Interview # 6

Baystate .. Categorical

I drove the 3 hrs to the hotel that they put us up in. It's the longer route because I was trying to avoid driving through the city traffic.

It's an awesome program. I was already in love with it before even going for the interview. I love the fact that they are very pro residents and a medium size program. The dinner was at the restaurant next door and there were 5 residents that sat down with us. Some of them brought their SO as well. The residents are very happy and said all the good stuff about the program.

Interview Day: It starts at 9 am not the 7am shuttle that hotel runs to the hospital. We didn't know that beforehand so a bunch of us met in the lobby and just sat and chatted until it was time for us to carpool to the hospital. The orientation that started the day off was long and the lights were off. We all were pretty much ready for the PD to end by the end of his presentation. But the PD was very informative and excited. He was all praising how great the program was and how supportive they are of the residents.

The one thing that impressed me was that they have managed to arrange an advanced airway month. They have small enough number of residents that about half of the faculty practice one their own. They also have plenty of funds for the residents for education/conferences. They have a CRNA night system where it lightens the residents' load during calls.

The interviews were laid back. No crazy questions were asked, just wanting to know you.

Overall, I'm so far loving this place. Now, I can't decide between CCF and here.

Interview # 5

St Luke's Roosevelt .. Categorical

The one where my day was filled with what could've gone wrong, went wrong.

I left my place early enough and took the train into NY Penn station plenty of time. Then I hopped onto the subway and took me 2 stops to realize that I got on the wrong direction. Of course. I got off and cross the streets to try to get on the other way. I bought the ticket and went in then realize I was on the wrong direction platform again. I had to get out and cross the other way to finally get on the uptown subway. I got off and I have 5 min before breakfast and I would only be 5 min late, so it wasn't too big of a deal. Then I walked in the wrong direction and I had to bactracked a block and walk the original 2 blocks. I ended up being 15 min late to breakfast and walked into a roomful of people dressed in suits. Ugh.

The program felt a little out of place for me. I'm still not sure what is it that made me feel that way. The PD and chair were role playing and entertaining us during their orientation/presentation. They were the only ones to interview. They didn't ask anything about me and their only question was if I have any questions. That was it. The residents came in during their lunch breaks and they didn't hide the fact that this was not their first choice and some even said that they wouldn't come if they did want to stay in the city.

They are definitely known for regional. Starting as CA 1 they dive right into doing the regional procedures. The residents didn't seem as happy as some other places I have been to so far. They definitely to rave about it.

They do have subsidized housing but even then, it's $1400 for studio. expensive.

Overall, it's a quality program, just not sure how I'll rank them.

Thanksgiving

The week has been great. Came back from CCF interview then went into my FP rotation at Morristown office. They are very laid back and pretty much just do what you like and they are ok with it. I went in on Tues and then before I left at noon, one of them told to go home and take the rest of the week off and show up on next Tues after my St Luke's interview. Amazing or what? Worked only 1 day for the entire week. It was great. I just vegged for the rest of the time and just recuperating from the traveling for the previous interview and the previous month in Seattle and rest up before my crazy whirlwind of interviews in the next month.

I spent Thanksgiving with Kirstin and her family. It was great that I get to catch up with her and her process with the match. She's doing AOA match and she pretty much has narrowed down the a few she wants and knows the order to rank. I wish her the best and in getting what she wants. Perhaps we may end up in the same city for once. ;)

Her family is great. They pretty much have adopted me for the holidays and I have spent a couple of nights with them a couple of times. Her mom, Mary, makes good food, fairly healthy and taste good too. No complaints about food. It's been so long since I have had any home cook meals. Just satisfying. I just kind of vegged out at their place as well, definitely did not do any Black Friday shopping. I don't have any absolute need and have no need to wake up that early on my days off where I don't have to be up and functioning by 6am.

Overall, it was a quiet and relaxing time.

Interview # 4

CCF ... Categorical

As per my previous review, nothing change during this visit for me. I was a little intimidated going in because of the other applicants not becuase of the interviewers. The applicants all seem to be from a much stronger batch than myself so there was a little inferiority complex. But other than that, CCF is still what I saw 2 months ago.

They put us up at the Intercontinental next to the Clinic. They were very accomodating. I got in very early, right around their checkout time, and they were able to put me into a room with no fuss. I was impressed. For dinner, we all met at the lobby and they chartered a bus/van for us. There were 2 chiefs there with interns and all other classes. Dinner was at Fire in Shaker's Square.

Interview day started aroun 7am and done by 2pm. Interviewed with 3 facutly and 1 residents, not necessarily the chiefs. The interviews were laid back and the ones with the chair and PD were nice and short. Everyone interviews with PD and others are just luck of the draw. Residents came in during lunch and tour was after. Tour was long, 1 hour and definitely needed the walking shoes. They took us all over the clinic. Whew.

They no longer do the exit interview where they sort of give you hint of how likely you'll match there because the PD and the chair are new.

Overall, they are still one of my tops and would love to be there.

Interview # 3

SLU ... Categorical

Awesome peds... Cardinal Glennon .... peds wonderland ... need to say more ....

Anyways, it's a medium size program about 10 per and only pain fellows around. So work/cases wise, no competition. They are working on setting up a peds fellowship but according them, there are enough work that they shouldn't have any problems.

They have one thing special is that they are starting a course on healthcare policy/management. I find that amazing because I know that I myself am fairly clueless when comes to healthcare politics/business. The fact that they are starting a course on it sounds like they really do care how the residents do while they are there and afterwards out in the real world.

This was one of the few that did not put up hotel but got us a great deal at Hyatt Riverfront. It was a gorgeous hotel and I think the going rate was around $200 per. Dinner was at Ruth's, which was right in the lobby so it was great not having to worry about where to go for dinner. The residents there that night was very blunt and straight forward. They tell you straight up what is good and not. Same thing during the interview day when they came in during breaks and lunch.

The interview day was one of my longer one. It started around 7:30 and did not end until 5pm, partly due to a series of situations that the interviewers had and they had to call other to come in to interview us. Interviewed with 3 people and they are all very laid back, no crazy questions.

Overall, I liked this program, which surprised me. I didn't want to like St Louis because it's in MO but it made an impression.

UW

Loved Seattle. Very much like SF but not too city like. It just turned cold when I got there. I felt that it was even colder than the East Coast. There's even decent public transit. But I'm not sure if West Coast is for me anymore. When I first arrived, I was thinking that it feels strange to be back on the West Coast and I'm not sure if I can fit in anymore with the lifestyle. The sad thing was I've only been away for a little over 3 years.

UW is great but I felt it was a little too intense. I would say it was a little more intense than any of my other anes rotation. There's lectures to go early in the morning and pbld once a week in the afternoon. The attendings there were from all over the world so it was sort of fun guessing where they are from. The attendings really like to teach and they do pimp a bit but nothing crazy. The residents there seem to be happy but definitely busy and some of them look tired. I ended up interviewing there before I left. I was told by the last year's chief that sometimes the people who rotated there seem to fall through the crack so he helped me talk to about giving an interview before I leave.

My fav part was that a couple of residents talked about their international trips that counted as an elective as CA3 and that the faculty help them set it up. It all seems to be good but my gut is telling me that it's not my perfect fit. I would be perfectly happy here but I just felt that there are more out there.

