Carrot for the med student

I just learned I honored [or got an 'A' in] my Peds rotation. In addition to being excellent practice in delayed gratification -- I finished my Peds rotation 7 weeks ago! -- a good grade means I did well on both my clinical evaluations & on the comprehensive "shelf" exam given nationwide. Don't ask me why the undercover pessimist in me is always surprised when I perform well after at least a decade of straight 'A's, positive feedback, & even some awards sprinkled in for good measure. Maybe it's to minimize any disappointment if I fail.

In other news, I just finished my first week of Internal Medicine (IM). I traded schedules with a classmate. That means I'll do Surgery on my next rotation at a busy inner city hospital very close to home. I had been scheduled to spend the rotation at two suburban hospitals with lighter caseloads, so the faster pace should keep me from boredom. I'll be working 5am - 9pm but at least I can leave the house close to wake time to minimize my chance of being late, one of the seven deadly sins a rotating medical student can commit.

Tomorrow I start my second week of outpatient (office-based) IM. I'll be in an inner city clinic with a large Hispanic population. Time to break out my two weeks of medical Spanish education & remember that Spanish is just like French but with easier-to-pronounce words. I should be just fine, provided the patients speak slowly & have enough teeth to speak clearly.

Amy MacDonald - "Run" (mp3)

Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins - "Handle With Care [Traveling Wilbury's cover]" (mp3)

Natalia Clavier - "Dormida" (mp3)