Island Med Student

I love you all…THANK YOU!

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Some of you might be sick of hearing me go on and on about how grateful I am to all of my friends, family, and Internet buddies. Well, suck it up, because I’m not finished yet.

Check out the above photo! How cool is that?! That was sent to me by Elizabeth, a wonderful fellow Rossie who took time out of her busy day studying in Dominica to drink a dedicated coconut in my name!

I have received wonderfully thoughtful donations from many folks. I’ve received countless emails and comments from people all over the world. That makes me one lucky gal, indeed!

Anyway, I just wanted to again express my gratitude to all of you! I had to delay my celebratory oysters for a few days, due to lack of funds (takes time to transfer the donations) and my partner Micah being sick. But the transfers have gone through and Micah is feeling much better, so I will hopefully be going out to my favorite oyster bar tonight to enjoy the fruits (oyster meat!) of my four years of labor in medical school.

The second photo was sent to me by my sister. Isn’t that one sexy doggy?!

What a wonderful Sunday today has been!

I woke up early this morning so that I could take my doggies to the off-leash dog run area in Prospect Park. It turns out that my usual dog run area was closed because of a concert, so Micah and I went to a new, even bigger dog run! There were literally hundreds of dogs + owners running around and having entirely too much fun!

I then ran some errands and replied to a bunch of emails. (My next post will include all about how thankful I am to all of my readers.)

I just received the following comment from my mother (Bob) on my blog:

“Such cute, entertaning and smart kids…who have grown up to be beautiful, talented and brilliant women. Makes me cry and smile at the same time! Always keep in touch with your inner child…and you’ll always enjoy the wonder each day can bring!”

Want to know why I have such an awesome perspective on life? Want to know why I’ve grown up to be such a loud-mouthed, creative, crazy woman? It’s entirely due to my mother. She is so similar to me. I owe so much to her. Her comment above really sums it up!

Then I also got to thinking about how I came to become such an animal lover. I mean, it’s fairly obscene. I love ALL animals. I am one of those very annoying people you see on the street who runs up to other people’s dogs and starts kissing and hugging them and saying (in a really cheesy, child-like voice) “who’s the cuuuutest doggy in the world? huh? who’s the cutest? who wants to give me luvins?” Really, it’s rather ridiculous. If I could have it my way, I’d have hundreds of pet doggies, a herd of goats, and a whole slew of other animals living in my apartment. But, it turns out that the New York City housing authority frowns upon this kind of thing.

So, why am I a crazy animal freak? Again, I have my mom to thank for this. I grew up on a farm, surrounded by hundreds of animals. It’s all I know, really. And this whole “fear of dogs” thing? I don’t get it. You give me the meanest, scariest, mangiest dog, and I will have him/her licking my face in a matter of minutes. ‘Nuff said.

So, then I got to thinking, I saw all these kids playing in the dog run this morning. They also had no fear. They had the hugest grins on their faces, playing with any and every doggy who came up to them (Scope is a major kid lover). And maybe, just maybe, it’s a good thing for kids to learn not to fear animals. And maybe, just maybe, this lack of fear can cross over into the rest of their lives. Maybe they learn not to fear themselves, and also learn to love another creature so much that it brings them to tears. I think it’s certainly worked for me.

And then I got to thinking about how doggies are kind of “slaves” to what Freud would call their “id.” They don’t so much worry about the future, or paying taxes, or what their butt looks like, or whether or not they should have another bite of dog food because it might make their hips become fat. They are stuck in the here and now. And they are passionate. They love deeply.

And then I got to thinking about how it’s not such a bad thing to let your “id” out every once in a while. No, we can’t all go around having sex with anyone who sniffs our butt, and sleeping for 20+ hours a day. But maybe there are some of us that should let our “id” out at least a little more than we usually do.

Our inner child IS our inner dog in many ways. And maybe just maybe we should all unleash our inner dogs more than we tend to do.

I challenge you to all go to the dog park in the morning, and frolic in the grass with all of the doggies and try and be pissed off at the same time. I bet you an oyster you can’t!

I hope you enjoy the video below, which I just made from iPhone photos and FlipHD videos that I took at the dog park. Try and watch it without smiling. I bet you can’t!

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
- George Bernard Shaw

I’ve been saying this for years. We can learn SO much from kids. And we adults all need to find our “inner child.”

Thanks to my parents who also never told me “no.” They always encouraged me to be the very best that I could be. They also never told me to be a doctor or a lawyer. They told me to do what makes me happy and what makes me the best I can be. Turns out that I became a doctor anyway. Thank you mom and dad!

