Our profession is the only one which works unceasingly to annihilate itself. ~Martin H. Fischer
Well, my race is over, at least for a few months! I took my "American Board of Pediatrics Certifying Examination" yesterday in Atlanta, and it was absolutely miserable. I have studied for months, literally...more than I've ever studied for one test before, and still, it was tough. The test was about 350 questions, broken up into two 3.5 hour testing blocks, and completely overwhelming. The average pass rate for first-time test-takers is only about 75%, and I will just be praying for the next three months that I did enough to get in that top 75%!! I'm afraid it's gonna be close. It is true that all of us felt like a big failure afterwards, and that most of us will pass, but dang, some of us won't. Please God, let me have passed! Ok, enough!!! I'm gonna try very hard to not worry anymore about the outcome, and just enjoy life now!! I've been in study world (and work land) since we moved here, and I am more than looking forward to getting back to some regular fun activities!!
I am glad that I am off work today, cause I have a lot to do!! Here's a small sampling...
Laundry
Getting out cold weather clothes from the basement and somehow getting them into the little bitty closet...
Read a magazine
Blog (check!)
Pack away all board study materials
Unload dishwasher
Rescue the Christmas decorations from the POD (that yes, is still in the driveway!)
Go to Hobby Lobby and peruse the scrapbooking section
Buy a pumpkin and halloween candy (for Ron to hand out to the trick-or-treaters while I'm at work-sad!)
Go on a mini-reward shopping trip to Old Navy and Ann Taylor Loft
Go out to dinner (and have dessert!) with my sweet husband!
That should be enough fun for today anyway, and then tomorrow it's back to work. Speaking of work, I have really loved my job so far, and I am so glad about that! It's gotta even be more enjoyable now that I won't be studying through lunch and at any random free moment... I am building quite a little patient base, which is so great! I love when I get brand new nursery babies... all fresh and sweet and without illegible notes from anyone else in their chart to have to wade through! During residency, I think I only had two babies that I followed from the nursery and beyond, Kendall and Maddox, and it was an absolute joy seeing them over and over during those 2 1/2 years... and now I get to do that a lot! My first patient on my first day was sweet little Leighton, my friend Rebecca's baby... it was her two month check up (yes, she had to have her one month check up with one of my partners while waiting on me to start work- thanks Rebecca!!), and little Leighton was none too happy to see me! That cute little baby screamed the entire visit!! :) Rebecca came prepared with her camera, so we got a commemorative photo of the milestone in my career! Can't wait to frame this picture and hang it in my office (which is a story for another day maybe...).
Well, that's enough for now...I'm ready to go "squeeze some fun" out of the first day of the rest of my life!
The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease. ~Thomas Edison