Interview # 2

University of Washington ... Seattle, WA

Interview while on my away rotation. Felt like it was more of a courtesy interview. Anyways, normally they have dinner night before. Interviewed with 2 interviewers. One with the PD and the other with a faculty. Both were laid back. PD asked about the current ASA/health policy a little, but nothing too crazy.

Overall: very strong program. Faculty are mostly international so lots of ways of doing things. An elective month during CA3 to go abroad and the faculty has connections to help. Seattle is aa great place to live. Loved it there. Lectures are on Thurs morning. Wed morning is grand rounds and then 3 hrs protected after for class lecture depending which year's turn. Simulation every 4-6 mos or so.

TJU

Spent a month at TJU in Philly. Loved the area, totally wouldn't mind living there. Lots to do and see and my fav, public transit. Totally no need for cars but parking is super duper expensive.

Jefferson is a good solid program for the residents but really doesn't care for the students. I didn't really know what to expect and by the end of month, the other girls and I ended up trying to see when we can leave and not to show up. The residents seem very happy and love what they are doing there. They claimed that it's the most benign program in the city despite their increasing case loads. The lectures are on Tues and Thurs early am and Wed afternoon for boards prep. Grand rounds is on Thurs morn after lecture.

Faculty will teach only if you ask questions but the relationship between faculty and residents seem to be open and friendly. Everyone knows each other and get along well. They also got lots of toys to play with. Attendings semem to be open about what and when to use or try what. They also sent more than half of the residents to ASA, mostly on presentations. More than happy to work with the residents to get papers/presentations out.

Mashed Butternut Squash

I found this in Shape magazine while I was waiting at Dallas airport.

Whole Foods frozen butternut squash
apple butter

boil and mash the butternut squash. add apple butter and mix.

Interview # 1

Texas Tech ... Lubbock, TX - Categorical

Dinner - Lots of food at steakhouse. Food is really good. Got to talk to the residents and have their honest opinions and the going ons of the program. They seem to be happy to be there, not really have complaints. Got to meet the other applicants and just talk about random things and also hear about their other interviews as well. I got lucky and manage to coordinate rides with a couple of the applicants. Being 1 of 3 gal applicants there, got the story behind them having only 1 gal in their program. One left due to personality issue and the other left wanting to be full time mom.

Interview Day (Sat) - Starts with breakfast @ 8am. Again their theme seems to be food. Day starts with a couple of slideshows by Dr Hall, program director, introducing Lubbock and the program a bit. He is funny, very laid back, approachable. Then interviews start. Each of us has 3 interview sessions, 2 one-on-one with faculty and 1 with 2 residents. There are 12 of us and about 5 faculties and 4-5 residents. The rest is luck of draw to see who you get. I interviewed with Dr Boswell, Dr Hall and 2 of the residents. Standard questions. Asked about my personal statement, my research, what I liked and how I dealt with struggle and of course my school and OMM. I just hoped that I answered coherently. In between interveiws, can chat with other residents popping into the conference room for food. Everyone there is very open about answering any questions. They are up for accreditation renewal so they'll know in Nov. They are planning to rank 25 ish to match 4. Their ranking process is very mechanical. Everyone is given a score and then are put in order after interveiw. They would talk about it before submission. Lunch is provided and a short tour after. The hospital looks fairly new and has electronic records. It's a decent size, not too small. They have plenty of call rooms and they all look very nice.

Hotel - Hawthorn Suites - gorgeous hotel for the price of 80ish bucks. The only thing I could complain about is not having shuttle service or not being too reliable. Interview is on Sat morn and we were told that they would have a shuttle for us in the morn even though they don't normally run on Sat morn per program coordinator. Anyways, I asked them 3 times about and they didn't have a clue to what I was asking about. Thankfully, I met one of the guys on the plane and ran into someone I knew from Dallas at the hotel. We ended up bumming a ride from another that rented a car and staying there as well. Also there's not much around the hotel besides Covenant Hospital and I didn't know what else is there and being that dinner was not till 8pm, I got hungry after I landed at 12:30pm. Took quite a bit of walk but ended up eating at the hospital cafe. would be nice if the hotel could provide some surrounding area info for those of us without rental.

Overall - Solid program. Not have enough pediatric but do send residents to Dallas Children's. Seems to have good education to pass boards. Lubbock is interesting being that it serves West TX, NM and surrounding states. Will consider.

Apple Picking and PJ Pancake House

End of the 1st week of rotation at Jefferson ... more about it later. Drove back to my apartment and went apple picking at Terhune Orchards in Princeton with my small group. It was fun and we caught a bit of rain halfway through.

I didn't realize that there are more variation of apples that I have seen in the markets. They tasted much better than the ones in the market. They had Stayman Winesap, Jonamac, Macintosh, Empire, Liberty, Macoun, Golden delicious and Red delicious. I'm still not a friend of the delicious types so didn't pick any of those nor try them. I did try a bite or two of all the others. My favorite was Empire and I picked more of that. I also liked Liberty and Macoun. Jonamac and Macintosh just tasted too grainy and too thick of skin for me. And they were little more tart than I liked. I really like the Empire because it was more crunchy, slightly sweet and just more refreshing.

Before we left the orchards, I bought pecan pumkin bread and of course 1/2 gal of apple cider. I really miss the good yummy pumpkin bread. My first time was last Thanksgiving trying it at my friend's home and now I'm hooked. For apple cider, heat it up, a dollop of caramel and whipped cream ... yum ... perfect for fall. I knew there was a reason that I'm enjoying fall this year on the East Coast.

Lastly, apple cider doughnut. Never seen it or had it before. It was good but not my fav. The taste has more apple flavor but it's still a doughnut. I also bought apple butter but haven't had a chance to try it yet. Will definitely go for it after I'm back from Seattle around Thanksgiving.

Then we had lunch near Princeton University at PJ Pancake House, which is supposedly this awesome pancake place. I'm not a big fan of pancake and only when I'm in the mood for them. I had their fish and chips. It's not bad but probably wouldn't go there again. We went there mostly for the landmark.

Cleveland Clinic

SICU ... completed ... next Thomas Jefferson Univ (anesthesiology).

All I can say, the Clinic is amazing. I had a great time there and it's one of my top programs right now. The residents there are great, very laid back, not too stress. The attendings love to teach and very resident friendly.

The caseloads are huge but then it's the clinic so it gets a ton of zebras cases. Residents definitely finish there with solid abilities in handling pretty much any type of cases. There's no lack for any type of cases. Their call schedule seems decent even in the SICU. SICU depends on the number of residents there for the month. The craziest week was Q3-4.

Didactic was good. Nothing really spectacular. 1 hr/week for each class, going over the relative topic and 1 hr/ week for every one. The rest is rotation dependent. SICU has lectures Mon and Tues for 1 hr and journal club on Wed. Otherwise, it's a lot of your own initiative and learn on your own.

The only thing I really had an issue with was the size. I keep getting lost around the clinic even by the end of the month. The clinic covers about 4 block square all connected and some more on the periphery. It almost felt like a mini medical city.

