Day 910: Good talk, good talk

I had the great fortune of catching up with an old high school friend this past Sunday. He is actually a fourth-year medical student at the school in New Orleans where I interviewed. It was great to get some insight from him about the school as well as get his honest thoughts and advice.

I suppose the moral of this story is to tell you that I have had the utmost pleasure of being given a choice of where to attend medical school. At this point, it is between a school in New Orleans and a school in Milwaukee. Given those cities alone, I can guess where a majority of you are pulling for. However, the talk with my old high school friend, let's call him Magellan, really helped make my decision easier.

And what is that decision? I'm leaning towards purchasing an all wheel drive vehicle for a cold, cold, cold environment. Honestly, the program in Milwaukee was more suited to my taste and I really enjoyed all the people I met while I was there. I was just more comfortable there.

I think I was leaning towards New Orleans, rather heavily, because they were the first school to accept me. I wasn't sure if I'd have any more options so I adjusted to the idea of a life in NoLa. Honest to blog, the New Orleans school was my least favorite of the four schools I saw. I don't think it helped I got sick and infected while I was there, but overall, the school just wasn't my favorite. It's that cheesy-but-true sentiment of "following my gut." Right now, my gut is leaning towards cold times, winter weight and an SUV!

Day 900: Has it really been 900 days?

The first one was something I was incredibly reticent about mentioning for fear it was a mistake. The second one is, well, a pleasant surprise.

I hate to spell it out for people, because it feels so crass laying all my "accomplishments" out on the line, but I suppose there's no harm in stating facts. I have, in fact, heard from cette school in Milwaukee and the prognosis is good.

Day 897: Undergraduate musings

Having had the great pleasure of participating in four medical school interviews, it was my last one in Milwaukee that led me to this post.

For those of you that know (and those of you that don't), I went to college in New York.

I'm from California.

Upon telling people this, they all seem very impressed. Well, maybe not impressed, but they do tend to say, "wow you've been all over." I didn't realize that it was odd to go to university outside of your state. All of my friends from college did the same thing. One is from Wisconsin, the other is from North Carolina by way of Indiana, and the others are from nearby Pennsylvania. Of course, there's my one friend from New York state (you know who you are), and I actually found it odd that she stayed in New York. I suppose it's what you're used to.

Anyway, I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to study in New York. It provided me opportunities abound that I certainly would not have had if I went to a state school (which my mother still laments).

It also, I find, made me much more willing to up-and-move to wherever. I kid you not, every single student and/or applicant I spoke to in Milwaukee told me they ended up attending this school (or applying/interviewing at this school) for the sheer fact that they wanted to get away from home and/or college. It would have been too much of the same and they all wanted to get away.

I realized, probably by the fourth person that told me this, that I'm not getting away from anything. Home is always going to be California. If I seem especially willing to leave it, it doesn't mean I don't love it. I adore California. But I'll always come back. To see family and friends and whatnot. So, I don't feel a pressing need to stay because I know I'll always return. I think I just never realized how different it was of me to be so willing to move. Especially when I've never considered myself to be terribly nomadic or anything of the sort.

You really learn (or finally glean) something new (about yourself, in this case) everyday.

Day 893: The Milwaukee 411

Hola todos!

Once again, I am on a plane, heading home from an interview. This interview was at a school in Milwaukee, which I surprisingly liked. I think being lucky enough to be choosy made this already no-stress interview even less stressful. As a fellow applicant stated so well, "now you [the school] have to impress me."

There were a lot of organizational/communications issues on the school's part early on in my stay, which set the Milwaukee experience off to a so-so start. Luckily, the student body, facilities, and academic structure of their curriculum made up for the disorganization.

I think coming in to the interview with a very open mind helped me see that the school actually has a ton of pros. This is the only medical school in the area so there's no competition with other students (undergrads, dental students, etc) for research positions, volunteering opportunities, etc. They offer a pseudo-extracurricular-but-essentially-required-scholarly-project in an area of medicine that interests you--and luckily one of them is global health, which I am über-passionate about. They have the same grading structure as San Antonio, which is, you earn the grade you get. No curves. There are other pros, but I won't bore you with them.

The moral of this post is to state that I would not be averse to attending this school. What most excites me about their admissions process is the fact that my interview was yesterday (Friday) and they will send out, via snail mail, their decision next Friday. That's a one week turnaround time! I'm still waiting to hear from San Antonio, my first interview way back when in August!

Anyhoo, I'll keep you all apprised.

Day 889: Another interview in the midst

It is midst right? Not mist? Mist would be silly. Things in mist. I think they make scary films with that premise.

Anyway, I digress. I leave Thursday for an interview in Milwaukee (brrrr). I think it's good to keep my options open, even given the current circumstances. I've been waffling a lot the past few days, deciding whether or not I should go. I tried calling tons of people to get their insight, but shocker, everyone was busier than Santa's elves during the hoildays and couldn't take my call. Such is life. Sometimes you have to make the big decisions on your own.

Granted, this decision isn't all that big. But still, a decision that stressed me out. The stress has gone and the decision has been made. Off to Milwaukee I go!

Day 879: Post-armageddon

Well, that sounds dramatic doesn't it?

When I woke up yesterday, the stress that had accumulated throughout the week dissipated. You should have seen my to-do list for yesterday. At the top? "Finally stop freaking out!" It was a pretty lax day. Went out with my grandmother, took a nap, got into medical school, donated some clothes, went to the gym, worked, and watched some TV with my mom.

All in all, Ocotber 15th passed, as expected, with little fanfare.

Day 876: Healing, old friends and feeling consumption

As my friend MK likes to ask me, "Still a leper, Jess?"

"No, no longer a leper." After a week of blistered-feeling appendages that gave way to itchy appendages, I am now essentially healed. Thank the high heavens.

I've been terribly glad this past week because I have reconnected(ish) with two friends! The first was my gal-pal from North Carolina, Joy (who I spoke about here). I haven't spoken to Joy in more than a year. I called her a few times and left messages and never heard back so I deleted her number, mourned the loss of a great girlfriend and moved on. Well, she texts (and then calls) me up out of the blue and it was fabulous! To be honest, I don't expect to hear from her for another six months, but it was good to hear her voice.

The second was my dearest friend Ashley. We haven't seen each other for almost 18 months. We texted, briefly, on August 24th, but that was that. We talked on the phone for more than an hour yesterday and it was fantastic. She's happy at her new job and I am pleased as punch

All in all, catching up with old friends is always nice. And I caught up with two friends so that's twice as nice!

Lastly, I want you to meet my feelings. The stress of Friday is causing me to eat my feelings in all of these delectable foods.

I just need Friday to come and go so I can get back to glorious days of not-knowing when I would hear back from medical schools.