Hmmm...choices...

Well, I just got an email from the University of Western Ontario offering me a spot in their medical school for this September. That brings my total offers up to three: UBC, Dalhousie, and UWO. Guess I've pretty much got my pick of where I want to live in this country...barring the prairies, and honesty, who would want to live THERE? (heh)

I've turned down Dal...that was a no-brainer. I didn't fit well with their program I suspect, and their facilities/hospital didn't give me that tingly, super-excited feeling I got at other places. But UWO is a very, very tempting offer. They have a program in the clerkships (the 3rd and 4th years, when you actually start seeing patients in the various hospital wards regularly) which permits clerks to be first call. Basically, that means that the clerks (i.e. med students) get first say in treatment options/whether to call in the resident or even the on call doc, and generally get lots of experience performing simple procedures (various tests, intubation, IVs, basic medication, etc). This experience is invaluable when you move into your residencies...and I'd very much like to be able to get it. Also, their academic curriculum is far more my style...little problem based learning...lots of lectures (which I learn well from)..P/F system (UBC is P/F/H...and that makes things more competitive because everyone wants to gun for honours...). But it's in Ontario.

Bah. I'll stay here I suppose, unless UWO gives me a big scholarship for whatever reason. But I was hoping I wouldn't have to make this choice. I wasn't planning on getting offers to two of my top three schools. If U of T sends me a big thick envelope this week I'll REALLY start tearing my hair out.

Oh man, the whining has reached a new level. I deserve a swift kick in the butt. Honestly, for those of you who are rolling their eyes at my level of spoilage, I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to experience this indecision. I never dreamed I'd get so far!

Modest Mouse Rocks my Socks

Well, I got to see them live. In person. Up on stage. I was one of the thousands of screeching fans who waxed enthusiastic over the concert at the Queen Elizabeth theater last night. It was a treat to hear them live.

The venue itself was, sadly, not so great. We were encouraged not to leave our seats, which was tough, as Modest Mouse have some very danceable numbers. Jon and I were stuck up on the back balcony (but near the front, which mitigated some of its inherent crappiness). I actually had to move into the aisle to maintain a view of the stage, as some crazy, very high people right in front of us insisted on standing up and leaping around the entire time we were there (I was torn between hope and fear that one of them would fall over the railing).

The music itself was pretty damned sweet. I hadn't realized just how many drummers it take to maintain their funky little rhythms. They had two whole drumsets up on that stage, with two full time drummers and a few other guys who would occassionally materialize out of nowhere and pick up a bongo or tambourine. In addition, the back up singer and one of the guitarists would frequently put aside their other musical duties in favour of being members of the rhythm section (usually with maraccas). Anyways, it worked perfectly, and the more I listened, the more in awe I was. The rhythms seemed so simple at first!

The lead singer was nothing short of manic. His vocals were definately energetic...though sometimes I'd have liked to hear a little less screaming. He wasn't much for audience interaction...no patter throughout the show. But I didn't feel that detracted from the experience (though Jon might argue otherwise).

We got to hear lots of their new stuff (pretty much in the same versions as are on the CD), and a few older songs, which were great! Some of the pieces from their earlier records are very powerful! I'd always been sort of turned off of those discs by the bare bones recording quality, but I guess I'll have to go give 'em another shot now.

The opening band...don't get me started. Boo. But the ones I really paid to hear were Modest Mouse, and they didn't disappoint.

Saris and Henna and Naan, Oh My!

Well, this past weekend was a busy one. So many new experiences, fabulous clothes, and wonderful new foods...it all kinda blurred together after a while. The experience was kind of like being hit by a big, colourful, curry-flavoured truck. It left me feeling mildly concussed and ever since, day to day life has seemed a little bland.

R, my boss's daughter, got married. That's the short version. Also, I was invited.

Here's the long version.

Thursday (my birthday), I went to the family's house for a henna-hand-painting session. There was a woman who does it professionally there and she was amazing. I got this great flowery mass of vines running from my wrist to my finger tips (really emphasizes the length of my hand and makes it look far more graceful than it actually is). This incredibly complex, entirely original design took this woman three minutes. You should have seen the bride! Her arms and legs were COVERED, front to back with gorgeous patterns. Anyways, mine should last another week or so, if I don't go out of my way to scrub it off. Maybe I'll try to post pics.