I've surprised myself in really liking it and enjoying it. I was kinda uncertain about it being in the midwest and knowing that I'm not really a midwest kind of a gal. So this has gone up on my list.

Passed !!

PE ... passed

Officially done with boards and can graduate with a DO degree and not have to worry about step 3 for another year or so.

West Side Market

Per my good friend Kirstin, I had to visit the West Side Market. It's an indoor farmers market. The fresh produce is on the perimeter and the inner block was the meat, bakery, seafood and ready made food stalls. It's absolutely wonderful. There's so much that I didn't know where to start. I ended up roaming around and repeated some of the stops that I have made. They gots lots of good Italian food and pastries. They all looked to die for. There's an awesome gyro stall and the regular gyro was huge. It was enough for my lunch/dinner. There are even some Asian fruits that I would only expect to have in the Asian market. I'm very impressed by them.

It's definitely an experience and would love to go again if I'm back.

Honey Curry Chicken

skinless chicken breasts (6-8) or chicken tenders (2.5-3 lb)
¼ c. butter or margarine
½ c. honey
¼ c. prepared mustard
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt

Place chicken in greased casserole dish. Melt butter in a pot on stove. Add other ingredients to pot and mix well, warm only, no need to boil. Pour mixture over chicken. Place in oven, bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear. Garnish with sautéed mushrooms (in butter, with salt and pepper) if desired. I like to serve it with rice.

Home Away from Home

Chinese Cleveland Church. That's where I went to church today. It's also where I realized that I will always have a home no matter where I go because my home with God. It really gave me a warm feeling while I was sitting at the pew.

The sermon was good and very applicable despite the pastor being a little monotone. I don't mind it at all because it was a good reminder of what my purpose in life was. The people was great as well. I was immediately drawn in with the medical people, whether docs, res or med students.

I totally don't mind making this my home if I come to Cleveland.

Potato and Green Bean Salad

Servings: 10 • Size: 9 oz • Time: 15 minutes • Points: 3.25 ww points

7 large new potatoes, peeled
1 lb string beans beans, ends trimmed
1 2.8 oz can sliced olives, drained
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 scallions, chopped
kosher salt and fresh pepper

Cook potatoes in a large pot of salted water. In another pot, cover string beans with water and boil until string beans are cooked. Run under cold water to prevent them from overcooking. When the potatoes are done, drain and slice in large chunks.In a large bowl, combine balsamic, oil, salt and pepper. Add potatoes green beans, scallions and olives. Mix will and serve room temperature.

Baby Red Potato Salad

Servings: 6 • Size: 3/4 cups • Time: 15 minutes • Calories: 108 • Points: 2 ww points
4 cups baby red potatoes, cut in small pieces
1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
3 scallions, diced
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise
salt and fresh pepper

Boil potatoes in salted water until soft, approx 10 minutes. Drain and let cool.While the potatoes are boiling, combine red onion, green pepper, mustard, olive oil, vinegar and mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and let the flavors marinade while the potatoes cook. Once the potatoes are done and cool, mix into the bowl and add scallions and additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.

UTSW

Today, officially done with my anesthesia rotation at UTSW. The month have flown by and it was a really good experience. There was definitely a lot of getting to meet the right people and showcasing myself so that I won't look like an idiot. I definitely felt like I had to be on my toes a bit even though the attendings didn't pimp as much as I thought they would.

Overall, the program is very solid. The residents definitely get to do a lot and see a variety of cases. They rotate through 5 different hospital throughout Dallas and get to see how each hospital run the anesthesia department. I get the impression that once finish, the residents are very well clinically trained. Research wise, I know it's there but I just didn't get the feeling that it's heavily emphasized. Perhaps they just don't showcase that aspect to the students.

The didactic portion is good. It's mostly online and they expect the residents read the short blurp on the topic of the day and read up the case of the week and discuss them with the attendings. There's weekly conference and other lectures depending on the service the residents are on. The program is definitely more self motivated and less structured on lectures.

I would totally come here in a heart beat. The staff is great and there's really good relationship among the residents and the staff.

JFK

Saturday, Wei and I went to JFK museum in Dallas, basically to see the history of JFK's assasination. The museum was full of the his life and family stories and his political career up to his assasination and the aftermath. I felt that the museum did a really good job in transforming the building where the shots were fired into a walk through history showing what happened at the time and how the case was pieced together by the technology of the time.

I thought it was interesting in how the city preserved the "X" that marks the spot where JFK was shot. The city paints it every year to keep it visible from the 6th floor of the museum. Then the museum keeps the same box arrangement where the assasin was. It really give the sense of you being there and being able to piece together yourself what happened.

The aftermath was also talked about as well. I don't remember much but what sticks out was the fact that not only the people loved and mourned JFK but even the politics afterwards were still following what he dreamt of. It was just amazing to me that a president was so loved that he made an incredible impact during his interrupted reign.

It was through the museum that I get know some history of Parkland Memorial Hospital, place where I'm rotating through. I'm glad that I visited the museum, now I can put a place in mind regarding this incredibly sad history of US.

18 mos break of Boards!!!

Got my scores back and now just waiting for my PE scores.

CK - 217/89
CE - 524/84

Funny thing happened, my scores flipped flop from step 1. I actually did better in USMLE than COMLEX. That tells you something about COMLEX. Slightly disappointed with COMLEX but from studentdoctor forum, it seems like most people dropped on CE. I didn't have too big of a drop but I was hoping to be about the same or higher. Oh well. I did hope to break the 220s on the CK but any improvement from Step 1 I'll take. I think by the end of my studying time, I just got really tired and just want to get it over with. What's done is done. Now I can only hope for the best for the match.

Now I get to have a break from boards until step 3 during my PGY 1 year. Yea!!

Jorg's Vienna Cafe & Dallas

First week in UTSW Anesthesia -- complete.

Anyways, I'm staying with my cousin Wei in Plano, TX about 25min from Dallas. Plano is an old and new suburban city. Wei lives near the old downtown area. The Vienna Cafe was spotted on my way home and Wei also saw it too. So we decided to try it and see. I have never had any Austrian / German food so this is a first for me. For Wei, this is to compare to what he had when was living in Germany.

The food was ok to me since I didn't realize that Austrian food mostly consist of "wurst" (sausage), suaerkraut, and cold potato salad. The sausage part wasn't bad, it's just a little too much meat for me. The sauerkraut is good. The interesting part is the potato salad. It's not a salad where there's potato chunks, it's more like mashed potatoes but with dressing. All I can say is interesting. Wei said that it's actually very close, but not as good as the real thing. This is a maybe try again category.

Dallas in general is hot. I'm not used to the 100's degree since I have left Sacramento more than 7 yrs ago. I'm still trying to get use to the heat. Anyways, the rotation is set up like radiology rotation where it starts early but ends by noon after the lecture. People interested in Anesthesia stay later. We rotate through 2 hospitals, Parkland Memorial and Zale University. The residents rotate through 5 hospitals throughout Dallas as UTSW is the only anesthesia program in Dallas. So far, it seems like there's pretty good system set up where the residents do their own learning on the own time and there are short reading for each day to trigger more in-depth discussion with the attendings. The attendings are very willing to teach. There's definitely heavy case loads but there seems to relief from the CRNA around 3-4pm unless there are just too many cases going on. Calls seem to be Q4d. So far so good.

