New Home

My home for the next 4 years. It's been almost 2 months after I found out I'm going to Cleveland. I'm happy and excited at the thought of being at the Clinic for anesthesia, but I'm too sure about being in Cleveland for the next 4 years. I was really hoping to stay in the East but I guess God has other plans. So far, I'm liking my apartment and it doesn't feel like a student apartment or one where I would move after a year or so. I'm hoping I'll be able to fall in love with this place as I finally immerse myself come June. I'm sure once things get going, I'll enjoy being in Cleveland and all it has to offer too. Just waiting to see what God has plan!

Please pray for a church that will be my home and family for the next couple of years.

Last 2 weeks in NJ

The first week back from Uganda - adjusting back to States lifestyle, faster pace and more right sided. I felt like I even had to adjust to driving again. I spent the time sorting my pics out and uploading my INMED blog and dealing with paper work for graduation. But I did really miss Uganda and all of the people that I have met and befriended there. It was such a short time but I still felt like I have been there for a lot longer.

It was nice that I have the 2 weeks left in NJ and I could officially say my own good bye to the place that have been my home for the last 2 years. I said goodbye to the people I have befriended at church and it made me reflect back on the last 2 years that I have known them. They have really become my support and home for the last 2 years despite me being MIA every so often. God has really put them in my life as I really needed a family after my not so great experience in Kirksville. Thank you CCCNJ and 5W.

Then moving. Found a company East West Movers Inc and they help with packing. So I planned on packing my bedroom and bathroom and leave the rest for them to help me pack. It only took us all together a little over 2 hours to pack up what I didn't pack and for them to load into the truck. I'm impress. At first when I saw the space that all my things were suppose to go in, I though "Oh crap! I'm going to have to pay more because it will not all fit in there, 300 cubic feet." But they did it with room to spare on top. The only thing that didn't go is my desk but no harm done. I have been wanting an excuse to get rid of it. So now I only have my duffle bag of cothes, sleeping bag and food in the fridge. Everything else that's left either gets toss or get shoved in the last 2 boxes or so that I have left.

I don't think it really hit until today that I am really moving. It was when I looked at my empty apartment and DING! I really am leaving the East Coast for the next 4 years and will being calling Cleveland home. I'm sure God is having fun up there with my life and how everything is turning out, but nonetheless, it will be great. Can't wait to start my new phase of life.

Highlights of Uganda Pics

INMED Blog - Uganda

Uganda

I am excited. Can't wait ... Thurs I'll be embarking on my trip to Uganda doing my last medical school rotation. After that, when I come back, I'll be waiting for my degree and be officially a doctor. No more playing doctor. Wonder what my next adventure will hold.

My adventure in Uganda will on the following blog as it is part of the organization that I'm doing my international rotation with. I don't think I'll try double blogging. Too lazy. Hopefully I won't get into something way over my head. I'll update as much as I can when I'm there, but definitely when I'm back.

INMED Blog - Uganda

I'm glad that I have finally found an apartment in Cleveland, OH before I leave. That's one less thing for me to fuss and cram/stress about when I come back. Now I just have to wait for the final word at my apt complex.

Matched!!!

Mon 11:55am
Congratulations! You've Matched.

Thurs 12:55pm
Cleveland Clinic Foundation

I officially have a job post graduation. I matched into Categorical Anesthesia. Cleveland, OH will be my home for the next 4 years. My family decided to play their own version of guessing game. My brother and dad guessed Baystate and mom guessed Maine Med. I personally knew that I would end up in Cleveland, just a gut feeling that that's where God was leading me to. I'm thrilled to be there and am not disappointed that it was my third choice. To me my first 3 choices were all my number 1's. I just couldn't really distinguish their tiers. I guess I'm still processing the results but nonetheless, it's great.

Now, I just have to find a place to live so I can get the moving process in order once I'm back from Uganda. Now only if I could get my mom stop going on and on about moving process long enough for me to fully process what happened and make my own decisions. Seriously, she is starting to treat me like a kid again. ugh.

I need to savor the sweet moment.

NYC ... College Gals Weekend

My college small group mate Dung came down this weekend to visit. She's in New Hampshire for nursing school and want to see NYC while on spring break. So we did the touristy things. We hit Chinatown's Joe's Shanghai, Doughnut Plant, WTC, Rockefeller, Times Square. I only spent one day with her and her friend in the city. I'm not a fan of the city and I can only handle so much going into the city. They stayed at my place for the weekend. It was nice see her again and catching up on our news. She's still very much as I remembered. And I felt like I was the one who changed the most once I have left UCLA/GOC. It makes me feel old that now I get think back how college was. ::sigh:: Time just flies.

One of the place we visited in Times Square, M&M store. Couldn't resist.

Digging my car ...

The last 2 weeks had been fun. I had to dig my car out of half a foot snow the first week then a week later a foot and half of snow. What a workout. Each time took me at least 45 min to a hour of arm strength. The second time I lost my parking spot to the snow since my spot is next the handicap spot and is at a corner. It had the space for the apartment to pile the snow. What a crazy 2 winter storms.

The 1st snow dig out.

ROL #2

It's official. It's in. Here's my ranking list.

1. Baystate
2. Maine Med
3. Cleveland Clinic
4. VCU/MCV
5. UTSW
6. SLU
7. Thomas Jefferson
8. Univ of Washington
9. Case Western/ MetroHealth
10. St Luke's Roosevelt
11. Univ of Washington (Adv)
12. Baystate (adv)
13. UMKC
14. Henry Ford
15. Univ of Mississippi
16. Mizzou
17. Mizzou (adv)

Senoritis

It's the home stretch of the end of my med school training. Graduation is 5/15 and my international elective is coming up. I have a hard time motivating myself to get to work. Also, once I get to the hospital, I keeping wanting the day to be over as soon as possible. I'm on Peds EM this month at St Joseph's. It's actually a pretty good rotation and I am glad that I don't have to go in every day. I have a grand total of 15 12hr shifts. During my shifts I was able to get the required reading done for my Uganda rotation and able to chat with other 3rd and 4th years that are rotating at the same time. For most of my shifts, the 4th years take a long lunch breaks about 1.5 - 2 hr long. haha. Anything to shorten our workload.

What a difference between 3rd and 4th year. As a 3rd year, we are doing everything we can to get the good eval and possible letter. We needed to impress our attending and want to see everything that comes in. Now as a 4th, we know what we needed to do to just get by. What an amazing difference.

I have more time to go over and over my ranking list and the order of all the programs.

ROL #1

I have Maine Med, Baystate and Cleveland Clinic running around in my head. I can't decide how to order these 3. I love each of the three. Maine Med is smallest of the 3 and is in Portland, ME. It's gorgeous and has a very quaint feeling. The only thing holding me back is the small Asian population. Baystate is great, a medium size, great hours, resident friendly. Clinic is great too, the only thing is that it's big. It has great cases and great name.

The decision really is between a big well known program or a small regionally know place. Decisions, decisions.

As the next couple on my list would be VCU, UTSW, SLU and Thomas Jefferson. With them, it'll probably be based on location. They are about the same feeling for me.

I know that I'm definitely going to be disappointing my mom regarding UW ranking. It's going to be middle of the list because I'm not sure how well I'll fit into the rogram there. I love Seattle but just not sure about the program itself.

The rest will be based on location again with Mizzou at the end. I'm not the greatest fan of these because of location. Texas Tech is not on my list because I didn't have a good gut feeling about it and also, it sounds a little sketchy being that I feel like the residents learn from books.

Will see how it all turn out.