Free Book- Iserson's Getting Into A Residency (with bonus thank you cards!)

I know, I know.... I just can't stay away from this blog. I am moving in just a few weeks and have a few things that I will no longer need and am trying to find suitable homes for. Case in point, this book!

Isersons-Getting into Residency (amazon)

Today is your lucky day because you my dear reader can have it for free, free I tell you!

A friend recommended this and while I found it fairly useful I only wish I would have gotten it before 4th year. I think early in the clinical years is the perfect time....

Leave me a comment if you have a blog or profile with email that I can notify you by. Otherwise email me (see my profile for my email address). Deadline is Memorial Day- May 27th. 

I will have a drawing and the winner will get Iserson's plus a brand new pack of Thank You cards because I want you to have it all.

P.S. If you are interested I may have other clinical give aways. Pocket surgery cards or The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobials, anyone?

What I am doing

NOW

Reading-
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo, as well as Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Wallace Foster by David Lipsky (The subject of the NYT Book review from which I have previously quoted here)

Starting-
A Genetics Elective at Miami Children's (I arrived in Miami over the weekend and it reminds me of Grenada which is nostalgia inducing, humid, warm, living with roommates again fun.)

Exploring-
My new city as this is my first time in Miami. So far I've found a great diner for breakfast, the grocery store (IGA!!! just like Grenada) a Spanish Restaurant that serves okay Tapas and a friend from the island that is here this month too. I know my life is just so hard.

Traveling-
Today to Cali for an interview and again on Friday to upstate New York for yet another interview. Only four more to go. Now let's just hope I can take off from my elective for all of them.

Learning to Knit-
(I needed a new project for take off and landing time on the plane when I couldn't read my Nook)
It is not going very well, I think I need an initial lesson with a real person, the read and follow directions in 2D is not working for me... Poor Sancho, he is going to get a very ugly sweater indeed, and he's a dog, so he'll have to wear it!

Writing-
This.

Reflecting-
On life.
On love.

Living-
Purposely.

Loving-
My life.

Anticipating-
The Match.

Reset, book reviews and the interview trail

First of all, a belated Holiday wish for all my readers! I really did mean to wish you a Merry Christmas but someone I go stuck in a serious funk and just didn't feel like doing much of anything for most of the past few weeks, including blogging. So here are some random Holiday lights, since it is still December I hope you will accept these as penitence and know that I actually was thinking of you.

December has been exhausting but I really should not complain because it was all good. Coast to coast with stops and stays in seven different cities in the span on two weeks as I went from one new place to another just got the best of me! I am so grateful for the interviews I have been given but it doesn't make it any easier to be away from home and living out of a suitcase once again. I am not yet done but my rank list is shaping up and although Interview A is still at the top there are a few close contenders.

In any case, with all the traveling I've had some time to read on plane trips across the country and the latest is "Behind the Beautiful Forevers" which is heartbreaking, sad and depressing but also strangely uplifting too. And I finished Andrew Solomon's "Far From the Tree" which really was a great read. Depressing at times but definitely thought provoking with the ultimate message that in the end the human capacity to love triumphs over all. And isn't that a nice thought for a New Year?

Child Advocacy Elective Journal- Entry 1

Yesterday I met Dr. Ajl and got orientated to Child Advocacy in NYC. And by Child Advocacy I mean child abuse and neglect. Sure as a physician you may see or suspect abuse and you are a mandated reporter to the state. But there is SO MUCH more that goes on. A phone call is simply the beginning. And so this month I will learn about ACS, CPS, Family Court, legal guardians, Special Victims Unit, forensic evaluations, foster care, the Medical Examiner's Office, etc.

There are three of us in the elective this month and I actually know both of the other students so that is nice. Yesterday we toured the Brooklyn Child Advocacy Center and met the NP that has devoted the last 16 years of her life to Child Advocacy. And she truly is devoted, like most of the people I think we will meet in this field.

We were given a packet with numerous agencies and contacts and thus I spent most of the morning calling and emailing to set up appts for the month. So far I don't have much booked but I'm sure people will call back, eventually. In the mean time I have a lot to read. And learn. Did I mention I'm so glad that I am doing this elective?

At the end of the month we have to put together a group project to reflect on what we have learned and while I am happy to contribute to something for the group I also want something for myself. I think this month will be hard emotionally and I need a place to process those emotions and think about what I get to see and experience. So this blog will be my space. I will not post cases here or discuss what I see in details because these children must be protected. But my feelings will not be censored. Here what I share will be my own. So stay tuned.

And if you have any reading suggestions, feel free to let me know. I'm taking all suggestions for serious fiction and Child Advocacy related topics.

Home Again

Term One ended. I did finish all four books and Fox's memoir is worth the read. My favorite Grenada beach? Prickly Bay. Quiet, picturesque and right off the Lanse Aux Epines bus route. (I also visited BBC and Paradise Beach which are both worth checking out as well.)

I came "home", worked for a week and then did a mini tour of the Southern Colorado before going to my "hometown" for a week vacation, it is always good to see the family. I got back "home" this morning and am looking forward to enjoying my summer. I'll be working but I like my job and coworkers and it gives me something to do while Dr. Boyfriend is being a resident.

I know this may sound crazy, but I kind of miss Grenada. I don't miss the schoolwork yet, but I'm guessing by the time the summer is over I'll even be ready for that. Right now I just miss the always warm weather and my view of the Caribbean Sea in the morning. Now don't get me wrong, being among the land of Starbucks and grocery stores that actually are fully stocked is nice.  And I am looking forward to many more books this summer and plenty of sleeping in and walking around the city time. Being in the Southwest among mountains and streams and lakes was revitalizing, I had forgotten how much I love the mountains. Speaking of which the trip to the rainforest and Seven Sisters waterfalls was pretty amazing. Fellow SGUers should do this if they haven't already. I am proud to say that I did see a lot of Grenada doing term one. I still have a lot of exploring to do but I'm off to a good start, I've made me non-academic list of for term 2 and am looking forward to going back to my Grenada home. After my relaxing summer at this home, this is....

Four Books, Four Beaches

So, I have four days left on the island and plan to spend a good deal of it at the beach. I went to the library today to check out any/all books that I deemed beach worthy. (There wasn't much to choose from. Note to self, bring fiction for next term.)

So far I'm half way through Toni Morrison's "Tar Baby" which is set on a Caribbean island, go figure! I also checked out "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant", "The Hours" and Michel J. Fox's memoir, "Lucky Man". My goal is to read each one on a different beach. I didn't make it to the beach today (I was too tired from my hike to the Seven Sisters Waterfalls, details to follow in subsequent post) but I did find a hammock in walking distance of a nice view of Blacksand Beach. So I'm going to count that as #1.