps.
Today I found an amazing farmers market at Marion Square, thus continuing my increasing love of Charleston. Said market included a roti stand (!!!!?????), banh mi, and beignets. So much for losing weight here. Though the bike helps.
So everyone's just nice here?
Is that the way it works?
I lived in Charlotte, NC when I was in high school and aside from making some amazing friends, mark it down as one of the absolute worst periods of my life. The concept of "nice" when I lived there seemed less to do with nice and more to do with "being completely and often hostilely in my business for no particular reason". I recall specifically an incident where I was wearing the standard issue Nine Inch Nails shirt that EVERYONE in my age bracket owned and a woman walked up to me with "You know that band worships the devil".
So when people say a region is "nice", I generally snort derisively. Which probably isn't nice.
People here are NICE. Like not kidding around nice. And it leads to my getting way more things done in a day than I thought possible. If I don't have this paper or that paper, it's "Oh, well, let me see what I can do... well, we can do everything else today and you can just bring that in on Monday", "Oh, that's fine, your driver's license will be just fine. California? How exciting!" Bam, conversation, bam out. Waitresses, Rite Aid techs, employee health.
So today I managed to get my third, count em, THIRD TB test in as many months, pop onto my bike, take out money from one of my accounts (without a bank card), put money into the other account, get my rent check out of it, pick up a back rack for my brand new bike, and fill a prescription. In about two hours. I don't even know what to do with the extra time. And the feeling of well being. I did spend some of it attempting to put the rack on my bike, which was way harder than it looked, so that drained my goodwill, but then my roommate refilled it, only instead of goodwill, she used moussaka, which I think is an acceptable substitution.
I have another resident mixer party tomorrow. I feel more like I'm courting than working, but I'm certainly not complaining.
I'm hoping for a beach trip this weekend.
I lived in Charlotte, NC when I was in high school and aside from making some amazing friends, mark it down as one of the absolute worst periods of my life. The concept of "nice" when I lived there seemed less to do with nice and more to do with "being completely and often hostilely in my business for no particular reason". I recall specifically an incident where I was wearing the standard issue Nine Inch Nails shirt that EVERYONE in my age bracket owned and a woman walked up to me with "You know that band worships the devil".
So when people say a region is "nice", I generally snort derisively. Which probably isn't nice.
People here are NICE. Like not kidding around nice. And it leads to my getting way more things done in a day than I thought possible. If I don't have this paper or that paper, it's "Oh, well, let me see what I can do... well, we can do everything else today and you can just bring that in on Monday", "Oh, that's fine, your driver's license will be just fine. California? How exciting!" Bam, conversation, bam out. Waitresses, Rite Aid techs, employee health.
So today I managed to get my third, count em, THIRD TB test in as many months, pop onto my bike, take out money from one of my accounts (without a bank card), put money into the other account, get my rent check out of it, pick up a back rack for my brand new bike, and fill a prescription. In about two hours. I don't even know what to do with the extra time. And the feeling of well being. I did spend some of it attempting to put the rack on my bike, which was way harder than it looked, so that drained my goodwill, but then my roommate refilled it, only instead of goodwill, she used moussaka, which I think is an acceptable substitution.
I have another resident mixer party tomorrow. I feel more like I'm courting than working, but I'm certainly not complaining.
I'm hoping for a beach trip this weekend.
Jun 20, 2011
Home sweet home in the lowcountry
Sorry for the lack of updates; I've been busier than I've perhaps ever been and having to make a number of spot decisions that have all ended up working out better than anyone could reasonably expect.
Graduation. Awesome. Really had a good time, and saw so many people, some of whom I hadn't seen since Grenada, and it was fantastic. My dad flew up from North Carolina, I took him to see Mary Poppins (on Broooooooaaaaaaaadway), and I got to parade around in my cap and gown (which we actually got to keep this year) plus a hood. They kept the speeches fairly brief and to the point. I'm sure this is horrible sounding to Ivy Leaguers, but after enduring hours of drone in UCD's gymnasium, a succinct presentation that felt like it was *to* us rather than *at* us at Lincoln Center was greatly appreciated. I did get hooded upside down, but I don't think most people would be able to tell. Most importantly, I WALKED WITHOUT A CANE OR A LIMP. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Weirdly, despite nearly everyone at graduation having both a job and a diploma in hand already, no one took the opportunity to do anything weird.
Incidentally, they played Grenada's national anthem. To the surprise of most, it was not Temperature by Sean Paul.
So the pomp! The circumstance! The OMG I need to move to SC this week and either find a place to live near my hospital and buy a bike or find any place and buy a car!
That bit was a little nerve wracking. My initial living plans fell through so then I thought "I don't have anything to do until a physical/drug test on the 22nd, and then some social stuff, and then orientation the 27th, so I'll find a place when I get there since I have plenty of time." Which is true, but when you're in a moving van driving to a Motel 6 and honestly don't have a real address to give them, it's freaky.
