50% Complete

And thus ends Internal Medicine. Our exam ended up being school written, and per usual, it was random and vague. Really no surprise there. I celebrated by going back to the floors and finding my Intern to see what I could for our patients before I left. This earned me a ton of "why are you still heres?!" from her and a bunch of the residents, which makes sense I guess. No one really goes back to do work after an exam, but still, I wanted to help my Intern out. She was pretty awesome to say the least- she taught me a great deal in such a short time- not just with regards to medical knowledge, but patient care in general. I'm definitely going to miss having her around to serve as a daily source of inspiration. And all that said, it's not like I had to put in a FULL day at the hospital. A note, some discharge papers, and a couple of follow-up labs and I was out of work by 2, and off to celebrate with sushi and Scorpion bowls [pictured below] with Carrie. Speaking of which, yeah, I finally found sushi that I like. The shrimp tempura roll to be specific. It's not much, but it's a start!

Scorpion Bowl for two, full of lots of tasty EtOH. It's as delicious as it looks!

My very first sushi that I've actually enjoyed!

View from Top of the Roc!

In any event, I can honestly say that I'm quite sad to see IM end. I'm glad I held out for this hospital rather than leaping at the first option I was given. I had a lovely bunch of co-workers who made the last 12 weeks a good time, but more than that, I learned a tremendous amount- whether or not I realized it at the time. I've gotten so caught up in this countdown to the end of things that I forget to stop and enjoy the experience for what it is. There are many people that bemoan the doldrums of general Medicine, and to a certain extent, I understand their point. But, I enjoy it. I like crafting multi-disciplinary plans, always running around and consulting and trying to figure out what's best for our patient. Often times the answer isn't clear cut, and it's frustrating, but I think it ultimately also pushes you to be a better physician. The complex cases are the ones that are the most rewarding. 

I start Surgery tomorrow which I'm absolutely petrified for (big shocker there). My one consolation is getting to live in scrubs for the next 12 weeks but that's about it. I've been pretty fortunate in my rotations so far, so I'm praying that the trend continues. We'll see I guess. I know I'm a capable human being- I just need to get used to my new surroundings and the new docs and I should hopefully be fine. Obviously Surgery has a certain stigma attached to it for a reason, but I'm hoping to temper down my sensitive side and just do what it takes to get through the 12 weeks and be done. 

At this point I am exactly 40 weeks in and also 40 weeks out. As my favorite Intern would say, "LET'S BLITZ!"

**EDIT: Happy 3 Years to my favorite Rock from the Rock! In honor of our roomie anniversary, I leave you  with this-