"I want to be a Dad when I grow up!"

I saw a family before they left for a trip to visit family out of the country. The oldest child told me that he wanted to be a doctor. I guess I was giving the oldest the most attention for a while because one of his little brothers wanted to steal the spotlight and declared loudly, "I know what I want to be when I grow up: a DAD! Dads get to eat Pizza Hut whenever they want. They can play baseball and then eat more Pizza Hut. I am going to be a Dad when I grow up!" The youngest brother added, "I don't know what I want to be when I grow up 'cause I am still little, but I want to see the peacock that lives in my uncle's backyard when we go visit him."

Pediatric Infectious Update

I have been having so much fun in my pediatric infectious disease rotation.  I think New York City is probably one of the best places in the country to study infectious disease because there are so many travelers and immigrants.  In just the last couple weeks, there have been three cases of cholera in New York City.  Here is an article in the New York Times about it.  I have seen diseases that before I've only read about in books.  I am following a few patients that may have infections that are rare in the United States, such as malaria.  Even if these patients don't have the rare diseases, I am able to see the patient, see why the doctors suspect the rare diseases, and then read on the disease.  I think it is really helping me to remember the diseases and treatments better.  I am learning so much from this rotation that I wish it was longer than a month!

I really do love working with children.  I think I am making the right decision going into pediatrics.  The only rotation, so far, that I didn't really enjoy was my surgery rotation.  I don't mind surgery, but surgery is something you must love with every fiber of your being to go into it.  The hours are too long and the environment is too rough--it just wasn't for me.  Of my core rotations, I enjoyed my OB/GYN the most.  I think I would make a great OB/GYN, but I have always loved pediatrics.  I think I am going to try to do an elective in OB/GYN to make sure I don't have second thoughts later in life about not pursuing it.  Who knows, maybe I will apply to a couple OB/GYN residency programs as well as pediatric residency programs. But at this point, I think I belong in pediatrics with a special place in my heart for OB/GYN.

USMLE Step 2 CS and 2 CK

I applied to take my next two board exams.  I received the email today saying I was approved and allowing me to schedule the exams.  I hate taking exams and I already have a plan in place to study, but it is rather hard to believe that after these exams, I will have to finish about 18 weeks of rotations before completing my doctorate.  Keep me in your prayers--I need all the help studying for these exams as I can get!!

Pediatric Infectious Disease

I was excited and nervous to start my Pediatric Infectious Disease elective. I was excited because I think infectious disease is interesting, but I was nervous because infectious disease is a big topic with a lot of information and I wasn't sure how much I would remember. The attending physician I am assigned to is wonderful! He really seems to like teaching. On Monday, he asked what I want to go into and then he talked about what I was interested in infectious disease. He gave me an hour and a half lecture on HIV/AIDS in children! It was amazing!! I learned so much. There are differences in how the disease presents and progresses in children as well as the classification of the infection. When I got home Monday night, I read about HIV/AIDS, but it was just a review because he covered everything I read. I am the only student assigned to him, so this is going to be a great month of learning for me.

There is one resident doing an infectious disease rotation. She is sweet, kind, funny and also a great teacher. I have enjoyed working under her as she is willing to let me do some things on my own, but is extremely helpful and answers questions. She is only doing infectious disease for the next two weeks, so I will probably be working with another resident the last two weeks of the rotation. I hope the next resident is as much fun and teaches as much as my current.

I am really lucky to be working with both this attending and this resident. I was disappointed with my core rotation in pediatrics--there were just so many students. However, in just a couple of days, I was reminded why I have always wanted to be a pediatrician: I love working with babies,children and adolescents, I want to help save their lives and I think that the diseases that primarily affect them are fascinating.