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Salad

1 pkg Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch dip mix
½ c. oil
½ c. vinegar

1 lb cooked, shredded chicken (about 1 ½ to 2 breasts)

3/4 box garden rotini
1 can black beans
1 can black olives, halved
2 -3 tomatoes, chopped
Frozen corn

Mix dressing mix, oil, and vinegar in small bowl and set aside. Combine chicken, cooked pasta, beans, olives, and tomatoes in large bowl. Add dressing and frozen corn about 20 minutes before serving. Be sure to toss again just before serving, as the dressing will seep to the bottom.

Garlic Chicken with Bow Tie Pasta

1 Tb olive oil

1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breast, sliced crosswise

1 tsp salt

1 Tb olive oil

6-8 cloves garlic, crushed (1 rounded Tb)

1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered

1/2 c green onions, sliced

3/4 c red or orange sweet peppers

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (undrained)

1/2 c chicken broth

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups dry bow tie pasta - cook as directed

1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped (may use fresh parsley)

parmesan cheese, grated

1. Fry chicken in oil over medium heat until done. Sprinkle with salt and remove from skillet. Keep warm.

2.Cook garlic in oil until golden. Add mushrooms, green onions and peppers - cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, red pepper, cornstarch and salt. Heat to boiling then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Combine chicken, hot mixture, pasta and cilantro. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan to your liking and enjoy!

*Use less crushed red pepper to make it mild. Also, I add the peppers when I have them on hand - zucchini and squash are delicious too. You can omit the chicken as well for a healthy, vegetarian dish.

Jalapeño Shrimp Pasta

12 oz frozen, uncooked shrimp in shells
6 - 8 oz dried linguine
2 Tb olive oil
1 or 2 fresh jalapeño chili peppers, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 c. chopped ripe tomatoes (sometimes I add a bit more)
½ c. finely shredded parmesan cheese

Thaw shrimp, if frozen, according to package directions (run water over them for a couple minutes). Peel and devein shrimp. (Deveining shrimp is completely for aesthetic reasons, and in this recipe I can’t see the vein once it’s cooked, so I highly recommend skipping that step!) Cook linguine. In large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add jalapeños, garlic, salt, and pepper; cook and stir one minute. Add shrimp; cook about 3 minutes more or until shrimp turns opaque. Stir in tomatoes; heat through. (Add a little more salt to taste.) Drain linguine; toss with shrimp mixture. Top with Parmesan cheese.
Variation: Add 3 Tb chopped fresh basil instead of the chili peppers. (I haven’t given this variation a try, so let me know if you try it and like it!)

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

Again, from another's blog and thought looks good.

2 Packages reduced sodium Stuffing mix

1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 lb sliced deli ham, cut into 1 inch stips
1 cup swiss cheese shredded

2 cups cheddar cheese shredded

2 cups cooked chicken ( I used shredded--but I think cubed would be better)

Prepare stuffing mixes according to directions on box. Meanwhile in a bowl, combine soup and milk. Put chicken in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with pepper. Layer with ham, swiss cheese and 1 cups of cheddar cheese, soup mixture ans stuffing. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. At this point you can freeze. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer.

Rumbi Island Easy Mango Chicken and Rice

From another website and I thought it looked good.

• 4-5 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups mango salsa
• Cumin to taste
• Lemon Pepper to taste

Put chicken breasts in crock pot. Add spices. Cover and cook chicken until tender. Shred chicken on a plate and return to crock pot. Save juices in separate bowl.

Add corn, beans and salsa. More salsa can be added to taste. If mixture seems dry, add some of reserved juices.

Serve over coconut jasmine rice for that Rumbi Island Grill taste. Garnish with cilantro or parsely, if desired.

*You could use regular salsa for a Mexican taste and serve over regular rice or tortilla chips.

Carjack ....Warning

Warning..!!!! Warning..!!!! Warning..!!!!

Something I got from a friend's blog and thought it should be passed around.

WARNING FROM POLICE THIS APPLIES TO BOTH WOMEN AND MEN

BEWARE OF PAPER ON THE BACK WINDOW OF YOUR VEHICLE-- NEW WAY TO DO CARJACKINGS (NOT A JOKE)

Heads up everyone! Please, keep this circulating.... You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. You start the engine and shift into reverse. When you look into the rearview mirror to back out of your parking space, you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window. So, you shift into park, unlock your doors, and jump out of your car to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view. When you reach the back of your car, that is when the carjackers appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and take off. They practically mow you down as they speed off in your car.

And guess what, ladies? I bet your purse is still in the car.

So now the carjacker has your car, your home address, your money, and your keys. Your home and your whole identity are now compromised!

BEWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME THAT IS NOW BEING USED.

If you see a piece of paper stuck to your back window, just drive away. Remove the paper later. And be thankful that you read this e-mail. I hope you will forward this to friends and family, especially to women. A purse contains all kinds of personal information and identification documents, and you certainly do NOT want this to fall into the wrong hands.

Please keep this going And tell all your friends

After Boards Vacay

After all the boards, I flew home to enjoy some family time and SF before going off for my away rotations for the next 4 months. I spent a couple of days at my brother's place in SF and we went to a couple of good Chinese restaurants that my mom found and want to go as family.

We went to this awesome and expensive dim sum place in Daly City. They also sold Dragon's Beard. It's a candy but made it like tons of white threads woven together. Yummy

This was my makeup birthday cake. My brother bought this from a place that he deemed really good. It was yummy too.

In the end, I had plenty of yummy food for a couple of days. I also met my brother's girlfriend and we had lunch with her family after her white coat ceremony. She's nice but I personally don't think they'll last long. She just doesn't really fit with my brother.

Step 2 Studying

I allotted about 5 weeks for the studying. I started halfway through my ER rotation at Morristown Memorial where I was required to do only 11 shifts. So I did majority of them in the beginning and left with 5 for the last half, which left me quite a bit of time to read. I finished reading Crush Step 2 during the time. After the rotation, I started Nephrology for 2 weeks which was only half days at St Michael's Medical Center. During the 2 weeks, I did USMLEWorld, any where from 2-3 sections a day during the weekdays and on the weekends around 3-4 sections a day. For those 2 weeks, I finished about 75% of USMLEWorld. I then took 2 weeks off to finish studying and take COMLEX CE on 7/7, USMLE and COMLEX Step 2 on 7/11 and 7/16. By the time I took USMLE, I finished 90% of USMLEWorld. I then signed up for COMBANK for the last 5 days before COMLEX Step 2. For COMBANK, I had less than 100 questions left by the time I took COMLEX Step 2.

I didn't really studied hardcore until my Nephrology rotation, starting the qbanks. As I was doing the qbanks, I would go over the right and worng answers and add the information that I didn't remember to Crush. Then for about 2 hrs before bed time, I would re-read Crush. I think by the end, I have read Crush twice. Overall, I would say, I spent about 3 weeks in studying.

