Residency in Full Swing.

So I have been cheating on this blog with my other blog: How To Be Totally Awesome. And because of that this blog has taken a huge back seat. Which is somewhat unfortunate because this is the blog that I intended to use to chronicle my journey through residency, as well as to put some of my views out there for ideas and comments.

But that aside, I am back. I will try to work with both blogs, this one will always play second fiddle I think, only because my other one has advertisements, and there in needs to be updated more frequently to stay entertaining. That said, this one probably has more meaning, and hopefully a lot more depth.

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A lot has happened between my last post and this one. For one, we closed on our house. Which was a great thing. An expensive thing, but a great thing. We are so happy with our home. Check out Mandi's Blog for details on that. She covers things a lot better than I do.

We have done some renovation, mostly painting with a few other things. Again, Mandi's blog has details on that.

Probably a greater change for me was the beginning of my Family Medicine Residency here in Peoria. Its been a huge adjustment. Going from a lifetime of learning, to a lifetime of clincal decision making. I know this is an abstract way to think of it, but having information poured into your brain for year after year after year, and then to have to turn around and spit it out in a way that helps people, and that works... its an interesting change.

I think I am doing a fair job, I try to ask the other doctors around me to critique me, and to offer me feedback and so far its all good. I feel confident in my knowledge, and in my ability to make the proper calls on the floors.

And speaking of the floors, call has been a real adjustment. There is nothing positive to say about staying up all night, being sleep deprived, hungry, and annoyed for more time than I care to think about at a time. Our call on weekdays lasts from 5:00pm to 7:30am the next morning. Keeping in mind I have to work the day before, and until 1:30 the day after too. Thats 30 hours at a time. Sometimes without sleep! Its nuts, not fun, and probably not safe. I am hopeful that the policies that are being considered will change that. For my sake, but moreso for patient's sake.

And weekend call isn't much better. Its only 24 hours at a time or less, but then its on the weekend. And it kills any hope of having the kind of good time I would like to have.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not trying to complain. I can handle the work. I have worked over 80 hrs a week before, so this is no biggie. And its FUN work, its challenging work, and its what I have been training to do for years! I can honestly say that I love it. And I am blessed to be able to do it. That said, it IS an adjustment, and one that I am finding harder to make than I thought it would be.

I also got a vacation. Thanks to a scheduling flub up I got vacation THIS August, when I thought I was going to get vacation NEXT August. I took full advantage, and went to WI to see my grandparents. It was a blast, great weather, and Bond Lake was great! Overall though, the best part is seeing my Grandparents. Time with them is priceless.

All in all there has been too much to cover in one post. Hopefully I am somewhat caught up with my blogging here, so that I can go ahead and stay current from here on out. More to come!


Tiger Striped Doc