Spokane--Week 2

My second week in Spokane went just as fast as the first. I met a friend for dinner on Saturday. Went to Mass with my family and saw old friends from grade school on Sunday before meeting up with some of my extended family for lunch and shopping. After that we headed to my Aunt's house for pie. Monday, we kept busy running errands around Spokane--buying makeup, nail polish and doing girly things. For dinner Mom and I had a girls night with a family friend and her daughters at Catacombs--Yummy! Tuesday, Mom had to work so Dad and I had the day to ourselves. We ran more errands, I met the people at his work, I visited the doctors I worked for before college (which was wonderful!) and we had lunch at The Elk. It was so much fun to have a dad-daughter day. I also played pool with him--a game he loves. I talk big but I really can't play well at all! We met up with Mom for dinner at Clinkerdagger. I has turned into a tradition to have our last meal before I leave town at Clinkerdagger; however, Dad had to work late on Friday so we had to do dinner earlier in the week (The above picture was taken after dinner in the Clinkerdagger entrance). Wednesday, I went down to Gonzaga University to see my friend who is in the Jesuits and we had lunch. I could only stay on campus for a short amount of time because I had to rush home to meet up with Mom in the afternoon. In the evening, I went to see my friend Kelly, her husband and her little girl. We had a wonderful dinner! Thursday was a highlight of the second week. I worked out in the morning--so hard that I it hurt to walk for days. Next, we went to the Davenport's Spa Paradiso . Mom and I both had gift certificates. She chose to have a pedicure and I had a deep tissue massage. It was so much fun and so relaxing--I didn't want it to end. After our spa day, we had lunch at the Pita Pit . We decided to do a little sale shopping and I was able to pick up some great professional clothes at great prices. I don't think I've really updated my work wardrobe since I was working, so I was happy to get some new things. Friday, we had my great-aunt Bernice over for lunch and I had to pack to return to New York. I hate the last night at home. I never sleep well and I hate being at the airport because I cry so much. I miss my family so much when I am away but at least once I am back in school I am, for the most part, too busy to be sad all of the time. When I leave home, however, it is a different story. Farley says that watching my family say goodbye is something to see--we all cry and cry and cry. I think it just shows how much we love each other!

At the airport, I ran into an old work collage. It was so much fun to talk to her again. Her son and son-in-law are doctors so she has had to say many similar goodbyes and understood why we were so sad. We were on the same flight to Minneapolis, but the flight was full and we could not change seats to sit next to each other. We did walk around the airport and window shop (the Minneapolis airport has a mall) before my flight left for New York. Once I arrived in New York, I had to wait about an hour before Farley arrived. It was so nice to have someone to meet up with at the airport. I always find it so strange how I can start one day at home and end up on the other side of the continent before sundown.

Home Sweet Home

I flew back to Spokane last Sunday, the 15th, less than 24-hours after finishing my pediatrics rotation.  I could have left New York at 2:30 and got home at 7:000, but Farley's flight was at 11:20, so I decided to leave at 11:30.  I am glad that I did because I flew out of Laguardia and there isn't too much at that airport.  I had been reading "Gone With The Wind" for a few weeks and was excited about being able to read and sleep all day on the flights. I was about 330 pages into the book and it was so good that I ended up reading the whole flight to Minneapolis rather than sleeping.  When I landed in Minneapolis, I discovered that I made the right decision about where to have a longer layover: Minneapolis has a mall inside the airport!  I had fun wandering around looking in the stores and I grabbed a bite to eat.  However, I couldn't pull myself away from my book.  I ended up heading back to the terminal and reading like crazy.  I thought that I could sleep on the second flight, but again, I was engrossed in the book.  I ended up reading 500 pages of "Gone With The Wind!  I've become a much faster reader since starting medical school, so I guess it shouldn't be a huge surprise.  I landed in Spokane about 30 minutes early and Mom was there to meet me (Dad was still at work).  When I got home, we had our Christmas Eve dinner, since we were not able to be together for Christmas and opened presents (we always open on Christmas Eve).  It was so much fun to see Mom and Dad open the things I found for them in New York City.  I bought some touristy things but I also bought some unique things, for example I bought Dad a print from The Met and I brought Mom a purse from an up and coming leather designer.

Sunday, I was up at 5:30.  I was so excited to be home that I couldn't sleep, which was strange because I was so tired.  We opened stockings (just as if it were really Christmas morning).  Next we headed to the Davenport for breakfast and to see my Aunt and Uncle.  We walked around downtown Spokane, but we couldn't stay long because I had two people come in from out of town to see me, which was very nice.

I have stayed busy this first week being home.  I had to do all of my doctor's appointments for school, I saw lots of family and friends and I have had lots of fun.  I only wish I had a month rather than two weeks.  I was going to school from February 15, 2010 until January 14, 2011 without a break.  I know that a lot of people work harder than I have to and they don't get vacations either, but I was tired and I really missed my family.                                             

Pediatrics and the Holidays

I can't believe how quickly my last rotation went. I started pediatrics on December 6th and ended on January 14th. I, like many students before me, was sick the entire six week rotation. Every child with a virus was kind enough to share it with me! Farley and I were very busy during this rotation because of the holidays. It was the first time that we had been away from our families for the holidays and it was difficult, but at least we had each other.

