Things to Learn in Psych

Number 1: Never place anything heavy or throwable within reach of patients.
Number 2: If you forget rule number 1, be quick to duck.
Number 3: No neckties for men, no dangly earrings for the ladies.
Number 4: Just expect to be surprised, and work on your poker face.
Number 5: Did you know Mensa is a "support group for gifted and talented people" like my patients?!

Overall, it's pretty fun thus far. Something new everyday. And something fun at home everyday since I have all this free time! The dogs are mucho grateful. And I am grateful for the peace and quiet. J has been working like crazy on finishing the garage, and he's getting pretty close. I'm pumped to park inside again. I have been spoiled. Plus it'll be nice to get the contents of the garage back in the garage and not in the house. But he's been really quick on this one and I appreciate it!

For those of you without a huge commute, remember it's bike to work day! Not very feasible for me, but hopfully I'll be able to make it up later on when I am closer to home!

Well, time to get going. Gotta walk the dogs and take a peak at the materials for our "student study session" this afternoon. Did I mention that's done at 3!?

End of the (Very) Beginning

So, I have one block of 3rd year behind me. One sixth of the way to being a 4th year medical student. Baby steps, people, baby steps. In the end, I found a new love in my life. I hope that the OB-Gyn world will work out for me. But I do have 5/6 left to change my mind. If anything keeps me from doing this, it will be the lifestyle. It's a tough balancing act, deciding on having a fam, being the best doctor I can be, and really enjoying what I do. I have great support, so I know it's very possible. But to me, the whole thing is like breaking in a new pair of shoes that you absolutely loved and HAD to have. It costs a lot and you know it's going to hurt while your getting them just right. I guess I will keep shopping over the next 10 months and hopefully find just the right pair. I know myself though, and more often than not, when I really love something I tend to know it right away.

Yesterday I started my psychiatry rotation, and can I just say - I couldn't be more thankful that it's only 4 weeks. I am working with a "dangerous population." And I'm not super thrilled about it. But, my preceptor has promised me every Friday afternoon off, no weekends, and getting out by 4pm every day. There is a reason why I picked it for summer. I am quite sure, though, that I'll have a lot of stories. I also don't have to be there until 9am. So, I'm off to take the dogs for a walk. We finally have some nice weather!

June!

But it doesn't feel like it. Today is about 50 degrees and not all that nice. Actually, crappy. Rainy, windy, cold. Add the fact that the pup is ridiculously enthralled by the umbrella and hence won't actually go to the bathroom while I have it open, and it's been on the miserable side this morning. But I have no where to be until 3 this afternoon, so I'm cozy in the house. I feel like I have so much to do, all my thoughts about it could come rushing out of my ears at any moment. I've always been less than productive when I start freaking out about how much has to be done. So I'm trying to break it into managable bits and work from there. We'll see if I still feel sane by the end of the weekend.

My weeks in emergency medicine have gone exactly as I expected. The shifts are quick and kind of fun, but leave me knowing that both emergency and pediatrics are not for me. I get really sad to see kids so sick. It is handy to learn about peds since it will make me feel more well equipped to take care of my own kids one day without being that parent that runs to the ED everytime the kid has a fever.

I better get to working on some of this mountain of work. I feel like I'm pretty much swimming in it at the moment. So much busy work, it makes the 14 hour shifts of L&D seem easy.