Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The notepad used by the Pediatric Cardiology nurses
For those days when you've just had to be thankful for the little things!
Onward toward the Match!
Tomorrow wraps up the final day of my Pediatric Cardiology rotation at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Pediatric Residency Program. It's been a great month, filled with murmurs and echos, interview invites, and 2 completed interviews. These interviews took place at UT Chattanooga and the Cleveland Clinic (Ohio).
I started this year with the frustration of having my first two rotations in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology and General In-Patient Pediatrics cancelled and having to lunge at a rotation back at my "home base," the Asheville VA Hospital, for an adult ICU rotation. Despite what seemed like a rough start to the year, during that month in the ICU I learned about pulmonary critical care, received a generous recommendation letter from my ICU attending, passed my USMLE exam, and got a rotation set up with Asheville Children's Medical Center, practice of long-time family friend Dr. Bill Bryan and his colleagues Dr. Sam Kohn, Dr. Colby Grant and Dr. Bridgette Fogleman. Having had a full year lapse since my last pediatric rotation, I was a bit apprehensive about starting this rotation, but all of these docs took me under their wing and taught me how to fly. I learned and saw so much during this month, and on top of that, had an absolute blast doing it! They have wonderful personalities with more than enough knowledge and enthusiasm for teaching than I could have ever asked for. To make things even better, their office staff was simply amazing, both with the fluidity with which they kept the practice moving smoothly and with their welcoming attitudes, taking me in as if I belonged there. I am absolutely grateful to each and every one of them for all they taught me in those four weeks.
This month my Pediatric Cardiology rotation has been similarly educational. Working with "Dr Nisha", Dr Johnson and Dr Hays for the past 4 weeks has given me a solid insight into the world of congenital heart defects and the impact they have on the lives of patients and their families. I feel much more comfortable with recognizing an innocent/benign murmur than I did 4 weeks ago, and I have a deeper appreciation both for the altered lifestyles of the bearers of these defects and the upkeep that is required on the part of the physicians in maintaining the cardiovascular function of their patients and in constantly searching for new ways to treat these patients to maximize their lifespan and ability to participate in their own lives.
Tomorrow, or perhaps Friday, I leave for Denver, Colorado. There I will be spending a month with the University of Colorado at Denver Pediatric Residency program at Denver General for a Pediatric Sub-Internship. This is my chance to show off what I have learned over the past 3 years, but more importantly, what it is like to work with me and what an asset I would be to this program. I interview with them during my second week there and am hoping to make a better-than-good impression to have a chance at being ranked by them during the Match process. I have five additional interviews scheduled in the next 3 months and I anticipate scheduling at least as many more, but I know that whether or not Denver is the best program for me, I am going to have a great month and try to learn as much as possible. It'll also be a great chance to brush up on my Spanish and begin incorporating some medical Spanish into my basic conversational Spanish background, which I know will be an asset no matter where I end up.
Tengo que prepararme para el examen de manana, asi que le deseo una buena noche!
I started this year with the frustration of having my first two rotations in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology and General In-Patient Pediatrics cancelled and having to lunge at a rotation back at my "home base," the Asheville VA Hospital, for an adult ICU rotation. Despite what seemed like a rough start to the year, during that month in the ICU I learned about pulmonary critical care, received a generous recommendation letter from my ICU attending, passed my USMLE exam, and got a rotation set up with Asheville Children's Medical Center, practice of long-time family friend Dr. Bill Bryan and his colleagues Dr. Sam Kohn, Dr. Colby Grant and Dr. Bridgette Fogleman. Having had a full year lapse since my last pediatric rotation, I was a bit apprehensive about starting this rotation, but all of these docs took me under their wing and taught me how to fly. I learned and saw so much during this month, and on top of that, had an absolute blast doing it! They have wonderful personalities with more than enough knowledge and enthusiasm for teaching than I could have ever asked for. To make things even better, their office staff was simply amazing, both with the fluidity with which they kept the practice moving smoothly and with their welcoming attitudes, taking me in as if I belonged there. I am absolutely grateful to each and every one of them for all they taught me in those four weeks.
This month my Pediatric Cardiology rotation has been similarly educational. Working with "Dr Nisha", Dr Johnson and Dr Hays for the past 4 weeks has given me a solid insight into the world of congenital heart defects and the impact they have on the lives of patients and their families. I feel much more comfortable with recognizing an innocent/benign murmur than I did 4 weeks ago, and I have a deeper appreciation both for the altered lifestyles of the bearers of these defects and the upkeep that is required on the part of the physicians in maintaining the cardiovascular function of their patients and in constantly searching for new ways to treat these patients to maximize their lifespan and ability to participate in their own lives.
Tomorrow, or perhaps Friday, I leave for Denver, Colorado. There I will be spending a month with the University of Colorado at Denver Pediatric Residency program at Denver General for a Pediatric Sub-Internship. This is my chance to show off what I have learned over the past 3 years, but more importantly, what it is like to work with me and what an asset I would be to this program. I interview with them during my second week there and am hoping to make a better-than-good impression to have a chance at being ranked by them during the Match process. I have five additional interviews scheduled in the next 3 months and I anticipate scheduling at least as many more, but I know that whether or not Denver is the best program for me, I am going to have a great month and try to learn as much as possible. It'll also be a great chance to brush up on my Spanish and begin incorporating some medical Spanish into my basic conversational Spanish background, which I know will be an asset no matter where I end up.
Tengo que prepararme para el examen de manana, asi que le deseo una buena noche!
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