Hump Day?

Well, okay so it's Thursday not Wednesday... but figured I'd post this here... for posterity, LoL!

From what i heard, this was Alanis Morissette's contribution to April Fool's Day this year.

I certainly enjoyed it :-)

Oh, here's the "original" for comparison:

Screwed again?

grrrrrrrrrr.....

recently found out that my little adventure in general surgery over the past year (June 2006 until this coming June) may be a more-or-less wasted year.

the initial goal, since i did not match into my residency of choice as a 4th year medical student (see prior blogs), was to spend this year doing a general surgery internship, which would (in theory) satisfy the "general surgery year" requirement of my residency of choice, ENT. then, as i try to find a permanent residency slot this spring, i could springboard right into a second-year slot if programs with an opening were interesting in hiring me, or i'd have the option of going through the match again, and starting in year-one of the five year program. of course, it would be preferred to not have to repeat year one - because of the workload AND the extra time!!

less than 72 hours ago, however, i was just informed that the accreditation council requirements for first-year slots in ENT require completion of specific rotations, including 4 that i did not get assigned to: neurosurg, emergency medicine, anesthesia, and critical care. although i knew that many (most / all?) ENT programs do make sure their residents get these "core" rotations under their belts, i was never aware that it was a requirement for licensure / board certification. if that really is true, it is a fairly recent change (within the past 2-3 years) - as older residents would share stories with me about how their general surgery year was spent in the dregs of the hospitals' offerings, doing scut work and difficult rotations that the "home" program spared their own categorical general surgery residents.

yeah - this probably doesn't make a lot of sense to anyone not well-versed in the matching / residency process. no worries. i just need to vent about how i've gotten myself screwed (yet again, due in part to poor advising and in part to my lack of initiative in hunting down info that i didn't know i was missing). i'm just sorta pissed off at my residency program, for not being on top of the standards for their prelim residents (interns) and doing all they can to advance their future prospects - as they boast that they are doing all the time. i was even recruited here with the promise that they'd make special accommodation and guarantee me a rotation in ENT ... which is the ONE thing that is NOT required for an ENT first-year resident. of course, it sounded good at the time....

back to the drawing board. at least i'm learning from some of this. hope it's not too late to help someone else out there!!! and the year is not "wasted" - i'm learning a whole lot of gen surg stuff that i might not get at a program with a weaker reputation in surgery. and hey - if the rumors are right, at least i'll be making 2nd-year resident salary when i start at a new place this summer!

ok - sleepy time.

... always something there to remind me!

This is *so* you! ;-)

the following week...

i'm finally [mostly] recovered, emotionally and physical, from the hell of last week's matching activities. i've gone through the denial, the anger, the bargaining, and depression, and am mostly toward acceptance of my fate. it's always nice, though, to get messages like this (scramble was on Tues 3/14):

Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 20:03:58
Subject: Regrets about the system and our tardiness

Dear [bonzo],

I regret I did not get back to you in time on scramble day.

ERAS ~ melted down on us and turned out to be the least good method of gathering information.

You would have been an excellent candidate for us.

Our loss.

I wish you well.

We thank you for applying to Vanderbilt.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXX, MD

Program Director

Vanderbilt

[note: "ERAS" is the "Electronic Residency Application Service," the software used to apply to residency initially. Some residency programs utilized this also during the scramble.]

it doesn't help that Vanderbilt was pretty much my top choice of the "plan B" list, and to see that i could have had a spot there. other offers included Loyola (Chicago) and Wayne State University (Detroit) - but i'm very happy with my choice of Rush.

still never heard from Iowa - and looks like they are still unfilled. figures. now just waiting to hear officially from Rush - to get my contract, and to find out how much i'll be making, etc. need to contact some current residents and get their opinions on places to live....

back in the world of the living ... sorta

yeah.

settled - i'm going with option - was it #2? (hehe - no comments on "number 2" please....) i have booked myself into a PGY1 (post-graduate year 1) general surgery internship at Rush in Chicago. will be interesting to be in the big city. but at least (or just another form of torture?!?) i will be close to family.

next big steps -

• get lady-love back into the country
• find some digs (house/apt to rent for 1 year)
• figure out how to schmooze my way into an oto residency while maintaining credit for the year of internship i'll be in the middle of....

oh, and i guess it would be a good idea to study enough to jump into this program running...!!

in the meantime, "baby steps":

• get HxPxDx grades all tucked in - which of course means more grading, etc.
• ACE my psych shelf exam - that will be at the near-end of april
• go shopping for the first time in nearly a month - my dinner for the past three days has been peanut butter & jelly on a bagel
• throw out all my dirty dishes and invest in styrofoam
• i guess it would be a good idea to do my taxes at some point

and maybe the most daunting task - go through all the SHIT in my apartment and throw stuff out to make it easier to move at the end of may.

yeah.
life IS fun.

peace out,
e

scramblishous

So here's the status / options at this point:

#1 Choice:
1 program left with an open ENT slot - Iowa. (Research track, 7 year program). Dunno when they will decide on that - hopefully early tomorrow, but I am not optimistic.

#2 Choice:
Hooking up with a prelim / intern year general surgery program at a location that happens to have an ENT program as well - so can work toward transitioning into that program for next year. Top candidates now (depending on open slots on Wednesday morning) include Rush in Chicago and Vanderbilt in Nashville. Some other places too - may need to resort to DISTANT places like Pennsylvania, NY, or California. IF they have slots open still by then!!!

#3 Option:
Hook up with any prelim general surgery year I can scramble into, and worry about ENT with next year's applications. I may be accepted as a 2nd year resident, or I may have to repeat an intern year. Dunno what decides that yet.

#4 (last) option:
Plan to delay entering residency for another year. There are myriad things I could be doing in the "downtime" - not gonna bother listing them now. But they include a few things that will make matching next year a piece of cake. Theoretically.

So we'll see what we see. Ugh.

In better news, VISA stuff is "moving along" and the paperwork will be in Malaysia within 1 week. One more / less thing to worry about.....

Life is fun, no?
e