since there’s another thread here called “first day of rotations,” for the new MS-IIIs, I figure I can get this one going …
Tomorrow morning’s 4:00am alarm starts my LAST DAY of the longest eight-week rotation I’ve had this year, OB/Gyn. It has been a horror in a lot of ways that I am not going to enumerate, since I am in a good mood as I contemplate it being over. But oh my god has it been long.
I did it. I got through third year and now get to focus my attention on Step 2, residency applications, etc. Oh, yeah, I might do some clinical work in my spare time during fourth year too 
It is way too late (after 9pm!) to write something philosophical about getting through the experience of third year. I guess I will just say that, at the beginning of the year I was terrified, had no clue, wondered if I’d ever “get it.” Now - would you believe, I feel like a doc. I can do this. And I might as well savor the (somewhat delusional) idea that I can do this now, because I am watching the new interns who look pretty much the way I felt at the outset of third year, and I know that I will be at the deep end of the pool this time next year…
(got a HUGE laugh today from progress notes on a post-op patient of mine who’s had a rocky recovery. The neuro consult wrote, “Will restart heparin drip if okay with Dr. Renard.” 
My chief chuckled as well.)
Anyway, the OB/Gyn shelf exam is Friday morning; hopefully many of my classmates will be up for an early call at the local pub immediately following, and then I’m off for some R&R, mmmmmmm sand, sun and surf…
I have five progress notes to write tomorrow morning, and one off-service note. So that is just six times left that I will sign off as “Mary Renard, MS-III.” Yeee-haaaaaaaaa,
I’m an MS-IV!!!
Hi Mary,
Congratulations on getting through third year! Now you can really ENJOY medical school. Fourth year is when you really start to establish your style of practice. You take some interesting electives and you get ready to, graduate. 
I hated OB-Gyn. I tried to get into that rotation but I just couldn’t do it. I loved delivering babies but even that got tedious. I spent most of my Gyn time doing General Surgery cases. There are only so many people that can get between a ladies legs at one time! Most of my gyn cases were spent sitting on a stool in the OR watching the resident retract for the attending.
I know that you are going to hop on Step II so good luck with the study. You are going to find that most of Step II is just plain good common sense.
Again, congratulations!!
Natalie
Mary,
Congratulations on completing one more step!!!
Way to go!! Congratulations! And go out and have some fun now.
CongratS !!! from one olde pharte to another
I am just starting third year properly in a little over 2 weeks
I was just reading you post including your “dates” How these strike you?
Born dec 6 1955, married 1980 – Hopefully graduating med school 2005, with one daughter half way through College and the second graduating High school that year.
Congrats!
Congrats!!! One more year and you will be ofically an MD!!! Has it been everything you thought it would be?
Best of luck in the last year of med school and enjoy your time off!! Going any place special??
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| Born dec 6 1955 |
Cool, Steve, we are practically twins!
Cathy R wants to know
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| Has it been everything you thought it would be? |
Better. It has been more fun. Even the incredibly intense long slog of third year was, in hindsight, mostly fun. I didn't even mind the ridiculous alarm settings THAT much (3:50am is my limit and I definitely don't want to do that often!). It was so incredibly exhilarating to do all this stuff - to "get it" - and it was personally satisfying to keep up with my classmates. I didn't have any worse of a time dealing with call than anyone else so was quite triumphant that the ol' engine has just a few revs left in it.
It's also gone faster than I would have imagined. Seems like yesterday that I felt totally incompetent and despaired of ever being able to function the way I saw "older" (junior and senior) med students doing. Now I know that I'll be the one someone else is watching and that "younger" med student will be feeling the same way. I look forward to reassuring them a little!