I wanted to again thank everyone for their good wishes on my new doctorhood! Really, it means so much to me to hear from everyone. I also appreciate all the feedback, emails, and comments over the years. I really owe my family, friends, and readers of this blog for making it through the four years of med school!

I have received several very thoughtful donations, and I will be publishing the comments and photos as soon as I get a chance.

I also wanted to reply to a few people who commented negatively on my last post. I’m sorry if you were offended! I simply thought it would be a fun idea to ask for $1 from any reader who might be so inclined. Honestly, I would donate $1 to many of the bloggers who I enjoy reading! Maybe some people thought it’s silly for a “rich doctor” to be asking for money. Well, let me tell you that I am NOT a rich doctor. Actually, I have over $300,000 worth of student loan debt! I also have only a few dollars to my name. I’m going to try and see if I can get some sort of job for the next month or two, but I have been unable to work throughout med school. I actually would have loved to work during med school, and maybe could have pulled it off had it not been for the strange hours I spend at the hospital. My schedule is constantly changing, and that certainly makes it near impossible to work a job at the same time.

Anyway, to you readers who were offended, I’m sorry you felt that way! My intentions were benign, I can assure you. And I was by no means demanding that anyone make a donation! I simply was suggesting that it might be nice. (Kind of like when you visit some museums.) Also, the comments did hurt my feelings. I did publish them. It’s difficult for people who do not share their personal thoughts and experiences with the world to understand what it exactly entails. I receive many nice comments and emails, but I also receive mean ones as well. It’s part and parcel of having a blog. I could just NOT share everything with the world, but in all honesty I do it because it really helps me, and it seems to actually help a lot of other people as well! I have received literally thousands of emails from people thanking me for writing this blog, and sharing my experiences with them. And that makes the negative comments and emails sting a little less.

So, what does it feel like to be a doctor? Honestly, it feels about the same so far as it did to be a med student! I have started filling out forms, which require me to put “MD” in the title, and that is a bit strange. I also realized that I will never again need my short white med student coat. I wonder what I shall do with it?

In other news, I will be continuing to write on this blog for a while (even though I am no longer a med student). And yes, I will soon be unveiling a new blog, dedicated to my life in residency! I will also start writing a new residency column for Medscape. So, you have not heard the last from me!

And thanks again to all of you wonderful folks out there. You really are amazing!

Photos: I didn’t have any “new” photos to post, so I posted some old ones. VERY old ones…of me as a child and my family. Love you mom and dad!

It is finally official! I have fulfilled all of the requirements to be a medical doctor. I won’t receive my diploma for a few weeks, and my graduation ceremony isn’t until June 4th. But for all practical purposes, I AM a doctor!

I’d like to take a moment to thank EVERYONE for all of their support over the past 4 years. I DEFINITELY could not have done it without all of you. I love you all!

Now, to the oyster part. So, I want nothing more right now than to go out and celebrate all my hard work and medical degree. However, I have one teensy weensy little problem. I’m completely broke.

I know this is going to sound totally lame, but it’s the only thing I could think of. I am asking for a donation. If you’ve ever gotten any good advice from this website, if I’ve ever made you smile, if I’ve ever pissed you off: I’m asking you to make a small donation. I feel really stupid asking for this, but hey, you do what you gotta!

So, I know this AWESOME joint just down the road from me that has a happy hour with ONE DOLLAR RAW OYSTERS!! Right now, this sounds like the VERY BEST way to celebrate my medical degree.

So, if you can donate even just one dollar to my pathetic little self, you can buy me a congratulatory oyster!

If you click the link below, you can easily use a credit card (or Paypal account, but don’t worry, you don’t have to have a Paypal account, just a credit card) to donate one dollar to my empty belly. There is also a description field, where you can include your name (if you like) and a short message (if you like).

When I eat each oyster, I will take a photo, and then post the photo, along with your name and message (unless you tell me not to) on my website for the world to see.

I hope no one hates me for this silly idea!

Anyway, here’s to being a doctor! And here’s to so much more learning to come! Thank you, everyone for ALL of your support!!

My apologies to everyone for my last rant/post about UPS. I actually had a great day today, save for UPS pissing me off (and I don’t piss off easily).

Anyway, let’s get back to the good stuff.