Right after Thanksgiving, Farley and I went down to Macy's to see the Christmas Windows. I know that the picture isn't the greatest, but here are a few of the "Miracle on 34th Street" windows at Macy's.

A couple weeks after going to Macy's to look at windows, we decided to go to 5th ave and look at the windows there. We got off the subway near Central Park West and took a picture of the park:

This is the famous Plaza Hotel on 5th Ave. I don't think the picture does the hotel justice. It was beautifully decorated for Christmas.
These are some windows from Bergdorf Goodman:


We looked at the windows at many of the other famous department stores on 5th Ave, but I couldn't get pictures of the windows because there were so many people in front of them. Also, some of the stores had lines to wait in to look at the windows, but the lines were at least a block long (most were longer) and we didn't want to wait that long.

The next pictures is a snow flake decoration on 5th Ave between the skyscrapers.
Some decorations on the storefronts!

This is Cartier's and it is my favorite decorated store that we saw! I love the lighted bow.
I insisted that we go into St. Patrick's Cathedral so I could see the Christmas decorations.
Here is a close up of the alter and the Advent wreath.
This is the manger in St. Patrick's and because it was before Christmas, Jesus isn't there yet.
We were standing near 5th Ave looking toward Rockefeller Center.

We were closer to the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center. It was so busy!


I think that the toy solders are very cute at Rockefeller Center:

Swarovski crystal make the tree topper at Rockefeller Center and they made two toppers: one on the tree and one that you can look at. It is so tall!

We walked all the way from 57th ave to 34th and over to Bryant Park. They had great shops in Bryant Park. Farley and I did some Christmas shopping there and here is a picture of the Christmas Tree at the Park, near the ice skating rink.
We decorated a little at our little apartment. I took this picture a few weeks before Christmas. By Christmas, we had more presents and cards that filled up our unconventional Christmas Decorations/Entertainment Center.
We had one heck of a tree!
Our lovely stockings!

On Christmas Eve, Farley and I decided to go into Manhattan and walk around. We also rented movies and I made lasagna. It was yummy! We had a great time watching movies and we watched Midnight Mass from the Vatican. Mom and I always watch Midnight Mass, so it was nice that Farley watched with him even though he isn't Catholic. My family always opens presents late on Christmas Eve (we usually finish right before Midnight Mass). so it was strange to me to open presents on Christmas Day. We had a nice brunch after opening presents and talking to our families. Then we watched another movie and we had steak for dinner (because prime rib was just too expensive and the cuts of meat were too big for just the two of us). The Blizzard hit NYC on the 26th. There was about two feet of snow and much of the city was shut down for days. I managed to get to the hospital for my pediatric ER shifts because the two trains I needed were running with delays. Others, however, were not so lucky. It was a mess. They didn't pick up garbage for almost two weeks (I think they pick up 5 days a week at our complex). There were stacks of garbage about 3-4 feet high, but at least it was cold out and it wasn't stinky. They managed to clean up Times Square for New Years Eve and Farley and I decided to go down for an hour just to have seen it. I am glad we went, but it was cold. You are corralled so that the police can search everyone and keep control. You can't leave your spot once you get it or you loose it and you may have to go through security again. We couldn't even see the ball, which is all I wanted to see, but it is okay. Here are some pictures:

We walked up to 57th near Central Park to catch the train. I took a few picture of the buildings near Central Park (the first is a picture of the CNN building, but I moved and it is blurry), the second is of the park.

We went back to Times Square on January 1st. Here are pictures of the 2011 sign: one is a close up and the second is a picture of the whole building.

I was sad not to be at home with my family for Christmas, but Farley and I had a great time. I am glad that we had each other. I was disappointed with pediatrics rotation, but I still think I want to become a pediatrician. There were so many students at the hospital where I did my pediatrics core rotation and I think that the doctors didn't have enough time to teach us as much as I was hoping for. Also, the hospital did not have a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), so any really sick child had to be transferred to another hospital. I don't want to sound cold, because I don't like seeing any sick children, but I want to learn and being exposed to really sick children is one way that medical professionals learn about pediatrics. I am doing a pediatric infectious disease rotation in February and I am looking forward to working with more children and being in a PICU.