A Welcome Break

These days Your Humble Observer finds himself on warmer shores...or at least theoretically.

Thanks to a 2 week gap in YHO's schedule, I've temporarily relocated to California where the weather is marginally warmer, family is plentiful, and the beer flows like wine*.

I've found that it's difficult to adjust from the go-go lifestyle of clinical rotations to the nothing-to-do-no-one-to-answer-to lifestyle. One seeks out projects and such to fill one's time. So I've undertaken a Sisyphean task: The transfer of 20 years worth of home videos from 8mm video to DVD. As we say on the island: Ooooooooooooook!

My break will last until Nov. 7 when I fly back to the Medz Khuntsor to start my next rotation - Endocrinology. Until then, it's back to my Rangers pajamas and videos from 1989!

*136,000 points to the person who identifies the source of this quote

Rise Of The Fall #1 - A New Hope

This city (That's New York City for those who may not know) has so many things to offer that you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. While I can sit here and enumerate this list, let me focus on one aspect that I truly love about the Big Manzana: Autumn.

That's right, Californians, listen up. In this part of the world, the leaves actually DO change color and fall from the trees, exactly like they used to teach us in those big science textbooks. You can actually feel the summer days wane, slipping into brisker weather and shorter days. There is a palpable feel that is difficult to describe, but you know it's there when you're walking down 3rd Ave in Brooklyn on a chilly October Saturday afternoon.

In this post, Your Humble Observer attempts to document, through poor-quality cell phone photos, this change in seasons. I've tried to capture the color and the feel as much as possible, but realize that there are limitations even to the best technology has to offer (not to mention I leave the house at 6 am when it's dark and don't get back until 7 pm...when it's dark). So here we go. The first photos are taken serially from roughly the same spot on my block in Brooklyn.

Children And Alphabet Soup

Residency application season is in full swing. On September 1st, the online application opened it's doors for the thousands of applicants to start flooding residency programs with shiny application, sparkly resumes, and glowing letters of recommendation (affectionately called LoR's in the application world).

To say it's a maddening system is an understatement. The whole process is dominated by what I like to call the Application Alphabet Soup. The applicant must be able to sift through more acronyms than you can shake a Bovie at. ERAS, NRMP, ECFMG, LoR, OASIS, ACGME are just a few such acronyms. However, through sheer grit and determination Your Humble Observer has somehow managed to work his way through.

The response has been fairly positive thus far with a few bumps in the road. For now, it's all about scheduling interviews and trying to decide what features of a residency program are important to the individual applicant.

In the meantime, I have found myself in one of the more rewarding rotations - Pediatrics. It's great to see the kids get better and be up and around playing in the playroom, and of course, you've got to love the well child visits where the kids are happy, healthy, and playful. It's an interesting rotation, but I doubt the field is for me.

The rotation will be over at the end of this week, then I get two glorious weeks to spend with my family back in the homeland. After that it's back to NYC for an Endocrinology rotation. Please reference schedule below.

Writing On The Wall - The Ultimate Transformer

If only there was a place versatile enough...

Why I Love Cali in October

Here's a look back at a post from last year. This is why I look forward to arrival of Fall and the month of October every year:

Harvester of Joy

26 & 7/32 - Trial Run

Last Sunday Your Humble Observer took on his first running challenge by participating in the PO Chris Hoban Memorial 5-Mile Run. The race was a nice brisk 5-mile jaunt along Shore Road and through the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn. YHO and running buddy M.A. not only got a glimpse into the race atmosphere, we got a lesson in proper race preparation.

YHO posted a time of 51:07.52 (Pace 10:14/mile) and came in 375/612 runners. Not too bad for a first race.

Next on the agenda is the Coney Island Boardwalk 5K Turkey Trot. The goal is to run a sub-10 minute pace.

