Monday, September 26, 2005
In Bethlehem
No, I haven't taken a trip to the middle east - I don't see the Tigris or the Euphrates anywhere nearby. I'm in Pennsylvania. Although Bethlehem, Pa touts itself as the "Christmas City" of the west, so far I have seen no children in mangers or wise men (crazy men talking to themselves I have seen, however).
Why am I way up here, so far from home? Well, I'm doing a rotation in Internal Medicine at St. Luke's Hospital, that's why! I wanted a rotation in the ICU, but I didn't get it - the best they could offer is IM, so I took it. Also while I'm up here, I'm interviewing at a few programs in the area (which is almost all of the ones I've applied to).
St. Luke's is a medium sized hospital (Link here) in, as I said above, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. There is a smaller sister hospital in nearby Allentown, Pa that is practically a separate entity. There are several residency programs at St. Luke's, including an Osteopathic Internship, for which I am applying. There are also Internal medicine, Emergency Medicine, Surgery, and Ob/Gyn, among others.
I was kind-of nervous when I first arrived here; I'm always nervous when starting something where I am going to be constantly watched. That is exactly what I am walking into: Since I am applying at this program, this rotation becomes like a month-long job interview, which increases the stress tenfold. Of course, first off I meet the program director for the internship, unexpectedly, and I'm wearing comfortable clothes I'd been driving in for almost 4 hours from Washington D.C., so I look like I've been on the road, I'm sure. Not a wonderful first impression... strike one...
No stress here at all, right? No worries, though. I get moved in to the dormitory (!!) where they have all medical students staying. What they don't tell you, though, is that the dorm also houses the resident nursing students who are quite hostile toward the medical students, for some reason, and treat us all as third-rate citizens.
But I've made friends already, which is nice. A couple of students from Temple (one of the medical schools in Philadelphia) were also checking in at the same time as me and we were talking and stuff. They seem pretty ok, even if a little overexhuberant.
I'm hoping for a great month. So far, I'm just really nervous since I don't know where anything is - in the hospital AND in the city in which I find myself. ¶ 7:44:00 PM
Why am I way up here, so far from home? Well, I'm doing a rotation in Internal Medicine at St. Luke's Hospital, that's why! I wanted a rotation in the ICU, but I didn't get it - the best they could offer is IM, so I took it. Also while I'm up here, I'm interviewing at a few programs in the area (which is almost all of the ones I've applied to).
St. Luke's is a medium sized hospital (Link here) in, as I said above, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. There is a smaller sister hospital in nearby Allentown, Pa that is practically a separate entity. There are several residency programs at St. Luke's, including an Osteopathic Internship, for which I am applying. There are also Internal medicine, Emergency Medicine, Surgery, and Ob/Gyn, among others.
I was kind-of nervous when I first arrived here; I'm always nervous when starting something where I am going to be constantly watched. That is exactly what I am walking into: Since I am applying at this program, this rotation becomes like a month-long job interview, which increases the stress tenfold. Of course, first off I meet the program director for the internship, unexpectedly, and I'm wearing comfortable clothes I'd been driving in for almost 4 hours from Washington D.C., so I look like I've been on the road, I'm sure. Not a wonderful first impression... strike one...
No stress here at all, right? No worries, though. I get moved in to the dormitory (!!) where they have all medical students staying. What they don't tell you, though, is that the dorm also houses the resident nursing students who are quite hostile toward the medical students, for some reason, and treat us all as third-rate citizens.
But I've made friends already, which is nice. A couple of students from Temple (one of the medical schools in Philadelphia) were also checking in at the same time as me and we were talking and stuff. They seem pretty ok, even if a little overexhuberant.
I'm hoping for a great month. So far, I'm just really nervous since I don't know where anything is - in the hospital AND in the city in which I find myself. ¶ 7:44:00 PM