The materials I used:
Boards and Wards (throughout the year)
Step Up Medicine (throughout the year)
Crush Step 2
USMLEWorld
COMBANK
COMLEX Review: Clinical Anatomy and OMM

Statistics:
Comprehensive Core Shelf: 66% (before starting to study)
USMLEWorld: started 40% and ended with 56 to 65%, overall avg 54%
NBME 2008 free questions: 80% (I think. I don't remember exact score)
COMBANK: started 60% and ended with 74%, overall avg 68%

Now, wait and see how the studying compares to score.

Step 2 CE

Finally done ... hopefully won't have to worry about the next step for another 12-18 months or so.

The day started at 8am and I finished around 4:30pm. I finished the test about 30 min early. I could have finished early but I needed more time for the afternoon session since I tend to have a harder time in the afternoon.

Anyways, the test is so frustrating. I don't what is it about COMLEX that gets everyone I know very frustrated. This year is the medical ethics and law. There were so many of them that I don't really know how to answer them. The frustrating thing about the questions is that they gave minimal information and expects you to figure out what they want and answer the questions. I find the individual questions harder to figure out and answer. The linked questions felt more reasonable, may be because they let you go back and forth within the linked questions. The diagnosis for those questions were easier to distinguish.

There were definitely quite a bit of OB, not as much peds as I was expecting. Definitely there were questions about management and the next diagnostic steps. The OMM were not as crazy as Step 1, maybe they figured out it's better to test the practical aspect of OMM instead of the obscurities. I felt that Boards and Wards was very helpful in that aspect. I used the COMLEX Review: Clinical Anatomy and OMM for the OMM portion of the test. It's the same book that I used for Step 1. This book also has the sections for each individual specialty as well. COMBANK was helpful in that it helps me in changing my thinking from USMLE to COMLEX.

Again, I'm now hoping for the best and hope that the score is better than my Step 1.

The prep post to come after my trip to SF for a family weekend.

Step 2 CK

Just took CK ... boy was that draining. It was a long test and definitely test your stamina on top of medical knowledge. The questions were detailed and the format very similar to the USMLE World. I truly think that UW is golden. I felt that there were quite a few repeats but I really don't remember. I'm so tired that by the last 2 sections, I was so tempted to just go through it and just be done but I forced myself to checked all the flagged questions and keep my concentration.

I can't really say which area was more focused on, just that they are fairly well distributed. I can't say which was easier, UW or CK. I felt that on some section CK was super hard and others were much easier. There are definitely a few questions that tested like Step 1, asking the pharmacokinetics of drugs and microbiology. There might be others but I don't remember now. I truly think that the computer has an algorithm where depending on the percent correct on previous section, it will pull together a certain level of question for the next section. I could totally be paranoid but the dificulty really varied.

Now, I'll just have to wait for the score to come back. I'm really hoping for 220s but anything above my Step 1, I'll take. I totally panicked and stressed out about 3 days before the test, knowing that I really need to score well in order to compensate somewhat for Step 1 and to apply for anesthesiology. So I'm hoping for the best now.

COMLEX PE

Just finished with PE, drove into Philly the day before and back right after the test. Day started early around 7:30am and ended around 3pm. Test really starts at 8am but they wanted us there 30min before just for paperwork, ID pic and orientation. The real test didn't start until 9am. All that waiting time. ::sigh:: it's NBOME. Definitely take the AM session if you are used to the EST but think about the PM session if from the PST. I have been in NJ for the past year so it was no big deal but another guy from my class has been in AZ for OMS III was complaining about being a bit jet lagged. Take your pick.

The whole day consist of seeing 12 patients and writing each of the SOAP notes. The schedule is break into groups of 4 and then lunch/break. They provide decent lunch and have vegetarian option as well. So I was surprised, totally did not expect that. I was good in the beginning in the sense that I was fairly thorough for every case. But about halfway through, I was starting to get tired so my time with the patient were shorter and shorter. I think by the end of the day, I was probably with the patient somewhere between 5-8mins, just enough to get the information to write the notes and diagnosis.

Each of the patient encounters includes history, physical, answering the patient questions and giving tentative diagnosis and what to expect. There are a couple that requires OMM. So it wasn't what I expected where I have to do OMM for every patient. The cases are very common and can be easily picked up.

The most ridiculously part of the day is that the whole day is run by a voice over the intercom. "Begin encounter ..." "You have 2 minutes remaining..." Also you can get up if you finished the notes early. I actually like the setup. You have 23 min for both the patient encounter and the notes but a max of 14 min with patient. Our school's standardized patients and OMS testing closely mock the test. So I felt fairly prepared. The only thing I can say is that it is long and definitely need stamina.

A Quote

Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater.

If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.

If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.

If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.

If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.

She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.

So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit.

I got this from a Facebook friend and thought it's intriguing.

Chicken Corn Chowder

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 medium bell pepper (I prefer red for color), finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and membrane removed (do not omit)
1/4 Cup thinly sliced or chopped ham or canadian bacon
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 14 oz cans chicken broth
3 Tablespoons flour
3 ears of fresh corn kernels (I usually end up using frozen corn)
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 oz softened cream cheese
1 Cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Place olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute celery, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno until softened. Stir in garlic and ham; cook for another 3 minutes. Whisk the broth with the flour in a large bowl then stir into soup. Stir in corn and chicken. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat. Whisk together the cream cheese and milk in a large bowl until smooth. Stir into soup along with the salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Simmer until ready to serve.

Triple Berry Coffeecake

2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 cups fresh or frozen berries**

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup butter

1. Grease 9x9x2 inch or 8x8x2 inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine the 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the 3/4 cup sugar and beat on med-high until light and fluffy. Add egg, beat well. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to beaten egg mixture, beating until smooth after each addition.

3. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with berries. In another bowl combine the 1/2 cup flour, the 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle over berries. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 9 servings.

**Raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. The triple berry mix at Costco is great when you don't have fresh berries.

Pita Chip Pizza

10 ounces Stacy’s Simply Naked or Stacy’s Parmesan, Garlic & Herb Pita Chips
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced or grated
4 tablespoons prepared pesto
2 to 3 roasted red peppers, sliced

Preheat oven broiler.
Slightly crush chips on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle pesto evenly over the surface.
Cover surface with mozzarella.
Arrange roasted red pepper strips evenly over the surface.
(May add optional ingredients such as green olives, onions, etc.)

Broil for just a couple of minutes, or until cheese is just starting to bubble. You want the chips to remain crispy! Cut into squares and serve immediately.

(8 - 12 servings)

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

Servings: 12 • Size: 1/2 cup • Prep Time: 10 minutes • Calories: 106 • Points: 2.5

1 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
9 oz frozen corn, thawed
1 tomato, chopped
1 small hass avocado, diced
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 scallion, chopped
1 lime, juice of
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp cilantro
salt and fresh pepper

Combine beans, corn, tomato, onion, scallion, cilantro, salt and pepper. Mix with lime juice and olive oil. Marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes. Add avocado before serving.