I'd been surfing Craigslist, and found a few leads; contacted one agency that specializes in matching people with roommates, was wandering around roommates.com, and so forth, but then found a place on Craigslist that's biking distance from the hospital, costs half of what my rent was in Brooklyn, and comes complete with one of my new roommates' huge friendly Star Wars-named dog. And available this weekend, which is a plus when you're returning the van on Monday. And y'all... (I can say y'all now that I have an address in the South), this place, which is a for-real house, which I have not lived in since I was 12, has a washer/dryer (the holy grail), a backyard with a fire pit, a balcony, a walk in closet (!!!!), a giant pantry, and a giant kitchen. No words. If these two can be half as cool as my last roommate, I'll be happy, since I got all emotional and weepy when he left.
Dropped by to meet people, confirmed no one was a serial killer, signed the lease, made out the check, rented a storeroom for some of my mom's stuff, hauled that around (Charleston was about 96 degrees today; there were a couple moments where I honestly thought I was going to die), bought a bike, tossed it in the back of the much emptier moving van, went back to the house, dragged everything upstairs while nearly getting killed by my futon (no more bunk bed!) and drove back to the motel.
Whew. It's... done. I have an address in Charleston, a job starting up, I'm a doctor and it all happened. And this particular move even happened without a whole lot of drama or stress, which is completely unheard of in a move. I was much more frazzled and emotional moving from Park Slope to Sunset Park for six weeks because our lease was up.
I have a bicycle! I haven't had a bicycle in four years. I feel so environmentally conscious. Or more realistically, broke, and I don't want to deal with car payments and insurance for a while, though for graduation, my mom gave me enough money for a sizeable down payment. Thanks mom!
So now, the only thing that stands between me and employment is my ability to pee in a cup on demand. Better start drinking!!!!
Graduation. Awesome. Really had a good time, and saw so many people, some of whom I hadn't seen since Grenada, and it was fantastic. My dad flew up from North Carolina, I took him to see Mary Poppins (on Broooooooaaaaaaaadway), and I got to parade around in my cap and gown (which we actually got to keep this year) plus a hood. They kept the speeches fairly brief and to the point. I'm sure this is horrible sounding to Ivy Leaguers, but after enduring hours of drone in UCD's gymnasium, a succinct presentation that felt like it was *to* us rather than *at* us at Lincoln Center was greatly appreciated. I did get hooded upside down, but I don't think most people would be able to tell. Most importantly, I WALKED WITHOUT A CANE OR A LIMP. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Weirdly, despite nearly everyone at graduation having both a job and a diploma in hand already, no one took the opportunity to do anything weird.
Incidentally, they played Grenada's national anthem. To the surprise of most, it was not Temperature by Sean Paul.
So the pomp! The circumstance! The OMG I need to move to SC this week and either find a place to live near my hospital and buy a bike or find any place and buy a car!
That bit was a little nerve wracking. My initial living plans fell through so then I thought "I don't have anything to do until a physical/drug test on the 22nd, and then some social stuff, and then orientation the 27th, so I'll find a place when I get there since I have plenty of time." Which is true, but when you're in a moving van driving to a Motel 6 and honestly don't have a real address to give them, it's freaky.
I'd been surfing Craigslist, and found a few leads; contacted one agency that specializes in matching people with roommates, was wandering around roommates.com, and so forth, but then found a place on Craigslist that's biking distance from the hospital, costs half of what my rent was in Brooklyn, and comes complete with one of my new roommates' huge friendly Star Wars-named dog. And available this weekend, which is a plus when you're returning the van on Monday. And y'all... (I can say y'all now that I have an address in the South), this place, which is a for-real house, which I have not lived in since I was 12, has a washer/dryer (the holy grail), a backyard with a fire pit, a balcony, a walk in closet (!!!!), a giant pantry, and a giant kitchen. No words. If these two can be half as cool as my last roommate, I'll be happy, since I got all emotional and weepy when he left.
Dropped by to meet people, confirmed no one was a serial killer, signed the lease, made out the check, rented a storeroom for some of my mom's stuff, hauled that around (Charleston was about 96 degrees today; there were a couple moments where I honestly thought I was going to die), bought a bike, tossed it in the back of the much emptier moving van, went back to the house, dragged everything upstairs while nearly getting killed by my futon (no more bunk bed!) and drove back to the motel.
Whew. It's... done. I have an address in Charleston, a job starting up, I'm a doctor and it all happened. And this particular move even happened without a whole lot of drama or stress, which is completely unheard of in a move. I was much more frazzled and emotional moving from Park Slope to Sunset Park for six weeks because our lease was up.
