A Random Header Image
7th January 2006

Must be dreaming

posted in Uncategorized |

Six days. In six days (less really), I’ll be flying to Kenya. I can’t believe it is coming so soon. I have so much that I have to do to get ready. All that stuff that I said here that I needed to do? Haven’t done yet. I haven’t even gotten my immunizations done yet (I’ve been dreading more shots. I can do just about everything else – pap smears, blood draws, whatever – but I dread shots. My muscles contract instantly when they inject the fluid and my arm aches for days. Ugh), but those should be done shortly. Luckily I don’t need series shots or anything, so I could theoretically get them done on Thursday, but I don’t like the idea of procrastinating that much! I have the next week off to get everything done, and I hope to borrow a lot of stuff from World-Travelling Guru Chris, so it should all get done.

My computer is still dead. I’m unable to get it to power up to more than a black screen now. But, by a bizarre, unexpected move, I do have a laptop to take to Kenya. I have a class that I have to take, and because I’m going to be in Kenya for the start of it, I had to go to a special orientation yesterday. I sympathized with the director over his computer difficulties, told him of my own, and somehow walked out with an old laptop that was used once upon a time in the course to take with me to Kenya. It’s slower, but it has wireless internet access, so I think I’m set.

I do have news, though. I got an email, a Very Important Email. The VIE was from the school in Wisconsin, from the Medicine program director stating that they had finished interviewing the candidates, and both departments were getting together to discuss match lists and: “I can say that in my opinion you remain a very strong candidate”, “I think you are exactly the kind of person we want for this program and that you would do very well in it” and “I hope we have the chance to work together next year (and the four years after that!)”.

!!!!

Milwaukee has pretty much been my top choice since I interviewed there. I know I didn’t write much about it, but I was very impressed with their program. They had my combination program, and they were proud about it and put a lot of effort into it to make sure that it ran smoothly. It was well-organized, integrated in both departments, and best of all, they had residents in every year of the program (all of the others that I’ve interviewed at had 1-2 residents in the program). I enjoyed the residents, they seemed like a lively group and very friendly. The city felt a lot like where I’m living now as well–not too small or too big, a vibrant downtown (in fact, when I stepped outside the car to go to dinner, the people on the street began applauding and firecrackers exploded overhead. Yep, they loved me that much! *whispers* I just ignored the Christmas celebration across the street and pretended that it was all for me.), and liveable, not too “carbon-copy” suburbs where I might actually be able to afford to buy a home (!!!). It all looked and felt great.

However, unlike other programs where I was virtually the only person interviewing for the Med/Neuro combo, at Milwaukee I had competition. Every other program, I basically walked out of the interview with the unspoken promise that the position was mine if I wanted–and I didn’t have that feeling from Milwaukee. But, at least from the Medicine point-of-view, they liked me and hopefully, I’ll be going to Milwaukee next year.

With Utah off the consideration list, I know for certain that in less than six months I will be in either Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Stony Brook NY or Buffalo NY (I think that that is the order that I’ll be submitting my Match List). It has started to wreck havoc on my emotions. I haven’t quite out and out bawled, but the tears just well up for almost no apparent reason. I cried at The Simpsons the other night (granted it was my favorite Simpsons episode ever, when Maggie is born. The ending where Homer has put up all of her baby pictures and it says “Do It For Her”? Gets me every time.), when watching Pride and Prejudice (such an excellent movie. Of course, it wasn’t the A&E version, but they did a reasonable job of distilling it down and it felt like Jane Austen. And Mr. Darcy was suitably broody with penetrating eyes, so I was happy), when saying goodbye to Chris afterwards and finding out that he did excellent in his courses last semester, and telling him about the email. I cried on the drive home, realizing how much I hated the thought of leaving him. I copied that driving home last night when it hit me that I would be missing Laura’s birthday next year, that her kids will be growing up without me, that not only am I missing Liz’s wedding, but there won’t be any more dinners out and movie mocking fests. These are the people who have been my closest friends and companions for 9 years and I’ll be leaving them all behind. I haven’t done that before. I moved from home when I was 18, but besides my family, there were few that I missed.

I’m not sure on Match Day, if I find out that I’m going to Milwaukee that I’m going to be bouncing up and down – or crying my eyes out on my pillow.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 7th, 2006 at 1:16 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

5 Comments


  • Warning: file_get_contents(http://eponine119.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
    eponine119@livejournal says:

    That’s all so exciting! Kenya! Have a fabulous time! 🙂


  • Warning: file_get_contents(http://mrschimpf.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
    mrschimpf@livejournal says:

    Is this opportunity in MKE at the Medical College of Wisconsin out in Wauwatosa, or Marquette? Because MCW is a very respected program in a great city, I’m rooting for you to get into it.

    That, and we’d be state-mates of course, so I have my own reasons :-p.

    BTW, in the holiday rush I never got you out a Christmas card, and I’m so sorry about that. Between working all those days and no way to get to the mailbox, I feel awful about not getting one to you. But I would’ve sent you something pretty, I’m sure.


  • Warning: file_get_contents(http://educatedtvgeek.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
    educatedtvgeek@livejournal says:

    Love your icon. Lost is my new super addiction. All the mythology gives it serious XFiles potential. The only downside is I don’t have a couple to ship for, I liked Kate and Jack, but Kate is Sawyer’s girl. That last episode made me sad.

    I also loved the new version of Pride and Prejudice. I never thought of Kiera Knightly as Elizabeth, but she was awesome. And that Darcy was so hot.

    And no matter what you miss while in Kenya you have to remember all the things you’re gonna gain from it. You’re gonna learn so much, it’ll chang your life.


  • Warning: file_get_contents(http://avidtvfan.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
    avidtvfan@livejournal says:

    Leaving home is scary. I can understand that. But think of all the wonderful things you will be doing! Seriously!!!!!!!! Oh, I’m so excited for you, Julia!

    Have a great trip too!


  • Warning: file_get_contents(http://donnazita.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
    donnazita@livejournal says:

    Oh wow. Six days!!!!!

    I would love to receive a postcard!!!

    Are you still staying in the dorm alone? Or is someone with you?

Leave a Reply to educatedtvgeek

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

  • Julia’s Journal

  • Just an ordinary girl.
  • Archives

  • RSS Red Head Snippet

    • Books read October-December 01/01/2024
      My goal was to read 120 books this year. I just finished number 129. (Some of these I reviewed as part of my WWW posts). October: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. I had high expectations for this book, as it had been so praised, and I felt let down by it. Still enjoyable, […]