Take My Stuff!

So here's a bunch of photos of some of the bigger pieces of furniture I need to get rid of. Follow the link to my Flickr!

TAKE MY THINGS!

Going Away/Tag Sale Party?

So I have some thoughts about how to lighten my load while at the same time getting a chance to celebrate new beginnings and adventures with friends. I was thinking about having a going away party with a Tag Sale. Things like CDs, books, clothes, kitchen goods, storage shelves, miscellaneous bicycle parts, and whatever else I find that I don't want to haul cross-country will be up for grabs. Prices will be insanely reasonable- 10 CDs for $1, $0.25 books, clothes/shoes $1 and so on and so forth. At the same time there will be a fun party with noms and Rock Band and beers.
I'd love any input so feel free to comment!
xo

So little time

The official countdown for the end of school is 54 days. Things have been very busy over the last 6 months, much of it focused on what I will be doing once I finish my program. I still plan on moving to Portland, OR with Mike and the cats and possibly one other wonderful friend. Soon after moving to Portland I aim to get my yoga instructor certification by way of Sivananda. The instructor training program begins and ends in October and is located in northern California. This is something I have wanted to do since before I began school. Becoming a yoga teacher maybe be exactly what I need to recover from everything I have struggled through for the past 3 years.

Right now I'm at the end of my surgery rotation. At this point I am relatively positive that I will not end up working in the surgical field. The days are long, grueling, and lack exposure to the outside world that I crave. My second week on rotation I was at the hospital for over 70 hours. Thankfully I only have this week and part of next week left for this rotation. Immediately following this rotation is summary testing. I have been studying like a crazy person but still feel completely unprepared for the 300 question exam and standardized patient testing. Once I complete the exams I do my last rotation at AEMCs Emergency Department which should be a nice break from the torture of the previous rotation. We are rapidly approaching the end, Folks!

So one thing I plan on enjoying after school is done is this: Beatles Rock Band Game
The cinematic alone is enough to convince me to buy the game! Regular Rock Band 2 is rad and all, however Beatles Rock Band will be amazing!!!

Time for me to get things ready for the week. My day begins at 4:30 am tomorrow so whatever I can get ready tonight is much appreciate by future me in the morning.

Hindsight

If I had known any of this prior to moving to Philadelphia, I may have had some difficult decisions to make:
Portland looks like a place I would love very much.

Fast update

I just finished my 5th rotation. This means that I am half-way through rotations! The last 2 rotations were Cardiology and Emergency Medicine. Of those two, I enjoyed the ER the most. I've known all along that I don't want to specialize immediately after school. In fact, I might take some time off from medicine altogether once I graduate. The reasons for this are many but mostly because I haven't taken a vacation in over 5 years and I am becoming extremely burnt out.

Lately my thoughts about where I want to practice medicine have been swarming my skull. I could absolutely see myself working in Emergency Medicine however I don't think I could work in Philadelphia for a long time before losing my compassion. The patients here are so under-served and have almost no preventative care which makes treating their medical emergencies very complicated.

I was becoming amazed at the Attendings who have worked at the hospital I was rotating through and finally asked one of them how he has stayed sane over his many years of treating patients in this city. He said that each day he goes to work with a certain number of coins in his pocket. It is his goal to leave with at least one coin still in his pocket at the end of the day. I have been giving absolutely every last bit of my empathy to my patients which is why I feel so drained. I cannot come up with a reasonable way to change the way I treat patients without it adversely affecting their care. Therefore, I have come to the decision that I will not be staying in Philadelphia after I graduate.

The reason for my wanting to leave are many. Unfortunately, PAs have the worst compensation in Pennsylvania when compared to all other states. While I feel some guilt for wanting to leave instead of fighting with PSPA to get better compensations but as I was saying before, I'm losing steam. I can only fight so many battles for so many years before I just throw my hands in the air.

Another reason is that there is not enough escape from city life here. While I enjoy living in a city and have no desire to move to the 'burbs there are not many outdoor activities to take advantage of here. I miss snowboarding and hiking and single track mountain biking.

I also miss a feeling of security. It's no secret that Philadelphia is a rough city. At first I was terrified of this city. It took a few months for me to feel comfortable with where I was living and learning what areas to stay away from. After working in one impoverished area and living in yet another I am feeling like I never have a break from desolation. Again, guilt creeps into my baseline emotions regularly because I would rather leave this city than fight for several more years in an attempt to better it. I'm far too tired to even consider living here for a couple more years.

So my thinking has led me to the realization that I will very likely leave here once I finish school. The number one destination on my list is Portland, OR. I've started some research and plan to visit there in a couple months. While I know that every area has its ups and downs, I need somewhere that has more ups than downs for me. At least for a while. Maybe once I recharge my batteries I would consider a more challenging city but at the moment I am ready for a change.

Speaking of change, tomorrow begins Barak Obama's presidency! I cannot wait!

Today feels new

Somehow I have energy after getting only 3.5 hours of sleep. I wonder if it has anything to do with a monumental team of Americans being elected President and Vice President yesterday. My mind has been buzzing since last night. I feel like my bleeding ulcer can finally begin to heal. Life will hopefully approach somewhat of a normal pattern again.

Thanks to all my family and friends who participated in my excitement leading up to yesterday. At times I know I was spewing nothing but Obama/Biden love and subjected most of you to my story of his appearance in Germantown. Yesterday changed everything the country had ever experienced. It is amazing to be alive in these evolving times. Of course "Change" will not come instantly or easily. But I feel that we have chosen people who can lead us to a safer future.

My heart finally feels light and my head is held high in a posture which represents how it feels to be American.

Funnies

So cute!