Serious Blog Issues

I tried to use drop-down menus in my sidebar, but can't seem to get them to work properly (the ones below the "EMR"). Any ideas?


Edit: I have finally prevailed! Lo and behold, my much prettier, smaller sidebar. Go me!

Whew!

I got home today, after playing accountant this week, and dived right into making my fourth year schedule. We got the stuff to do this several weeks ago, but every time I looked at it, my stomach churned and I had to stop.

In an ideal world, if I got my first choice for every rotation I picked, then my schedule would look like this:

• July: Surgery Acting Internship at [county hospital]
• August: Away Rotation in Urology at school I might like to attend
  
• September: Urology at my school
• October: ICU
• November: Off to interview and take USMLE Step 2 CK & CS
• December: Infectious Disease
• January: Emergency Medicine (Urology Match!!!!)
• February: Family Practice (required outpatient clinic month)
• March: "Transition to Residency" required month of b.s.
• April: Off***
• May: Body CT/MRI, then I become an MD!!!!

***In April, I *may* take a working trip to China that month with other students from my school. In this case, I would probably take another month off.

This is all a shadow game, anyhow. Most of the electives will be add/dropped at some point, I'm sure, and I'm sure I'll change my mind about wanting to do stuff. Also, this is assuming that I actually GET the rotations I want, which is a huge assumption. Now, I just have to get my urology advisor to sign off on this monstrosity, and I can enter fourth year!

________________________________________

I spoke to my paternal grandmother yesterday while I was at Dad's. She asked me what I wanted to do, and I said "I'm thinking about urology", and she said "Oh!"... (several seconds of silence). She asked a few questions about third year, and whether I had done urology yet, and when I applied to urology (September), and she said "Oh, well, then, you've still got time to make up your mind then." Gee, thanks, Nana!

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

For Those Who Were Wondering...

...I'm on spring break right now, and my dad needed someone to help him in the office, since Tax Day is 17 days away (as he reminded us at dinner). I think I cranked out around 10 tax returns today for $10/hour. Don't worry, I'll be returning to med school on Monday, where OB/Gyn awaits me. Woo!

And I chose the nickname "Tiny Surgeon" as a joke during my surgery rotation. I really enjoyed surgery, and I stand 61 inches tall. I thought the title fit. It's not a nickname I've ever used online before, so it doesn't link to anything from college I'd rather forget.

Ouch!

The perils of being an accountant: my hands are COVERED in papercuts. Every time I go to wash my hands, I'm reminded that I'm not in medicine right now.

West Texas

Yes, that is a wrench head on top of a violin, hence the term "City of Contrasts". That used to be the logo for the city of Odessa, Texas, a boom-and-bust oil town on I-20. I'm not too far from there for the rest of the week, working for my dad's accounting firm as an office girl. I've even done a few tax returns (badly).

Being a tax accountant, 3 weeks before Tax Day, is a tough job. My dad goes to work around 8:30 am and comes home around 10 pm (or later). He works similar hours on Saturdays and Sundays. One could even compare his hours to a medical resident's. The stress in his office right now is palpable. One poor CPA ran around earlier snapping at everyone to "get out of the tax program, NOW, there's a system error!"

There are several important differences between an accountant and a resident, however.

1. My dad's office has plush carpet on the floor, cushioning my feet as I run back and forth to the copy machine.
2. They have a kitchen, with a refrigerator stocked with Cokes.
3. The bathrooms are always clean.
4. Dad gets to take scheduled lunch and dinner breaks.
   
5. If I get tired and want to sit down, I get to sit down.
   
6. His chair is cushy leather. The chair I've been using is brocade. Neither is plastic nor uncomfortable.

And, perhaps the most important difference:

April 15 happens once a year. Sure, there are quarterly deadlines which require long hours, but in between, people work civilized 9-5 hours. With lunch breaks. And a nearby restroom, where one can take breaks as often as are needed, without having to get permission or apologize for one's absence.

Sometimes, I really wonder why I'm in medicine...

The Excuses

"I don't like taking my medicine."

"I don't like the side effects of my medicine--you know, it's, uh, a personal thing, uh, a sexual thing."

"I don't like being dependent on a medicine."

"What if I can't stop taking it?"

"I don't want to have to take a medicine to be normal."

"Taking an antidepressant makes me a weak person--I should be able to deal with my own problems."

The next time one of these phrases comes out of a patient's mouth, I should be reminded how many times they've entered my mind as an excuse for not taking my medicine. Which I did not bring on this trip to my dad's house. I feel fine for now, but I'm about to start my OB rotation and will need all the help I can get.

Blogs and Religion

Quick thought: why is it that anytime a person admits in a blog or on a website that they are not a believer in Christianity, Christians start commenting on that blog post about how they found Jesus and believe that Jesus could solve all their problems? My old website had some essays I wrote a LONG time ago about why I was no longer a Christian, and I received some very hateful comments from people about why I was SO WRONG and GOING TO HELL. I also received long, thoughtful emails from people who were convinced they were going to change my mind. Perhaps they even prayed for me once or twice, as that nameless atheist girl on the internet who is going to BURN (I was, after all, Southern Baptist--I know all about the burning and gnashing of teeth that is supposed to await me).

Another quick thought: just because someone is not a Christian does not necessarily mean they are intolerant of religion, or are condescending. It's always a possibility, of course, but in terms of logic, non-Christian does not equal disrespectful toward Christians.

Unfortunately, for me, it's a line I have to watch out for. For a long time after declaring my non-religiousness, I was very angry at Christianity in general. I was mad at myself for having worked so hard for so long at something that made me so incredibly miserable, and I was mad at church for making me so unhappy. I really have to watch my tone, because sometimes I do get mad and snippy (less now than it used to be).

Last point: telling your Southern Baptist and Presbyterian (but Texan) family that you are not religious is almost as difficult (I'd imagine) as coming out of the closet as gay to the same group of people. I was so frightened for so long of telling my parents--I thought I'd be disowned or tarred and feathered. My dad tried to tell me that "well, you'll grow out of it," which I found offensive. I'm open to the possibility of changing my mind someday--1) I'm a woman and 2) I changed it once already. However, to assume that I'll rejoin the true believers one day is to say it's just a phase, silly little girl, I know what is best for you (or that's how I heard it, anyway).

Fortunately, just as many people say religion brought them together, my husband and I can honestly say that a lack of religion brought us together. And it's a beautiful thing.