Life has a way

The last couple of months have flown by so fast it's hard to recall what I've actually done since I've moved down here. Obviously a lot of school, some rotations, random patient write-ups and notes, and some fun times with some good friends; some of it has been good and some not at all, I suppose as all things are in life.

The semester officially ends on August 5, so just in a few weeks and there's still a bit to get done before then, but then it's back to study mode 9-5 for a week do to the review course I'm taking. Then I just jump into studying on my own and head back to Columbus at the end of September to do some more of that.

Ive been to the beach a couple of times now, am more comfortable with the driving around here and the freeways, the lack of English in many places and the craziness of our schedule...well that I may never get used to, but at least we're almost done. I've had a friend visit, an old friend start his education not far from where I live, met some good people, became better friends with others and explored the cuisine of Miami...probably more than I should have. I've cooked a decent amount and found out how much I love it if I had a little more time, kind of baked a few times but I still need to perfect it, and am trying to continue with the whole gym-going thing but a week-long sickness kinda put that at bay so now I'm desperately trying to get back to that too.

So thus far life is decent but I'm excited to leave this part of my life behind. It's been fun and it's been VERY very educational both school-wise and in so many ways life-wise too, but I'm ready for a new start even though it's just a different kind of continuation. I'm starting to notice changes in my likes and dislikes, what's important to me and what is not and it's making me feel like finally I'm getting somewhere with this "purpose" in life :)

Hope you're all healthy and happy!

Love,

Basia

Getting into the groove

I have a few more days before my comprehensive exam which I am a bit nervous for because the passing rate is usually very low for the first time and because there really is just a lot of information. It's amazing how much you forget! But I'm gonna do my best and if the worst happens, I will just have to take it again at the end of the semester. Cross your fingers for me!

This past weekend I went through a BLS and ACLS training meaning I am now not only CPR certified, I am also certified to run a code blue in any situation in general. It was a long weekend but I learned a lot and it was fun in a lot of ways too. If you remember nothing, know the ratio 30:2....30 compressions followed by 2 ventilations and repeat 5 times before a shock and before switching.

My back has been bothering me lately which is upsetting because I can't go to the gym, but hopefully it will resolve soon. As you all know I HATE meds, but I caved in and took an Ibuprofen because I couldn't even breathe without intense pain shooting down my back. And I'm not even sure how I caused this problem. :(

Yesterday I had my first rotation and I was lucky enough to get Dermatology. It was a very long day but it was still exciting and fun. We saw close to 40 patients all who had anything from warts to acne to moles to rashes to cancer. The doctor was a big goofball and his medical assistants right there with him so it was an entertaining experience as well. However, we did learn things when he tested our knowledge and we did get to speak with patients, take their history, diagnose them and honestly, practice our Spanish A LOT! In all, a good day. We are looking forward to the other days we get to go there but I'm pretty sure Dermatology is not the specialty I want to go into. It's an easy job, with great hours and pay, but in my opinion, not a very challenging specialty which I DON'T like.

And I will end this post by wishing my beautiful, sophisticated and quite amazing Aunt Barbara a VERY VERY VERY Happy Birthday! I will see you this weekend Ciociu!

Cium!

Basia

I'm Back

Dinner with friends in Miami

Well it's been exactly 3 weeks since I have officially been off the island and 2 weeks since I've been trying to get settled in my apartment in Miami, FL. It was definitely a bit nerve wrecking waiting for the final scores to come out but once they did, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy some time with family and friends. I then took the 20.5 hour journey down to Florida by myself (which was actually a lot of fun for me).

So now here I am. Life is very different in Miami...definitely different from Dominica, but even from Ohio. I'm glad I'm here and glad to have this experience but so far it's pretty evident that Miami is not somewhere I could ever live long term. According to some of the locals, the hispanic population has expanded tremendously in the last 2 years which has led to what I call "little Cuba." Every store within a 5-10 mile radius has only hispanic workers, some of which speak English but most of which do not. (Even greeting cards are all in Spanish. I had a hard time finding English ones.) As you can imagine, that was quite an adjustment, but now seems like it's a way of life. The traffic is awful here, with no traffic only seen between the hours of 9pm and 5 am and which makes me wonder where people are going and why they are not working. It's also very hectic in general here which is to be expected in a large city, but I honestly miss the simplicity of island life...sometimes, I miss Dominica. Yes, I know, crazy, but I sometimes I do.

People are also very fake and mean around here which is strictly different from the midwest. And to prove that I am not crazy, I recently met a neighbor who is from Indiana and going to PT school here and he said that was the first thing he noticed too. I have seen more BMW, Masarati's and Lamborghini's in a spam of 10 minutes than I have ever seen in a lifetime (TV not included of course). It's like you have to be part of a club to live here and have your own personal plastic surgeon because everyone is "perfect" and rude. Again, very much not something I relate to well. In a nutshell, I would describe Miami in these few words: Fake, Rude, Hectic, Upscale, EXPENSIVE, and fun if you let it.

But it's not all that bad. I mean I AM in America, the weather is usually very nice and I'm really glad to be having this experience overall. I have spent time exploring a little and there are some very neat places so I'll let you know things as I discover them. Currently, I'm studying for my comprehensive exam and school starts Monday, so life will also pick up a little with that, and I have enjoyed the variety of cuisine from a variety of cultures. Oh and I forgot, I also began experimenting with cooking now that I...wait for it...HAVE MY OWN KITCHEN!!!

As time goes on, and as my blog title change states..."Time will tell."

Until next time,

Barbara