I have a bicycle! I haven't had a bicycle in four years. I feel so environmentally conscious. Or more realistically, broke, and I don't want to deal with car payments and insurance for a while, though for graduation, my mom gave me enough money for a sizeable down payment. Thanks mom!
So now, the only thing that stands between me and employment is my ability to pee in a cup on demand. Better start drinking!!!!
Jun 11, 2011
Lincoln Center's met its match
Grad ceremony today! I get loads of ridiculous looking bling and the hunter green cape/trim thing plus a funny hat and everyone's all "She's a doctor" and I'm all "that's right".
Something like that. Gotta be better than Davis graduation in the rec center with minimal air conditioning and a tortilla fight. I think I get to keep my robes too, so I'm thinking of just wearing them for the foreseeable future, except for a South Carolina summer, it'll probably be hot.
In other "is she a real doctor yet?" news, I got my South Carolina limited license approved today! Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!
Something like that. Gotta be better than Davis graduation in the rec center with minimal air conditioning and a tortilla fight. I think I get to keep my robes too, so I'm thinking of just wearing them for the foreseeable future, except for a South Carolina summer, it'll probably be hot.
In other "is she a real doctor yet?" news, I got my South Carolina limited license approved today! Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!
Jun 8, 2011
Another milestone? So soon?
I think of these events as unique moments that resonate with me specifically and have a simple and precise meaning that I have never experienced before and that others couldn't possibly understand. Perhaps, because I believe that I'm still in high school. Fortunately, there are previous blog entries to remind me (yes, I'm one of those people that occasionally reads her own blog) that I am not unique, this is not unique, and I am going through the exact same cycle of emotions that I do with the onset of any new type of change, and the gradual sinking gut-sick is the exact same level of intestinal ambivalence that it was when I experienced it for my biochem retake. Or when my parents first caught me in a lie.
New York, how I've loved you. I love your people; I love your constant circus, I love the everloving hell out of your food and nightlife; I love my time here. During my stay, I got to live in a place I loved, do largely what I liked, and have the best frigging roommate anyone could want. Having been here for two years now, I even love being all exasperated and snooty about slow-walking tourists.
Grenada, you and I had our fights and our differences. I did threaten to ram inanimate objects in animate humans on multiple occasions and for multiple reasons during my stay in your lush arms, but how much hate can there be when finding a bottle of Ting or Carib in the states sparks a holy grail. And when Grenada Chocolate came to Whole Foods, I thought we were going to launch the Grenada reunion tour right there in the middle of Union Square. I have to love your turtles and your beaches, your hashes and visibly drunk bus drivers.
So now I'm off soon to heart Charleston. Soon. With, predictably, a spurious game plan that requires a lot of begging and luck. And then my four year venture of medical school will be over, and we can only hope that the title of this blog will be "A Caribbean MD WAS good enough for me." Then it's all resident stuff. Orders and charts and such. Deep manly doctor coughs.
And, like any other time that any change affects my life, I get embroiled in nostalgia and other useless things. Tomorrow is my last day at Other-Job. I have an awesome boss. I do a lot of stuff I like. I have decent autonomy. I like my coworkers. But it has to end. Graduation is on Saturday and a new crop will come in to replace the ones that defected. Do I want to stay? I want to start residency. With all the new challenges that faces.
But I'll do it. I feel, if meekly, ready to take on the world.
New York, how I've loved you. I love your people; I love your constant circus, I love the everloving hell out of your food and nightlife; I love my time here. During my stay, I got to live in a place I loved, do largely what I liked, and have the best frigging roommate anyone could want. Having been here for two years now, I even love being all exasperated and snooty about slow-walking tourists.
Grenada, you and I had our fights and our differences. I did threaten to ram inanimate objects in animate humans on multiple occasions and for multiple reasons during my stay in your lush arms, but how much hate can there be when finding a bottle of Ting or Carib in the states sparks a holy grail. And when Grenada Chocolate came to Whole Foods, I thought we were going to launch the Grenada reunion tour right there in the middle of Union Square. I have to love your turtles and your beaches, your hashes and visibly drunk bus drivers.
So now I'm off soon to heart Charleston. Soon. With, predictably, a spurious game plan that requires a lot of begging and luck. And then my four year venture of medical school will be over, and we can only hope that the title of this blog will be "A Caribbean MD WAS good enough for me." Then it's all resident stuff. Orders and charts and such. Deep manly doctor coughs.
And, like any other time that any change affects my life, I get embroiled in nostalgia and other useless things. Tomorrow is my last day at Other-Job. I have an awesome boss. I do a lot of stuff I like. I have decent autonomy. I like my coworkers. But it has to end. Graduation is on Saturday and a new crop will come in to replace the ones that defected. Do I want to stay? I want to start residency. With all the new challenges that faces.
But I'll do it. I feel, if meekly, ready to take on the world.
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