Match made in Heaven...

Match day is next week. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is the day that will determine the direction of the rest of a medical student's life.

Monday at noon, eastern standard time, thousands of medical students will get the incredibly impersonal email that will start with either 'Congratulations' or 'We are sorry to inform you...'

I feel fairly confident about which email I will be receiving and I am really looking forward to finally getting back on track. I have busted my ass this past year and I can't wait to finally see it all pay off...

Except...

Now I feel like a dog who's been chasing a car.
... I don't know what to do now that I've caught it.


It's been over a year since I've done anything clinical and my basic science knowledge has slowly been seeping out my skull. I'm planning on studying the month or two before the start date in July and hopefully that will get me a little back up to speed... and I can spend the month of May studying for Step 3 while K studies for his Step 1. I guess you can say that I'm a little nervous. I just don't want anyone to question 'how the fuck did this idiot get an internship here?' And my position is just a preliminary year, so next year, I'm back to the Match again to try and secure a position for the rest of my training. I have my foot in the door to the one of the greatest places in the field, but I'm only guaranteed one year to prove my worth against peers from Ivy League medical schools. Intimidating.

But I'll go on a little tangent here..  I was talking to one of my best friends A the other day about life. He works at another hospital here in the city doing exactly what I do, but gets paid for it as a career. He started medical school and halfway through decided that he didn't want to practice clinical medicine. Let me clarify that he didn't flunk out. He passed the Step 1 of his boards and 6 weeks into clinicals decided to walk away. People will always question his decision, but I can respect that he did what he felt was right. Now as he watches his peers about to finish what he started, we started talking bittersweet.


"Do you even regret leaving medicine?"
"No. I hated what I did then. I love what I do now. It just wasn't for me. But I'm glad I went."
"Why?"
"Because that's where I met my wife."

And that got me thinking.... I've always believed that everything happens for a reason. 10 years ago, I never would have thought I would be a medical school graduate. 5 years ago, I never thought I would make it into the surgical profession. 1 year ago, I never imagined I'd be working where I do. The journey to get to where I am has been an unpredictable one... and I've learned to have no expectations for where I'll be a year from now... but if there's one thing I know and am grateful for, I am definitely meant to be here now. Not only is it a boost of self-confidence, and a reviver of my morale, but maybe... just maybe.. it'll be where I met my future husband.

K is everything I ever wanted.

Third time is the charm....

<3

How Asian Fathers Should NOT Talk...

I told my parents that I was heading up to Connecticut for the weekend to visit a girlfriend at Yale.

My dad: "Yeah, have fun drinking with the brainy chicks."
Me: "Chicks, dad? Really?"