November Update

Hello everyone! Time for an update. Tons has happened since my last posting. I finished my month of psychiatry at Friend's Hospital, and was actually very sad to leave. I found that I really liked psych alot, and am actually considering it for a career. I got a very good review from my preceptor, Dr. Graff, and managed to pass the post-rotation exam. Fortunately, there are combined psych/family practice and psych/internal medicine rotations available in the military, so it all might come together nicely.

Halloween weekend Emily, Raj and I got all dressed up and attended parties both Fri. and Sat. night. At Dr. Jeck's office we worked with two PA students who had a party on Fri. night and invited us over. After one too many games of flip-cup and beer-pong, both Emily and I fell asleep on a couch cuddling with a box of jalepeno Nips and made it home about 2 am. Sat. I went down and watched the Penn St. game at the oldest pub in Philadelphia (McMillan's) and continued out with the other spooks and freaks that night without falling asleep anywhere.. 13 hours of drinking, and I still got it :)

Emily and I started at Mt. Airy Family Practice clinic about 2 weeks ago. It is a very busy walk in clinic, with two docs, 3 med students, 3 PAs and an occasional nursing student. They are long days with lots of patients, but I am learning so much. The first day was very scary, as we were just thrown in with patients with very little orientation and no physician supervision, but now I am getting the hang of it. It is a very low income patient population, but they are so appreciative of the time we take to visit with them and try and help. I don't think you get to do as much or feel the gratitude from patients at upper class clinics the way that you do at this one. And MAJOR bonus....no white coats and we can wear jeans!

Last weekend I went down to Washington DC to visit my cousin Cody via the Greyhound (yes, I did have a smelly man next to me on the trip down!), and we had a great time walking around and visiting monuments on a beautiful fall day (it was in the 80's!). It was so good to see her, and I hope she stops up in Philly soon! I wish I had some pictures to share.

I miss everyone very much, and will be back in Iowa for Christmas. Hope to see some of you then. Everyone have a very Happy Thanksgiving if I don't get to talk to you.