4th year updates

ER at Morristown 5/25 - 6/21
Renal at SMMC 6/22 - 7/5
Clinical Pharm 7/20 - 8/2
Anesth at UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX 8/3 - 8/30
SICU at CCF, Cleveland, OH 8/31 - 9/27
Anesth at Thomas Jefferson, Philly, PA 9/28 - 10/25
Anesth at UW, Seattle, WA 10/26 - 11/22
Neuro at SMMC 11/23 - 12/20
Rest .... TBD

Simple Thoughts for Happy Life

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life..
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29.. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Memorial Day Weekend Retreat

This past weekend I was at Marywood University, Scranton, PA for my church's retreat. The theme was Abraham's journey. I thought it would be good but it was a bit confusing. The speaker was trying to speak from 2 perspectives, atheist and Christian. It would work if he wasn't contradicting himself. It got to a point where I couldn't figure out what he was trying to say. I understand that our journey with God changes as we understand Him more and how much we understands depends on God himself. I was able to get to know the speaker a bit outside of his sermon. He is definitely very clear in his thoughts but the sermon just didn't quite deliver.

The weekend also had 2 workshops. One of which was a women's workshop where it was the speaker's wife leading it. It was pretty good because she was able to give the perspective of being a 2nd generation Chinese American and how to deal with the American world and our parents. I now understand that much of my disagreements between me and my mom really stems from our differences and that we both don't really understand each other's world. It's something I would have work on for years to come. I always feel like it's very hard for me to explain to my mom and have understand what is going on my life. Most of the time, I choose to not to tell her much of my life away from home because I feel like it's one way to keep our disagreement to the minimum. Much work to do.

This weekend made me realize that I long to belong to a place, I long to call a place home. I didn't know any one there, and I was meeting new people every time and don't really how to get to close to them. I really feel like I was an outsider looking in. I don't know how to fix this. I'm really praying that God will help me find a church and a place that I can call my earthly home.

Ja-Jang-Myun (Korean Black Bean Paste Noodle)

Ingredients:
1/4 pound chicken / pork
1 medium onions -- chopped
1 medium zucchini -- chopped
1 cup cha jang (black bean paste, not sauce!)*
oil or shortening
1-2 cups chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon water
fresh chinese noodles -- cooked

*Look for this at a Chinese or a Korean Market. No substitutes!

Directions:
1. Cut the chicken into small pieces.
2. In a wok, over high heat, stir fry the onion and zucchini. Depending on
the size of the wok, you might have to do it in batches. Remove and set aside.
3. Stir fry the chicken till it is cooked, approximately 1 - 2 minutes. Add the vegetables and mix.
4. Add the chicken broth. Bring it to a boil.
5. While waiting for it to boil, heat the shortening or oil in another pan. The amount varies, depending upon the amount of the black bean paste, but don't be too stingy with the oil. Dump the paste in the wok, stirring quickly to avoid burning. Stir for approximately 2 -3 minutes.
6. Add the stir fried paste to the vegetable and chicken mix.
7. Mix the corn starch and water. Add it to the wok and stir til thickened and bubbly.
8. Serve immediately over cooked noodles.
9. Add sliced cucumber and egg to garnish.

Family Medicine 3

I just finish my 1st week of the super easy and chill family medicine. It is also my last rotation of my 3rd year. I only go in for about 2-3 hours a day and see about 4-5 patients. The drs. there were literally treating me as a 4th year even though I'm still technically a 3rd year. It's a little scary as how I'm going to get more responsibility as 4th year is coming up. They definitely expect that I know what the patient has and have an inkling in how to treat. I'm glad in a way because I get to see what 4th year is like without being one yet.

From 10 to 1 Most Important Words

The 10 most important words:
I won't wait for others to take the first step.

The 9 most important words:
If it is to be, it's up to me.

The 8 most important words:
If not me, who? If not now, when?

The 7 most important words:
Let me take a shot at it.

The 6 most important words:
I will not pass the buck.

The 5 most important words:
You can count on me.

The 4 most important words:
It IS my job!

The 3 most important words:
Just do it!

The 2 most important words:
I will.

The most important word:
Me

B.J. GALLAGHER AND STEVE VENTURA
IN THEIR BOOK:
(Who Are "They" Anyway?)

OB/Gyn

These past 4 weeks I've rotating in OB/Gyn at Trinitas Hospital at Elizabeth, NJ. It's been exhausting. This is probably the 2nd most exhausting rotation I've done this year. The hours were very long. It starts at 7am and can go until 8-9pm the latest. Thankfully, there was no call. We had to do 1 week of clinic, 1 week of gyn surgery and 2 weeks of L&D.

For my 1 week of clinic, I realized clinic work really doesn't work. I get exhausted even with clinic being only 6 hours or so. I get bored and feel like I can't really do anything. It could be the patient population that I get to see, but I feel like I was seeing the same thing over and over again. There isn't really much variations.

The week of gyn surgery was fun. I really enjoyed it. It was definitely exhausting, assisting with any where from 3 to 15 cases a day depending on the day. But it was fun. It kept me going nonstop. I didn't realize I was tired until the end of the day. I definitely like being in the OR more that the office.

L&D was very different. I couldn't really describe it except that it's a mix of office and OR. The office aspect is that we would have to keep track of pregnant ladies and the contractions, determining when they are ready to deliver and taking care of all the prep for the delivery. The delivery is very much like to OR, catching the baby as it comes out and taking care of the lacerations and the baby in the sterile field. The true OR experience in L&D is the c-section.

For me, I personally caught 2 babies on my own, with the midwife helping me. The babies were slippery and I couldn't really find the grip to not drop the babies. I feel like I'm on the verge of dropping babies constantly. The whole process of labor and delivery really turns me off. The girls on the rotation couldn't really decide if vaginal delivery was better or c-section. Both are very crude and cruel. For C-section, some surgeon would take the uterus out and plop it on the stomach to stitch it up then shove it back in. Most of us decide that between the two choices, c-section is probably a bit better. Who knows, medicine is really making us think differently.

During the week of gyn surgery, the most memorable is literally first assisting a vaginal prolapse, which is the bladder drop into the vaginal area and out to where you can see and feel it. This one I was in was fairly big and it took like 20 clamps to hold it and for the surgeon to repair it. It took about 40 mins to repair and this was done by a surgeon who is very fast. It was great watching a prolapse turning it into normal.

I would definitely say this is the 2nd craziest rotation. The first was my surgery rotation, filled with work and politics, very draining.

Anesthesiology

I just finished my 2 week rotation in anesthesiology. It's been fun. I definitely enjoyed my 2 weeks there. The people there were fun and I had a lot of fun with them. I just felt that the people there are happy and very satisfied with their career choice.

Even though there is a bit of physiology, I'm sure I can get it eventually, but everything is very much to my liking. It has calculations and pharm. It's more of having answers right there and then. It is not like in medicine where there is not an end to treatment. So far I haven't seen much of where there isn't an end to the treatment plan. There's always a definite end, very much like surgery. The hands on portion is very much delicate as well. Like spinal or epidural, it's a fine touch and can easily cause big problems. Even intubation is delicate as well. There's an art to it, deciding how to intubate and the actual intubation itself.

I feel more solid in choosing this specialty. Now the problem is figuring out how to get to it.

I picked out my USMLE Step 2 date: July 11

My Birthday

This year's birthday was very low key. I just made myself the pseudo annual birthday meal myself. In my family, my mom would always make fish, crabs/lobster, veggies, birthday noodles and buy the Asian/French yummy cake for everyone's birthday. So for myself, I made noodles and pan fried a orange roughy fillet and bought myself a slice of chocolate cake from the market. It's my ghetto version of birthday meal for myself.

