jfk-dca-lga

ohmygosh what a crazy couple of days!! i didn't have my computer on me, not wanting to lug it around, but now i think it's worth it. lots has happened!

yesterday morning i woke up at 5:15 am so i can get some breakfast at the corner coffee shop before catching the 6:30 am shuttle to Englewood, NJ so I can make my orientation at Englewood Hospital. The shuttle is run by Mt. Sinai and Englewood is an affiliated hospital. The next shuttle supposedly wasn't till 9 am, and I had to be there by 9:30- my google maps on my blackberry said it was only 11 miles away, but i didn't know what new york traffic would be like. i pack my bags for the next two days- my orientation, my trip to d.c., and my interview- roll my small suitcase down the street, grab some yummy oatmeal with cinnamon and milk ($1.50) and wait for the shuttle...except i'm not sure exactly where to stand. i was sent an email that said 50 E. 98th street, but I wasn't sure which corner, what the shuttle would look like...6:30 comes and goes so I call the security office....long story short, after spilling some coffee on my skirt, freezing in the nyc morning weather, finding out that the shuttle times were at 6:00, 8:15, and 9:00, running around from garage to security personnel, to different corners of the block, hopping in a cab thinking i had totally missed my shuttle and having the cab driver circle and drop me back, i finally make it in the shuttle...it's a nice passenger van with englewood hospital written nicely on it, with 2 other gentleman in scrubs. the drive to englewood is over the george washington bridge, and we approach a huge tree lined street- the trees are beautiful and golden- to a beautiful hospital. i meet the surgery administrator, the 'chief' resident- an R2, the OR nurses, get a tour of the OR , how to get scrubs, get my pager....and everyone is really really really nice. apparently the rotation is known as 'surgery camp', because the attending basically put in all the orders, and manage the patients day to day, and the residents- an R2 and two interns, essentially scrub into cases and learn to operate. it's a private hospital with 300 beds, slightly smaller than Queen's, and all the patients are private. I'm told I don't have to come in on weekends and I can take call if I want- they really just want me to learn how to operate, go to the conferences and soak up as much as possible. I meet the Director of Surgery on the way out, a grandfatherly like Vascular Surgeon. I'm excited because I haven't had much vascular surgery experience and I think I can learn alot. ....Apparently UPenn med students rotate through this hospital, but none are around while I'm there. The food is really really good. I felt like I was in Whole Foods when i was there! The chief resident (an R2) is a nondesignated preliminary resident- basically he has a spot for 2 years then has to reapply to categorical spots, is a really laid back guy from ecuador- very honest, chill, and real. i appreciate that. i can't wait to really start tomorrow...

so after my gourmet salad, i catch the noon shuttle back to manhattan, with my suitcase and my neatly packced suit and shoes and leather bound notebook tucked away, my nice black coat and hat, and all the essentials, and catch a cab to JFK airport. sweet! i'm really early. I find a :10 minute manicure kiosk in the airport and get my nails prettied up for my interview. I'm nervous for the interview!!! So i read my CV, my personal statement, review possible questions to their possible answers, and jot down questions I want to ask...as I'm getting my manicure I see that Obama just arrived in D.C., which is where I"m going and I get a little stoked. Simple pleasures of not being from the East Coast and being "in the same state as our president-elect!". ...After an hour long plane ride (aka nap) we land in D.C., and it's 6 pm. I have to be at dinner at 7 pm. I catch a cab to Adams Inn, the bed and breakfast recommended by Georgetown, where they gave us a discount. I've been to D.C., but it was a while ago and it was only for a weekend. D.C. is gorgeous, I'm kind of in awe that I'm passing by all these landmarks I only hear about. I kinda wish I had more time to explore D.C. We get to the bed and breakfast, and it's on older colonial style home, next to all the older homes 'you only see in movies' if you're from the islands, rush up to my room, take a quick shower in the shared bathroom, put on my best looking yet most conservative nice outfit that's not a suit, and get to dinner. I'm nervous. Do I look alright? Am I a right fit? What do I talk to these other applicants about? How do I know who's a resident and who's an applicant? I meet a bunch of folks- 4th year med students in my exact shoes, running around/flying around for interviews, nervous about the match, excited about the interview, but not really sure what to expect...this was also there first interview too, for most applicants. I run into a girl who's a 4th year med student at Davis- who I had met and connected with! Very nice to see a familiar face. Met people from multiple medical schools, all with different stories. I pass on the margaritas (we're at Cactus Cantina), but definitely do not pass on the burrito and fajita bar. Met R1-R4s, and go through the whole formality of questions "are you happy here?", "how many cases do you log a year?"....it's a very very necessary yet scripted set of interactions. which is fine...

i meet this really cool guy from columbia, at tufts medical school, and find out we have a mutual friend. I feel a dope connection, which is nice in the midst of the social mileu of nervous med students, buzzing ortho interns, and friendly general surgery residents and typical conversations.