The Good Die Young

R.I.P Cliff Burton

(February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986)

"When a man lies, he murders some part of the world

These are the pale deaths which men miscall their lives

All this I cannot bear to witness any longer

Cannot The Kingdom of Salvation take me home?"

26 & 7/32 - A New Challenge

About 2-3 months back a friend suggested that I take on a new challenge: running a half-marathon. At first, I scoffed at the idea, believing that running of any kind was an activity for anyone but Your Humble Observer. After mulling it over for a bit, however, I thought that perhaps doing something to step out of my comfort zone would do me good. Frankly, I had been feeling a bit sluggish since surgery and ob/gyn rotations as I could rarely find time to exercise during those 6 months.

So I accepted the offer. We agreed that because we were novice runners it would be impractical to aim for the 2009 half-marathon, so we're training for 2010. It was a bit difficult to start up at first, what with my resistance to the idea of running and my schedule, particularly with Step 2 and the rotations. Regardless, we established a semi-regular schedule and have made quite a bit of progress. Originally, we started running 3 miles, which at the time seemed like hell on earth to me. With regular dedicated running sessions, we have been able to up our regular workout to 5 miles at a time.

If you, the readership, will allow me, I'd like to make this a regular feature of the blog and keep you updated on my progress. I feel that, in addition to allowing you a glimpse into my life, it will help keep me honest and motivated to push through to August 2010. I'll keep a more regular update at the bottom with my times and mileage, but I'll post on here when we hit major milestones and the like.

Writing On The Wall - What? Hard Hat's Not Enough?

What in the name of the building code could this possibly entail?

Tell you what, you don't play with needles and I'll lay off the nail-gun.

Medical Code - Dean Dubiously Decries Offering, Opposition Overjoyed

I propose a possible perspective. To disagree, deny, or denounce my position is permissible. I only warn: worrisome is the world in which we live. Do not become prey to the game.

In the beginning, when the messiah proposed his healthcare plan, I could say with relative certainty that he and his supporters actually believed in healthcare reform. Despite the fact that I disagreed with the details and premise, while being continuously cautious and clueless, I could ceded the case that change, clearly, must come. My biggest beef with the burgeoning bill was the haste with which it was being blown through Congress. Full steam ahead, no looking back. It shocked and saddened me that this severe upheaval of the system was evolving overnight and no one was willing to pull in the reins. Ah, but a recent review of events has renewed my perspective on the matter.

Walk with Your Humble Observer while I paint a picture. Your Physician-In-Chief throws a plan out there, perhaps one that is doomed to failure. Regardless, it makes its way through the political system. As it gains ground, the country goes insane. The issue becomes ridiculously polarizing and highly charged. Debates. Debacles. Demonstrators turn vocal, and turn the volume to twelve.

As opposition gains strength, your Doctor-In-Chief takes to the turf, rallying to raise awareness. The more he pushes, the harder the opponents push back. The public will not play ball. They are not happy. And they're letting it be known.

So your Surgeon-In Chief settles for what he does best: he reaches out, across the aisle. He goes diplomatic on us. He sends an olive branch - No...Public...Option. A hush hovers over the nation. The public is pacified...perplexed, but slightly more peaceful. Hmmm. Ok, no public option, just these cooperatives. One eyebrow is raised. They're intrigued...

...When along comes a spider - Mr. "HEEYAAAAAH" himself, Howard Dean, hurls himself onto the stage. He bashes this new move by the White House.... HOW DARE THEY? If no public option, then no real reform. The opposition now has two eyebrows raised. Well, if the Dean-Eyed-Monster is against this, then it MUST be alright. They're on board! The messiah's believers are befuddled, bewildered...betrayed? But they can be brought around. A round of gentle coaxing and they're back on track.

And VOILA! A healthcare bill will come through. The Republicans will celebrate their victory over Obamacare, the Democrats will shout, "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!" from the rooftops and relish in their triumph at being the generation that passed healthcare reform, and YOU?... you gained....what again?