I went out to dinner with a couple of med school friend to CPK. I haven't been to CPK since I was in LA. It was still good. Going there reminded me of home, more of So-Cal. I totally wouldn't mind going back but I don't if I was willing to stay. I feel more comfortable being out here, the east coast. It's more of my pace and fits my more impatient personality more. Who knows, it might change in the next day or so.

Regardless, thank you for all the well wishes.

Cookie Dough Truffles

adapted from Taste of Home

½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional, I did not add them)
1 ½ pounds semisweet chocolate candy coating, chopped

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts, if using. Shape into 1-inch balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and freeze for 1-2 hours or until firm. (The dough softens quickly at room temperature so it works best if they are frozen, not just chilled in the refrigerator.)

In a microwave safe bowl, melt candy coating, stirring often until smooth. Dip balls in coating; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. If desired, melt remaining candy coating and drizzle over candies. Store in refrigerator. Yield: 5 ½ dozen.

WW Daily Target Points

To figure out how many points you are allowed each day answer these questions and add your score:

1. Gender:
Female- score 2
Male- score 8
A nursing mom- score 12

2. How old are you?
17-26- score 4
27-37- score 3
38-47- score 2
48-58- score 1
over 58- score 0

3. What do you weigh?
Enter the first two digits of your weight in pounds.
(for example, if you weight 199, you will add 19 to your score)

4. How tall are you?
Under 5’1- score 0
5’1-5’10- score 1
Over 5’10- score 2

5. How do you spend most of your day?
Sitting down? score 0
Occasionally sitting? score 2
Walking most of the time? score 4
Doing physically hard work most of the time? score 6

Now add them all together and that’s your daily total.

You are allowed an additional 35 points per week, if you wish to use them. You must use all your points each day in order to lose weight.

Whole Foods - New Eye

Today, I went to Staples to get some stuff printed and bound and saw that Whole Foods is next door. Being that it's lunch time and I couldn't try the Thai restaurant that I wanted to so I decided to venture in and see what I could get for lunch. All through undergrad, I never liked Whole Foods at all because of being too organic and too expensive and totally not my taste. But this time around, I find Whole Foods very intriguing and totally fun. It's just too bad that I don't have the time today to wander around.

They have this whole area just for salad bar but their salad bar is very different. They've got the real salad bar, hot foods like Indian curry, popular Thai dishes, traditional American comfort food and desserts. All this and they have a dine in area that look very much like the ski resort's cafeteria by the windows in Tahoe area in Cali. Not only this, the shopping there is awesome. A ton of stuff that I missed from Cali and I was able to find them. It was great for the 20min that I could squeezed in to wander.

This new perspective on Whole Foods must be because I am older and have changed my taste a bit. Before you would never find me willingly to step foot into a place like this. I am so glad that I did today and found a great place very close to my apt. It seems like a great place to study for my upcoming boards as well. :)

Salty Soy Milk Soup (xian dou jiang)

The other nite my brother called and asked about how to make salty soy milk soup. I was surprised because it's not his thing. It's more of my type of Taiwanese food. I really do miss it especially when eaten with the fried doughnut/sticks. I can't wait to go home and go to the really good northern Chinese restaurant with all the good breakfast.

Ingredients:

• plain soy milk (not sugared). Use the real kind that comes from a soy milk shop, not the super filtered kind made by Silk
• rice vinegar
• pickled mustard greens (available at Chinese or Japanese supermarket)
• sesame oil
• chili oil
• soy sauce
• something salty (e.g. Chinese bbq sauce, dried shrimp, or fried shallots)
• salt & white pepper

Place all ingredients except for soy milk into a bowl that is the single-serving sized; the quantities should be determined by the individual's taste. Lightly mix.

Warm enough soy milk for 1 serving in a pot on the stove until just boiling. Carefully spoon the soy milk into the bowl. If desired, top the soup with a few sliced of Chinese donut. Serve immediately.

The 11 Most Expensive Catastrophes in History

This was in my email inbox after I got back from hospital today and thought it was great, especially the last one. Wonder how our world has become like this.

# 11. Titanic - $150 Million
The sinking of the Titanic is possibly the most famous accident in the world. But it barely makes our list of top 10 most expensive. On April 15, 1912, the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage and was considered to be the most luxurious ocean liner ever built. Over 1,500 people lost their lives when the ship ran into an iceberg and sunk in frigid waters. The ship cost $7 million to build ($150 million in today's money)

# 10. Tanker Truck vs Bridge - $358 Million
On August 26, 2004, a car collided with a tanker truck containing 32,000 liters of fuel on the Wiehltal Bridge in Germany . The tanker crashed through the guardrail and fell 90 feet off the A4 Autobahn resulting in a huge explosion and fire which destroyed the load-bearing ability of the bridge. Temporary repairs cost $40 million and the cost to replace the bridge is estimated at $318 Million.

# 9. MetroLink Crash - $500 Million
On September 12, 2008, in what was one of the worst train crashes in California history, 25 people were killed when a Metrolink commuter train crashed head-on into a Union Pacific freight train in Los Angeles . It is thought that the Metrolink train may have run through a red signal while the conductor was busy text messaging.. Wrongful death lawsuits are expected to cause $500 million in losses for Metrolink.

# 8. B-2 Bomber Crash - $1.4 Billion
Here we have our first billion dollar accident (and we ' re only #7 on the list). This B-2 stealth bomber crashed shortly after taking off from an air base in Guam on February 23, 2008. Investigators blamed distorted data in the flight control computers caused by moisture in the system. This resulted in the aircraft making a sudden nose-up move which made the B-2 stall and crash. This was 1 of only 21 ever built and was the most expensive aviation accident in history. Both pilots were able to eject to safety.

# 7. Exxon Valdez - $2.5 Billion
The Exxon Valdez oil spill was not a large one in relation to the world ' s biggest oil spills, but it was a costly one due to the remote location of Prince William Sound (accessible only by helicopter and boat). On March 24, 1989, 10.8 million gallons of oil was spilled when the ship ' s master, Joseph Hazelwood, left the controls and the ship crashed into a Reef. The cleanup cost Exxon $2.5 billion.

# 6. Piper Alpha Oil Rig - $3.4 Billion
The world ' s worst off-shore oil disaster. At one time, it was the world ' s single largest oil producer, spewing out 317,000 barrels of oil per day. On July 6, 1988, as part of routine maintenance, technicians removed and checked safety valves which were essential in preventing dangerous build-up of liquid gas. There were 100 identical safety valves which were checked. Unfortunately, the technicians made a mistake and forgot to replace one of them. At 10 PM that same night, a technician pressed a start button for the liquid gas pumps and the world ' s most expensive oil rig accident was set in motion. Within 2 hours, the 300 foot platform was engulfed in flames. It eventually collapsed, killing 167 workers and resulting in $3.4 Billion in damages.

