Friday, July 26, 2013

Catching up

So, it seems that almost 8 months have gone by since I last posted. How did that happen? At the start of the year, I was half way through my second year of residency and was tired of being at the bottom of the totem pole. Woe was me. Now, I am three weeks into my third year and still feel like I am at the bottom of the totem pole (surprise!).
My third year is divided into four, three month rotations both at my home institution and at other institutions. This first rotation is Pediatric Neurosurgery at [redacted] hospital in mid-western state. The schedule has taken some adjustment - home call is both a blessing and a curse - so far, mostly curse...
Getting woken up every hour and or having to come into the hospital to see a sick child and or operate for hours at a time and THEN having to come back the next day (provided it was not so late at night that I just had to stay in the hospital) and work another full day the next morning is KILLER. It is NOT normal. Perhaps it is punishment for all those times I complained about taking in-house/overnight call.
Aside from that, I am operating a lot, learning tons and, can you believe it - working out 5 days a week. Needless to say, it doesn't leave much time for anything else. Sorry Mom.
I get up at 3:45 am, work out, get to work, leave anywhere between 6 pm and 9 pm depending on whether or not I am on call and try to be in bed by 7:30 pm. I kid you not.
But it's just three months. Right?
Right.

Things I need to do by the end of Sunday
1. Call my parents
2. Log my OR cases
3. Catch up on my research project
4. Do laundry
5. Replace the hubcap on my right front tire
6. And, as always, read, read, read.


Until the next time.