rotations

Out of all the things I've been stressed out about lately, I can cross one off the list. We just finished the lottery for our rotation sites for our fourth year, which was drawn out over two weeks. It's about 60% strategical planning and 40% luck... I already knew that I don't like gambling, and especially not when you're gambling with your life and career. But everything worked out pretty well in the end. Here's the rundown of what I'm doing a year from now, during my fourth year:

Session 1: May 2007 - July 2007
Hope Vision Clinic
Bellevue, WA
-This site is ALL vision therapy, and a lot of observation. It will be interesting, and maybe a little frustrating because it's mostly observation... we'll see.

Session 2: August 2007 - October 2007
Internal rotation
Portland(ish), OR
-I'll be jumping around to all the Pacific clinics in the area.

Session 3: November 2007 - February 2008
Fresno VAMC
Fresno, CA (but I'll be living at home with my mama, in Reedley!)
-This site is a very difficult disease site, but I hear that you learn a lot about how to treat ocular disease and manage complicated patients

Session 4: February 2008 - May 2008
Air Force Academy
Colorado Springs, CO
-I hear Colorado is beautiful in spring! Here I'll be seeing more 'normal' patients (NO patients are normal, as I'm disovering...) and get my exam routine down. And do some skiing, cycling, hiking, etc....

Whew! I'm so glad that's over.

Still, summer is so much busier than I expected. I have found someone to work with for a thesis project, but we haven't gotten started at all. I'm incredibly stressed about studying for boards, to the point where I'm going to skip class (we have some really really boring classes) to study in the mornings sometimes. Between all that and climbing, cycling and running (the only three sports I'm letting myself do this summer), there's just not enough time to get everything done. But I'm trying... feels like trying to make 17 people live in a one bedroom apartment. My brain is just too crowded and people keep falling out the window.

Keep in touch because it keeps me sane. :)