Winding down medical school...

I have 3 more days of this internal medicine rotation at UCI medical center. So far in medical school, I haven't felt as much as a doctor until this rotation. This is probably the busiest service I have been on, and I have been on many busy months. (most of my rotations are pretty hard core) As a fourth year medical student on the team, I was given responsibility as an intern (first year resident). I was given just as much patients to manage as the other 2 interns on my team. It is the first time I had to be the primary physician for all my patients. Previously, I had always act as a helper for the doctors on the team to get things done and to learn as much as I could about every case. However, this time, I am solely responsible to admit the patient, to order all their tests, talk to specialists about the patient's care, talk to social workers, case managers, families and educating the patients about how to understand their illness and how to care for their needs, and to discharge them from the hospital when I feel they are ready. I felt that the attending physicians and my senior residents trust my assessments and my patient care.

For about every 15 minutes I spend talking and examining patients, I spend another 1.5 to 2 hours every day doing everything else for that particular patient. Imagine if add all those hours up for 5 patients, I end up spending most of my day arranging consultations, following up on tests and imaging studies, and looking things up that I don't know. So, I have many patients, and it keeps me very busy. However, I felt rewarded in many ways to have the responsibilities to take care, arrange resources for someone and to see them go home healthier than the way they came it. (for the most part)

So, after this week, and after my last test in medical school on this Friday, everything is down hill from here. I have a month of easy rotation in Phoenix and then hopefully a month in South America to learn Spanish, if it works out.

As far as residency matches goes, I have submitted my rank list of programs that I desired after careful considerations and prayers. I feel very good about this list. I know that God will direct my path and He will guide me to wherever He wants me to be. I will find out on March 19 where I will go for the next 3 years for residency. I am so excited!

I am right now listening to some music that I bought from some youths in Cambodia. The group is called Olive Productions. It is really good Cambodian Christian music.

Ahkun Preah Ang!