The First Adventure

I have only been in the city a little over a week and I can already tell that October is going to be an amazing month! The city is very young and healthy which has brought back my love for running. I have ran a few times since I have arrived and I even found some trails to run yesterday. Trail runs have always been my favorite! I have become so much more active over the last few days and my energy levels seem to have skyrocketed. 

I have had the opportunity to work in a couple of different areas on the Emergency Department here. It is very similar to my Pediatric Emergency Medicine experience, where I act as the first line physician for the patients I see. I have gotten into the trenches, learned some new techniques, and have already greatly expanded my experience level. Over the last few months, I have started to make the transition from the learning medical student role to feeling more like a "real doctor." My level of responsibility has changed and I have found that I enjoy the new expectations. 

This program has been incredibly welcoming from day one. Night 1, I went out with the other visiting students and several of the EM residents to a BBQ place for what they call cardiology rounds. Basically drinks, food, and laughing. Over the weekend, I checked out "uptown" with some of the other students who are rotating through the ER this month. I have really enjoyed getting to know them and checking out the city together. We went to a Sushi/Hibachi restaurant which was WONDERFUL and then walked the area. We found a little alley of local pubs, had a couple drinks, and plays darts. A very low-key, laid-back evening which is right up my alley.

Yesterday, I received my first interview for residency. Come mid-November, I will be headed to Texas to check out another program. It was a very exciting moment for me! Emergency Medicine is very different from many of the other specialties. Many started offering interviews shortly after we applied in September, but Emergency Medicine programs typically wait until October. The waiting was making me nervous, so the first offer was very exciting. I am hoping that I will get several more offers over the next couple of weeks. I am also expecting to get my step 2 score tomorrow afternoon. Lots of exciting events coming up and plenty of exploring to still do!