Unforeseen Wedding Crazies and Match Day Results

So,  I see myself as a pretty low key non-stressy bride.   I intend not to be a Bridezilla and have made it so those participating in my wedding have max flexibility.  For example,  I'm not choosing dresses for my party but allowing them to chose their own within a certain color spectrum.  So far my fiance has been way more of a Groomzilla with demands that no sneakers be worn and that certain members of the party should wear hats, and freaking out when little things don't come together.

However, there is something about weddings that make people lose their sense of agency and need to ask the bride about every little thing.  I've been asked everything from what shoes (which I think is reasonable) to how to wrap our wedding present (which is not).   It's like we are Ta'veren and everyone is just waiting for our approval.  More frustrating is the lack (possibly American lack as I've talked to others before) of ability to look things up.  Though the website is chock full of info and we've sent out numerous emails & google docs with information people still ask me.  Even though I've clearly said in other emails that I don't have this information, people still ask me.

 Apparently I was looking so defeated today that everyone seemed to feel the need to console me and tell me not to worry.  All of our service people have been super excited and we're crossing fingers for no rain next Saturday.

Of Match Day I will be heading down to wonderful Asheville, NC to join the Mountain Area Health Education Center MAHEC.  That's right I get to be warm have a beautiful view, southern hospitality, in a hippie liberal refuge. That's right it's NC version of Austin or Yellow Springs on steroids.  :-)  Here's a shot before we found out where were going.

Now we're heading to Shadowbox for a combined Bachelor Bachelorette-esque party.  Can't wait to chill out and have some fun. On other news I gave a successful talk on White Privilege to FreeThought thanks to TWIB NET. Shout out to the chatroom and all my wonderful friends who are helping me remain sane by tying ribbons and gluing corks.  ONE WEEK LEFT.

3, 2, 1 AHHHHHhhhhhhh

So I'm at O'Hare airport on my way to Kansas City for AAFP's cluster, and I stil can't get myself to focus enough to completely read through last year's report.  So apparently I'm blogging

For the last couple weeks I've been having fun saying , "In 4 months I'm graduating, 3 months getting married, 2 months Matching, and going to  Swaziland in 1 month.  Then it all crashed down.  Wait no, not 4 months, 3.  I'm going to Swaziland next month (which is a whole other discussion) . . Ahhh wait no I did again.  I'm going to Swaziland next week.  Actually this time next week I'll be landing in Johannesburg.  So with the realization I'll be basically out of touch with everyone for a month I've been trying to get things squared away.  Like emailing the entire family to RSVP for the wedding since for some reason most of my family didn't.  This is especially important since we have an A, B and C list and people keep wanting to bring guests.  120 people can come to the wedding.  That is it we are against fire codes here people. 

To add to the craziness I have to make sure my schedule is finalized. Work on my talent show entry (since I am the reining champion for the last 3 years).  Make sure my research FINALLY gets through IRB so I can graduate. And oh yeah at some point I should pack for leaving the country.  But wait there are some wedding things that I need to tend to before I go.  And I have to turn in my badge for my Women's Health elective and, and and . . . . 

At least my Rank list is done.

I'm pretty sure I don't look as crazed as I feel since Airport Security haven't dragged me away yet.  Okay.  I'm going to get back to actually preparing for the thing happening later today.  Fingers crossed there are no more delays. 

The "Aha" Moment

The other day while in neurology I had a patient's room number I didn't recognize.  "Where is 5702" I asked my colleague.  "Oh it's in the new cardiac building.  I think you have to cross over on the 4th floor or something."  "Oh yeah."  Though I only vaguely thought I knew where the floor was, I proceeded to go down to the 4th floor,  through ICU to the new building and immediately find my patient on the 5th floor.  Then I realized . . . I know my way around.  All hospitals are mazes and starting at community hospitals in 3rd year I was pretty sure I'd only know where a few things were (residents lounge, cafeteria, patients for one service).   Then to my surprise I find by the 3rd month of my 4th year I actually know my way around.

Every year of medical school seems to have an aha moment.  A moment where you're doing something you never thought you would.

• 1st year you realize - wow I am actually reading all of this information.
• 2nd year - you have the moment when you are not actually panicing about Step 1 of the boards (at the moment
• 3rd year- Is the moment when an attending tells you to go see a patient and you do.  You don't think about it.  You don't freak out and go through in your head what am I supposed to ask them.  You just see the patient
• Now 4th year when you realize you know your way around.

I've often heard from attendings that 3rd year is the transition from patient to doctor for medical students and by the time you are at the end of 3rd year and beginning of 4th you are pretty much a doctor.   What I didn't realize is that certain things just become automatic when that happens.  Like doing an History and Physical and finding your way around.  Here's to Fourth Year !

--> Interview Update <-- amaze="amaze" an="an" and="and" another="another" as="as" asheville="asheville" at="at" atividad="atividad" aybe="aybe" be="be" but="but" change="change" cherry="cherry" coast="coast" coming="coming" could="could" did="did" do="do" done="done" end="end" fall="fall" for="for" get="get" group="group" have="have" health="health" hill="hill" i="i" idn="idn" in="in" ind="ind" interview="interview" interviews="interviews" it="it" list="list" love="love" me="me" my="my" nbsp="nbsp" nc.="nc." now.="now." now="now" of="of" p="p" place="place" rosa.="rosa." santa="santa" stands="stands" t="t" the="the" this="this" ut="ut" week.="week." west="west" will="will" wish="wish" with="with">

Wedding Planning Interrupted by Residency Interviews

So I kinda fell off again.  Mostly due to 3rd year craziness. Here's a hint of what I went through

  Now it's Fall and Interview Season.  I'm interviewing for Family Med. So far I've interviewed at Beth Israel in NY, and Washington in PA.  Next up are Williamsport in PA, Asheville and Hendersonville in NC.  Then I start on my west coast set in northern CA and Seattle.  There's only one I'm waiting to hear back from (and of course it is my number one right now) Santa Rosa (sigh).  Every time I go to the website I find something new I love about the program. Anyway.  The website is done.  Invitations are out and I'm just waiting to get all of the RSVPs back at this point.  Will post how all of that looks.  Through the help of friends we found a brilliant photographer jennifer elizabeth and did some amazing engagement photos.

Now I Just have all the personal stuff to finish.  Find makeup, and work on hair.  Oh yeah and I really need to find who is going to do my mehndi.