# 5. Challenger Explosion - $5.5 Billion
The Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed 73 seconds after takeoff due on January 28, 1986 due to a faulty O-ring. It failed to seal one of the joints, allowing pressurized gas to reach the outside. This in turn caused the external tank to dump its payload of liquid hydrogen causing a massive explosion. The cost of replacing the Space Shuttle was $2 billion in 1986 ($4.5 billion in today ' s dollars). The cost of investigation, problem correction, and replacement of lost equipment cost $450 million from 1986-1987 ($1 Billion in today ' s dollars).

# 4. Prestige Oil Spill - $12 Billion
On November 13, 2002, the Prestige oil tanker was carrying 77,000 tons of heavy fuel oil when one of its twelve tanks burst during a storm off Galicia , Spain . Fearing that the ship would sink, the captain called for help from Spanish rescue workers, expecting them to take the ship into harbour. However, pressure from local authorities forced the captain to steer the ship away from the coast. The captain tried to get help from the French and Portuguese authorities, but they too ordered the ship away from their shores. The storm eventually took its toll on the ship resulting in the tanker splitting in half and releasing 20 million gallons oil into the sea. According to a report by the Pontevedra Economist Board, the total cleanup cost $12 billion.

# 3. Space Shuttle Columbia - $13 Billion
The Space Shuttle Columbia was the first space worthy shuttle in NASA ' s orbital fleet. It was destroyed during re-entry over Texas on February 1, 2003 after a hole was punctured in one of the wings during launch 16 days earlier. The original cost of the shuttle was $2 Billion in 1978. That comes out to $6.3 Billion in today ' s dollars. $500 million was spent on the investigation, making it the costliest aircraft accident investigation in history. The search and recovery of debris cost $300 million. In the end, the total cost of the accident (not including replacement of the shuttle) came out to $13 Billion according to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics..

# 2. Chernobyl - $200 Billion
On April 26, 1986, the world witnessed the costliest accident in history. The Chernobyl disaster has been called the biggest socio-economic catastrophe in peacetime history. 50% of the area of Ukraine is in some way contaminated. Over 200,000 people had to be evacuated and resettled while 1.7 million people were directly affected by the disaster. The death toll attributed to Chernobyl , including people who died from cancer years later, is estimated at 125,000. The total costs including cleanup, resettlement, and compensation to victims has been estimated to be roughly $200 Billion. The cost of a new steel shelter for the Chernobyl nuclear plant will cost $2 billion alone. The accident was officially attributed to power plant operators who violated plant procedures and were ignorant of the safety requirements needed.

# 1. 2008 Presidential Election- $800 Billion in the first two months alone.......

Duk Bok Ki

I was watching some Korean shows and keep seeing the DukBokki. I remembered eating them and loving it when I was visitin Korea. So I got the urge to look up the recipe. It doesn't seem hard and the ingredients seem easy to find, especially now that I know where a Korean marked is in my area. Yummy. Can't wait to try it.

Ingredients:
4 servings Korean Rice Cake (tteok)
2 tablespoons Sugar*
2tablespoons Branston Soya Beans In Mediterranean Sauce
2 tablespoons Fermented Red Pepper Paste(gochujang)
1 teaspoons Garlic
1 servings Carrots

Instructions:

Put the rice cake in cold water for about 15 minutes to soften.

Put 1 cup cold water in large pot. Add sugar, soy bean sauce, red hot chili paste and garlic. Bring to a boil and boil for about 5 minutes.

Put the rice cake in the pot and continue to boil for 10 minutes.

Add chopped scallions and continue to boil for 2-3 minutes.

Calories 311 Calories from Fat 17
Total Fat 2.33g Saturated Fat 0g Monounsaturated Fat 1g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.03g Sodium 319.44mg Potassium 105.34mg
Total Carbohydrate 65.68g Dietary Fiber 2.02g Sugars 8.01g
Protein 15.25g

Life, Death and Age

This past week has started out shocking but not quite depressing but by today, it is outright depressing. Earlier, I got a notice saying the sister of one of the girls that I knew at UCLA has been diagnosed with a really rare stage 4 cancer, either paraganglioma or carcinoid. She is only 21, I think. I have met her a couple of times where her sister brought her out to church a few times. She is not a believer and I really wonder what her thinking is with this facing her. Her sister, B, has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer a few years back and has recurred again over the las year. Their mother was also diagnosed with breast cancer. B is a believer and I have heard from her when I was at UCLA how she went through it with God at her side leading her. That really got me thinking how in the world would I deal with something like this if I didn't have God on my side. It would be hard because I wouldn't know that there is something better waiting for me and know the hope that God has given me.

Then 3 days ago, I got one of the massive email from GOC group asking for prayers for Grace and Andrew. I knew that Andrew's tongue cancer came back a few months ago and things were actually looking okay, so I was totally not expecting this email from them. I then come to find out that there isn't really much hope on the cure unless it's a miracle. But miraculous healing does happen thought. Then I finally got an email last night saying that he passed. This really shock my system for a bit. I actually met the couple a few times during my freshmen year and then hearing this really jarred me. I was thinking wow, someone so young and someone that I actually know has gone through this and is really gone. Not only did he and his family fought the cancer aggressively, I was thinking what are his kids going to do. They are 3 1/2 and 2 1/2 yr old. They have blog of their journey. It's definitely worth the reading to see how God was glorified in their lives.

This all brought me to think that life and death really don't care about age. If it is set to happen then it will, no matter how much is fought. Life has to be taken care of, living to the fullest and having no regrets. Death will come and the preparation for it is not to prepare how to die but to prepare to die without regrets, without feeling that you haven't done a certain thing yet. Whatever that is done on earth will stay and nothing can be taken with death. So everyone's death does have an impact on somebody whether it's a good one or not. Why not make our own impact a good one so that even our deaths will help someone? I truly see that God has it designed that even our deaths are to glorify His work and to let others see what an awesome God he is.

Family Medicine 2

Finished with first month of FP. I am still very sure that I will not go into FP. I really do like the patient contact and relationship. It was fun and never the same because you do get to know the patients and know what's going on in their lives. But it's the chronic medical problems that drive me crazy. There isn't really any cure or anything that can make the medical problems go away completely. It's almost like toggling with multiple therapy to just keep the problems in check. Personally, I like to deal with problems that have a solution that will take care of, not just to toggle the treatment and waiting for the next flare up.

This past month has definitely kept me busy. The docs there do various work outside the office. They do school physicals, city hall licensing check up, house calls, residency programs and hospital boards. It was really good to see what else docs can do out the office or hospital work.

I'm tired and really need time to catch up on my rest.

Family Medicine

I just started my first of two months of FP. The first week was definitely interesting. It's a busy office with 2 brothers and a cousin running it. Last week was just me and NYCOM 4th year student there. So on the busy days, the two of us didn't have any break and was walking in and out of the exam rooms non stop. I felt like there was a revolving door that kept spinning and was spitting me and her out at certain destination. It was like this my first day and the day after New Year. Thankfully, we had the New Year's Day off.

It was great because the last week definitely allowed me to work on my clinical skills and the OMM skills. I really didn't realize how much I can do already over the last few months. I have constantly felt that I was a student and not really know anything but the last week proved that the docs at the office really trust our judgement on the patients because we essentially see the patients and they come in to just do a cursory check before signing off. I have a feeling that this month will go by fast and definitely gain more experience and confidence.