It's been a couple of months since I've written. This isn't because I haven't wanted to. It also isn't because I haven't meant to. But, this fifth semester just makes it so hard to write something that's not negative.
If you follow the New York Times Health section, over the last couple of weeks, there have been stories about burn-out in medical students and residents. That is pretty much how I have been feeling in this semester. We aren't in the classroom learning new things, and we aren't in the clinic working closely with a physician. What we are is somewhere in between with a very convoluted schedule that isn't set, and we are studying under a group that seems to take great pains in making sure that we are off-balance, and unable to figure out how to succeed here.
To compound all of that, I have been working at signing up for the USMLE Step 1 exam, one of the critical exams to pass on my way to licensure. For quite a while, Becky and I had been working with the goal of me taking the exam on 22 December which would give me time to study before we visited family over Christmas, and also allowing us to enjoy our break between the end of fifth semester, and me beginning my clinical rotations.
Unfortunately, part of the process for signing up for a date to take the exam has changed. Before October of this year, the process was, apply for an identification number with USMLE which took about a week. Then, fill out the application. Once you fill out the application, you get an identification verification form which much be routed through your schoool. Once that is completed, and sent to the ECFMG, there is a three week processing period. Well, now the processing period is six weeks. Even after that processing is done, I get yet another identification number which I take to an examination company, Prometric, and then I get to schedule the exam.
I started the application process the first week in October. Now, my application is 3 days into final processing at the ECFMG--which they are now saying takes six weeks. So, if I'm still looking at 22 Dec for the Step 1 exam, I will have about 10 days of prior knowledge that I can actually make that date. Given everything, Becky and I have decided that this essentially makes 22 December an unreasonable goal to shoot for.
So, we are planning on me taking the exam in mid January, 2009. Fortunately, this date is still early enough that it won't change any of my current clinical rotation plans, which are actually quite sparse. But, it does have other ramifications. We're moving up decisions on where we're going to try to settle over the next two years. Unfortunately, I get this exam looming over me for another three weeks. This exam is what the vast majority of my classes have been oriented at since I started medical school, so it's a big milestone. I'm looking forward to getting it done, and behind me.
Beyond that, Becky and I have been staying at home, watching our dogs, and the seasons change. Kubby, our puppy is now our biggest dog, although he's still pretty small. I'd say he's about 25 pounds now. He's been losing teeth like crazy, which makes for interesting fights between Kody and Kubby. It's also nice for Becky and me because being gummed by a puppy is much less damaging than being chewed on by a puppy with sharp puppy teeth and near dog-sized jaws. Kubby is also calming down into quite a charming little guy. It's been well over a month since he's had an accident in the apartment. That is quite a relief for us, because we really don't like to have to spot-treat our rug, and we didn't exactly bring a lot of cleaning supplies to the apartment we plan on leaving before Christmas.
Fall in Florida is much nicer than fall in Dominica, too. Would you believe that once or twice the temperature has dipped to 59 degrees overnight? Becky and I had a good laugh at the weatherman when he said that the next morning was going to be "heavy coat weather" as the temperatures would be in the low 60's. Becky reminisced that when she was in grade school, if the temperature was above 60, they could go to recess without their coats. I don't remember any rules like that, but when I was commuting on my bicycle in Lincoln, I wouldn't worry about the weather until it was 50 or cooler. People in Florida seem to have thin blood when it comes to cold.
Cheers for now!
-j
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