We followed the henna session with lamb and potatoes and salad, and Jon and I headed for home. Next day, we had a pre-wedding dinner. Lots of different foods, most I don't know the names of. Pakoras as appetizers. Lots of lamb and chicken and things in rich sauces which we mopped up with some tasty naan bread. The evening consisted of ceremonies involving R and her bridesmaids and the groom's family. Kind of a welcome to the clan thing.

Next day was the wedding itself. I got to wear my sari! It's burgundy and red with lots of sparkly bits. Saris are really hard to put on, and it took me a few tried and some research to figure out how to get mine right. Bangles, an indian-style necklace, and some strappy heels put the finishing touches on my outfit. It wound up being really really cool (I'll wear it in the future definately), and I was asked if I did modelling and offered a little job in an 'East meets West' style fashion show some time in June. I found this funny, and who knows, maybe I'll call the woman who passed me her card. We'll see.

My outfit was nothing compared to the bride's! She first appeared in a gorgeous white sari, all beaded with white, lots of gold jewlery. Later, after the ceremony, she showed up at the reception in a red sari with what must have been hugely heavy gold-work all over it. We heard speeches (not great), saw dances (fabulous...a whole troup of guys doing a perfectly choreographed, extended routine, with much standing on each other's shoulders), ate a ton (really tasty green stuff that had chunks of lamb in it was a personal favourite), and finished the night with a turn on the dancefloor ourselves.

My little summary does not do justice to the experience. I was pretty tired the whole time, and recovering from some nasty bug, but was still amazed. I wish I had such a wealth of culture in my background! Well...maybe I do...I ought to do some research and come up with some really old-style Celtic traditions...hmmm...

I never want to have such a huge wedding though. The sheer amount of stress and agony that family went through was incredible! It's amazing the wedding happened at all, remarkable that everyone is still talking to each other, and a happy surprise that everything worked out as well as it did. If you ask me, it's not worth it.

Hey, It's MY Birthday Too!

Apparently it is Nick F's birthday today. Nick and I were acquaintances (friends due to our mutual knowledge of various people) all through University. We lived in the same building for years. His SO, Melissa, was my lab partner in many a Bio class. How the hell did I miss the fact that his birthday is on the same day as mine?

Well, we cool folk have to stick together. And Nick is definately one of the coolest people I know. I'm sure he doesn't read this blog but, what the hell. Thinkin' of ya Nick! Here's to a better year ahead!

An Island in the Sun

Well, it's official. I'm enrolling in the Vancouver Island Medical program. Got the acceptance package yesterday. (Also found out yesterday that I'm number 1 on the waitlist at Dalhousie, which is a far more impressive accomplishment than just getting in to UBC...Dal only accepts 9 out of province students, and 500 or so apply, and those 500 are those who think they have a good shot at it (the cream), so being in the top 10 out of 500 applicants was a bit of an ego boost as well. Not that I need an ego boost at this point.) What this means is, after spending the first 4 months in Vancouver (learning basic stuff with the entire class), I will move back to Victoria. Myself and the other 31 people accepted into the IMP will then spend the next year an a half studying at UVic. After that, we get into clerkships, and those happen pretty much anywhere I want them to.

I'm looking forward to this (except for it means I'll have to be away from Jon for a while again...sigh...boo). Med school is supposed to be very intense...lots of info to cram into your skull, shadowing docs, getting clinical experience, dissecting cadavers, researching for PBL assignments, etc etc etc...so my free time will be limited. But I'm just so damned excited about it all that I can't wait to get started and meet my new classmates. I'm sure we'll all evolve into a very large and dysfunctional family in a short time. So let's see...

IMP Pros:

- Small class sizes (big one, since I really HATE being a face in the crowd)...this goes hand in hand with getting to know classmates better, which I'm looking forward to
- More one-on-one time with profs
- Less competition for shadowing...can basically pick and choose from a ton of doctors who really want to help out with educating a med student
- Emphasis on rural/small town practices (I'm leaning towards practicing in a small-town environment...might even wind up back in Duncan when all this is over...lol)
- Lower cost of living in Vic (negligible, but still there)
- Close to family, so visiting for holidays is an option, also, my mom can bring me dinner when I'm stressed out (love you Mom!)

