This Old House

While in Pittsburgh, I took the opportunity to drive through the neighborhood where I grew up.  Everything looks pretty much the same, and I didn't even get bleary-eyed.  But I do miss that big ol' tree in the front yard that died as soon as we moved away...

Eat 'n Park

So there's this little place that every Pittsburgher has been to about once a week since birth...  It's not haute cuisine or even very healthy, but it's quintessential Pittsburgh.  It's called Eat 'n Park which growing up I thought was hilarious because really you parked and THEN ate, but apparently when they opened in the 1950's you ate in your car which made the name slightly more appropriate.  They've known for their smiley cookies, which are huge sugar cookies with a big icing smiley face!  

There's another Pittsburgh tradition that has gone from one old-fashioned eatery to another - french fries ON the sandwich.  This is called the Pittsburgh Turkey Sandwich and it was kind of like a turkey reuben.  The kitchen forgot the most important part - the fries - so I had to put them on myself, but it was still delish.

OK, now I feel like I'm back "home".

Deep breath...

Today was the day I was scheduled to take my USMLE Step 2 - the first of the two licensing exams I need to take this year in order to 1) graduate from an osteopathic medical school and 2) be competitive to apply to MD-accredited residency programs.  So I left the house in what would be plenty of time to get to the testing center in any normal city on a Saturday morning.  But in Pittsburgh, there are always different plans.  So of course I hit major traffic.  Construction at the Squirrel Hill Tunnel...

I called the testing center to make sure it was OK that I got there a little late and they informed me that they were having computer problems, and I would basically be right on time.

However, when I got there, these computer problems were MAJOR computer problems that took TWO hours to fix.  Which meant that my 8-5 test turned into a 10-7 test!

But patience is a virtue, and I survived through the whole thing and only lost concentration at the very end.  So, let's hope they have all the computer glitches fixed by the time I have to take the second half of these glorious exams on the 27th.  Thankfully, this is the last time I have to take BOTH boards!  Or so I think...

Exhausted

After spending a week at my parents' house, I drove to Pittsburgh and immediately started my pediatric neurology rotation.  I take my Step 2 Boards on Saturday, so every minute that I'm not in the hospital I'm trying to cram last minute knowledge into my head...  So needless to say, I'm exhausted....

So far, by the numbers....

36 - number of days since starting this adventure

1,741 - number of miles driven

7 - number of different grocery store chains i've been in (safeway, kroger, publix, whole foods, trader joes, food lion, wegman's)

6 + 1 - number of states + the district of columbia crossed

5 - number of places i've slept (2 beds, 1 couch, 1 air mattress, 1 floor)

I finished my outpatient internal medicine rotation in Atlanta, which was absolutely wonderful.  The staff was friendly and helpful.  The patients were supportive (and compliant, which is so helpful!).  And the medicine was very interesting as a lot of patients were HIV positive.  Next week I'll drive to Pittsburgh to start a month at Children's Hospital in child neurology.  Can't wait for another adventure!

In the meantime, studying for Step 2 of the Boards which I take in 11 days!

Road Trip

On my 10 days off between rotations, my friend Jo and I decided to take a road trip up to the NoVa area outside DC to visit with good friends and their new babies.  My college roommate, Em, even flew up from New Orleans to be with us!  We had a great time and hated saying goodbye.