2002: Transition and Revelations.

Autumn has indeed arrived. The winds are shaking the trees, the leaves are swirling in the air and tumbling haphazardly onto the ground, the skies are streaked with October clouds.

I never thought I would like family practice, but I am enjoying it (regardless of my attending). Can I do this for the rest of my life? I don’t know.

I wonder if I will, truly, one day look back at these days and curse myself for not enjoying them more.

2003: Conquest.

I shall conquer Step 2 tomorrow! 368 questions! 8 hours! 1 computer! 2 earplugs! 1 lunch! Many bathroom breaks!

And hopefully I didn’t kill too many brain cells futzing with the weblog instead of studying.

2004: An Open Letter to the Person Who Mailed MoonPies to Me.

Dear Giver of MoonPies,

I must admit that I was reluctant to open the non-descript brown cardboard box resting against my door this evening. I was not expecting any packages and I immediately became suspicious when I did not recognize the name or address of the sender. The anthrax scare from a few years back has left an indelible impression on me. My imagination conjured up images of home-grown explosives, packets of white powder, or other projects of malice (hundreds of scorpions or spiders, etc.) within the box. Against my better judgment, I shook the lightweight box.

Nothing happened.

2005: Relieved.

It is the last day of September which means that I have managed to survive my rotation this month. And what better way to end a rotation than to have a patient say to me, “I’m gonna f@#$ you up.”

2006: On Apathetic Medical Students.

Medical training can become an overly cerebral exercise—there are so many tests for and demands placed on students. And maybe all I can do is wait for the day when these seemingly apathetic students finally come across a patient whose illness and associated suffering finally touches the emotive parts of their brains—and maybe that will provide the impetus for them to fully engage in patient care.

2007: It’s cold and rainy in Seattle and, as I review these past entries, I realize that I’m getting old.