IMP Cons:

- Time apart from Jon (and Moe?)...this is the big issue I have with this...
- Fewer resources at UVic (UBC has a well-established med library and learning center...can UVic compete? Possibly irrelevant, as most resources will be available online)
- Some televised/beamed in lectures (this would happen at UBC too, but as they have a larger Med faculty, I assume it would happen less often in Vancouver than on the Island. We've been assured this does not impede classroom learning, and glitches in the system are statistically rare).

Both campuses teach the same curriculae and have identical requirements. Both facilities are brand new, state of the art. Is IMP the better choice for me? At this point, I think yes.

Sick

It's 3 a.m., and I feel like death. Boo.

I never get sick! My immune system can handle anything! Except, apparently, this little virus I've got right now. My head feels huge and generally stuffed with snot (ooh, fun mental images for all!), my throat is so raw that my voice has dropped an octave (I doubt I'll have a voice at all come morning), and I can't stop coughing or sneezing long enough to fall asleep.

In short, I am miserable, so I thought I'd share my misery with everyone. But now I'm done sharing. I shall go and procure for myself some potent drugs and attempt to sleep (alas, we have no sedatives in the house so my desperately needed rest my be a long time coming).

Fortunately, I'm still giddy from Friday, so I'm not as abject as I could be. Wheeeee!

Irony

Well, no sooner do I post something in which I whine copiously about having to wait for SOOOO LOOONNG than I find my wait abruptly ended.

Ladies and gentlemen, you are now officially reading the blog of a MED STUDENT! UBC came through for me at last and sent me that big, beautiful OFFER! Still don't know if I'll wind up in Vancouver-Fraser or Vancouver Island, but at this point, I'm too freaking high to care.

And to add to my joy, my most excellent boyfriend procurred for me not one, not two, but all THREE extended versions of the Lord of the Rings on DVD. So tonight I will be vegging, watching these most wondrous of feature films, and eating a celebratory bag of chips. And as for my trip to the island...well, as soon as my boss's daughter's wedding stuff is over, I'll be there! With copious amounts of booze!

Who says Friday the 13th is an unlucky day? This one's been one of the best days of my life.

Could this GO any SLOWER?

Long time since I last posted. There's a good reason for that. And the reason is, if I'd posted anything in the past week and a half, it would have been a paraphrase/reiteration/alternate wording of this post. Which I am posting now. I have to give in. I'm only human, I can't wait forever. I tried to hold off until I had concrete news but...apparently concrete news is hard to come by.

So, before I rant, I will talk about things NOT directly contributing to my stress levels. Item the first: Brad has kickass friends and is himself a rockin' cool guy. His parties are always fun, if only because I and everyone else get fabulously drunk and talk about things that are not socially acceptable blog material. (Just kidding Mom.) (Or AM I?) Hopefully we will do something along the lines of a bowling night soon. Maybe after I've heard back from...oh wait, I'm not talking about that yet.

Item the second: my boss's daughter is getting married and I'm going to the wedding. And the pre-wedding dinner. And the pre-pre-wedding dinner henna hand-painting session (which is on my birthday). She's East-Indian, and their wedding is going to be very culturally rich. And I'm getting a sari! Which is awesome and cool and is the family's gift to me (which I said was backwards but hey...). So I've gotta come up with something cool for her and her husband...gack! But I'm pretty psyched. Only downside is Droo and April will be out here for the EXACT SAME WEEKEND. Um...well, I'll have Sunday off anyways. Maybe they can entertain themselves on Friday and Saturday?

Damn, I'm a crappy host.

And lastly. I have not heard ANY good news from ANYBODY. I'm waitlisted for Calgary, but that's not much of an accomplishment, as all OOP's who interviewed are waitlisted. I'm waiting (and waiting and WAITING) on UBC, hopefully will hear from them either tomorrow or Monday. And Dal should be sometime shortly after. I am so stressed that it feels like the butterflies in my stomach are throwing hand-grenades and sharp implements. I desperately want to get that OFFER message, but I'm deeply afraid (and half-convinced) that I'll see the REJECTION one instead. Oh man, I'm gonna end this now before I degenerate into circular arguments and the blogging equivalent of a full-blown panic attack. I HATE NOT KNOWING!

That is all.