I will be a doctor in less than one day. Today was a very long day of endocrinology. I had to wake up very early in the morning, and I just now got home (it’s now 8 p.m.). Long day for an elective. But guess what? I learned sooo much. And so I am not upset about the hours.

Tomorrow is my last day of endocrinology. It’s also my last day of med school. MY LAST DAY OF MEDICAL SCHOOL! My apologies if I’m too excited. But guess what, I’M EXCITED!! In less than 24 hours I will have fulfilled all of the requirements to become a medical doctor in the USA. Yes, I will not actually receive my diploma for a few weeks. But that is merely a piece of paper. I am almost a doctor.

It’s exciting and scary and wonderful and terrifying, all at the same time. I’ve worked soooo very hard to get where I am now. And it has all been worth it. All the blood, sweat, tears, and money…. But after tomorrow I will be a doctor. And no one can take that away from me. Eat that, UPS! (Okay, I have obviously not gotten over that yet!)

Photos: I took both of them today. The first one was taken very close to my hospital. I parked far away enough to catch this on my walk. (RIP Kendoggz…one of my nicknames, by the way.) Second one was taken out of my car window on the drive home. Turns out you have to get creative if you’re not a “walker.”

“Yo Brooklyn, Fuhgeddaboudit” Photo Series

Okay, so you know how you’re not supposed to ever drive when you are VERY UPSET?! Well, the same goes for blogging.

But I break the rules all the time.

Please stop reading now if you don’t want to hear my rant.

I HATE UPS! They have lied to me on many occasions. They say that they attempted to deliver a package, and that I wasn’t home, even when I WAS!

I have been trying to receive a package for the last three days. I did not shower. I withheld bowel movements. I did not walk my dogs. I did EVERYTHING HUMANLY POSSIBLE to be at my apartment, and close to my doorbell, so that I could receive the package. And yet they would come much later on in the evening than they had promised, and then leave the “WE MISSED YOU” slip. Bull$#&%! I was here. And then when I called customer service they told me that they would call me back the next day, and have it put on the truck again for delivery.

They lied.

My package is being shipped back to the sender.

UPS, you can bite me.

And I will never use your crappy service. Ever. Again.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled program…

“To predict the behavior of ordinary people in advance, you only have to assume that they will always try to escape a disagreeable situation with the smallest possible expenditure of intelligence.”
- Friedrich Nietzsche

“And we should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. And we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh.”
- Friedrich Nietzsche

“I would believe only in a God that knows how to dance.”
- Friedrich Nietzsche

“Sometimes you just have to dance the polka to get things done.”
- Kendra Campbell

There are a million reasons why I love psych. Actually, probably over a million. But don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you to tears with all of them. Instead, let me use an example from today to explain.

As I was just walking onto the floors of the hospital to begin my endocrinology rotation today, I heard the sounds of polka coming from one of the halls. Of course, I had to explore this wonderful anomaly, so I hurried down the hall to find the source of the music. What I found was so very, very extraordinary.

I found three nurses and one physical therapist dancing in the hallway with an elderly patient wearing a hospital gown. One of the nurses was holding out her hand, with her cellphone playing some polka tunes. It was definitely a party. I definitely had to join. Without thinking, I jumped right in and started dancing with the crew. We all had entirely too much fun grooving the the music. Afterwards, I found out that the patient was demented and refusing his physical therapy. One of the nurses knew that the patient used to play in a polka band, so she had the incredibly brilliant idea to use polka to draw him out of his room, and onto his feet. It worked beautifully.

There is so much room for creativity in medicine. But sometimes it seems to me that psych might have the most room out of all specialities. And not only that, but understanding how someone’s mind works can help you in any field. This is the stuff that gets me excited. This is the stuff that drew me to medicine in the first place.

Understanding the human (and non-human) mind and behavior has always been a passion of mine. It’s what motivated me to get a degree in psychology. As a psych tech, I put all of my knowledge and education to good use. You want a very delusional patient who doesn’t believe he’s sick to take a psychotropic medication? You HAVE to get creative. You have to understand people. You have to have a desire to understand behavior and motivation. And this is a worthwhile skill in any profession. And yes, this is why I am so excited to be soon starting my residency in psychiatry. I can’t wait to develop more skills, and more understanding. And I love putting those skills and knowledge to good use. And not just in medicine, but in my daily life as well.

Perhaps we would all be a little happier if we took the time to dance the polka with a stranger every once in a while. It certainly worked for me.

Photos: From my “Improv Thanksgiving Dancing Routine” with friends, two years ago.

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