I check out at 10 pm, make it to my bedroom, which is comfortable and feels like a home. I have big plans to re-read my application, my research protocol - they're bound to ask me- but end up passing out. much needed....

the next morning - i can't believe it was only this morning!- i wake up for my big day- my first interview! i'm not hungry, and actually haven' tbeen hungry this whole trip- mainly out of nervousness. i've also been going through bouts of nausea this whole trip. anyway, i wake up, try to breathe deeply as I get ready, put on my suit and shoes, and pack up again. I'm so worried! will the cab come in time? is it okay that i'm bringing my suitcase to the interview? is my hair neat? i call my cab and make it to georgetown university hospital in the dark- it's 6:30 am when i get there and i don't have to be there till 7 am. i wish i could see more of the ride! i can see the outlines of gorgeous architecture and trees, but can't quite see it in full. i also wish i had taken pictures of everything, but am too nervous to worry about that...

so interview days starts!

30 well-dressed medical students, almost all of us in black suits and neutral shirts with the few bold ones in pinstripes (including my new friend from tufts in a brown pinstripe suit), or the few women in high high heels and brightly colored undershirts. they have breakfast waiting for us in a conference room, it's a very small conference room and we're all squeezing by each other with cups of coffee and georgetown folders, trying not to spill and trying to socialize. all nervous. the chairman and residecny program director speak with us at 7;30am for half an hour....i won't kill you with the details of the day, but essentially, after an hour long tour of the hospital, we get back to the room and wait to be called out individually for our three separate interviews: one with the chairman and residency director (2 different people), one with two chief residents, and one with a faculty member. this goes on till 1pm- mentally jumping back from socializng with the residents and med students, to 10 minute interivews with each set of people...by the end we're all sitting down and the room has quieted down- it's tiring to socialize! i'm the second to last person to be interviewed by the chairman and residency director- perhaps the most important interaction, and by this time it's a 5 minute interaction.

i got asked the typical questions amongst the three interviews: strengths? weaknesses? tell me about your research. tell me about something that's not on your application. no surprises such as 'present your most memorable case to me' or 'tell me a joke' or 'what was the last book you read'.

we then go to the faculty club for another really nice lunch...

by this time i've formulated some impressions of the program. it's an excellent program. i like the residents, the chairman is great, i can go on...i actually have a spreadsheet to systematically evaulate my experience. which i will do tomorrow while the impressions are fresh and i'm not too tired.

my overall hunch on the progra,m however is that i will rank it high. i hope they like me.

my tufts friend and i connect periodically through the day. boston is only a few hours away and he invites me to come for the weekend while i'm here. maybe i will. we exchange numbers and i'm excited to have made a new friend.

i catch a cab ride with another applicant, whose flight is leaving national airport around teh same time as mine.

in reflecting on these interactions, this is new to me. we all connect because we're in the same boat, but we really know nothing about each other. once in awhile we get tidbits of each other beyond the standard 'where are you from? where have you interviewed? where did you get interviews?. like those who are married, those with kids, those with boyfriends/girlfriends...but mostly, we know nothing about each other. yet i'm still able to make an impression of who i like and who i can see myself hanging out with. i guess the residetns and program director is doing the same thing with us.

anyway, i'm exhasusted, get to the airport early again, to find that my flight to jfk was going to be cancelled or delayed because george w. bush had just landed in jfk so flight traffic was backed up. fortunately there's a wide upen flight to la guardia, another nyc airport, and they put us all on that one. i'm kind of in a daze right now, exhausted as hell. i make it back to my apartment via cab.

i realize that while i like my apartment- it does the job- it feels empty, and esp without internet connection. but the moment i step out of my apartment i feel less lonely. i guess 'cause there's lots going on in the city, and starbucks is right down the street, which is where i am now blogging away. i will call some friends soon..i start my day at 5:30 am tomorroow! i will catch the 6 am shuttle and meet up with my team, go to grand rounds/conference and scrub in the afternoon.since the last shuttle is at 5pm, we're all out of there by 5 pm unless you're on call....

so yeah! that's my last couple of days!

i'm excited to explore the city. I have an interview in newark at umdnj- new jersey medical school, this weekend but after talking to some applicants, some who went there, some who are from the area and know the area, i think i'm going to cancel it. i honestly can't see myself living in newark! it sounds drab and like an armpit. i also heard you do become a good surgeon, but...it's not an academic center and the city doesn't sound at all appealing... plus i have 7 or 8 more interviews lined up. which is sufficient to make a match list...instead i will explore the city. my best friend from college is coming down from boston for the weekend too!


phew!!

thanks for reading:) i'll carry my computer more often:)
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