Matt and Med School Update

Even though 90% of what I think about revolves around the baby (as you can probably tell from our blog), there really is more going on in our lives, especially Matt's. Here's the latest.

WHAT HAPPENED:
Matt finished up his second year medical school courses the end of May! I may be biased, but I'm pretty proud of him and the hard work and dedication he's shown the last couple of years. Staring at a computer or text book all day and night most every day for the last two years hasn’t been Matt's idea of a party. He's even admitted that the school aspect has been the least enjoyable two years of his life. (He loves his life other than the studying part.)

WHAT'S GOING ON NOW:
Now Matt's immersed in studying for boards, which he'll take July 13. He's the master of self-discipline these days, and I'm amazed. During the week he rolls us out of bed around 6 a.m. for a 5 mile run, then he studies all day with a break at dinner, followed by more studying until around 9 p.m. Not to mention, he's become Mr. Healthy and has lost more weight in a week than I've gained in six months.

WHAT'S COMING UP:
After he takes boards he'll have a break for a couple weeks, and then he'll start his third year of medical school on August 3. He's pretty stoked for it because it'll be different than the first two years which consisted of lectures, labs, and exams. In August he'll begin rotations, meaning he'll be working in hospitals and clinics, learning more about medicine while assisting doctors in various fields. He'll spend two to four weeks working in specific fields and will usually have an exam following each rotation.

His third year schedule of rotations are as follows:

Pediatrics - Aug. 3-Aug. 28, 2009 - Blank Children's Hospital
Pathology - Aug. 31-Sept. 11, 2009 - Mercy Medical Center
Radiology - Sept. 14-Sept. 25, 2009 - Iowa Methodist
Neurology - Sept. 28-Oct. 23, 2009 - Mercy Clinic & Research
Psychiatry - Oct. 26-Nov. 20, 2009 - Kavalier & Associates
Family Medicine - Nov. 23-Dec. 18, 2009 - Broadlawns Medical Center
Anesthesiology - Dec. 28, 2009-Jan. 22, 2010 - Lakeview Hospital
Internal Medicine - Jan. 25-Feb. 19, 2010 - Mercy Medical Center
General Surgery - Feb. 22-Mar. 19, 2010 - VA Central Iowa Health Care
Emergency Medicine - Mar. 22-Apr. 16, 2010 - Mahaska County Hospital
TBD - Apr. 19-May 14, 2010
Family Medicine - May 17-June 11, 2010 - Mercy Family Practice & Urg. Care
Obstetrics/Gynecology - June 14-July 9, 2010 - Broadlawns Medical Center

WHAT'S AROUND THE CORNER:
After Matt finishes his third year (see schedule above), he'll begin his fourth year of med school (second year of rotations). I think he'll set up most of his rotations on his own, because he'll be looking into and applying for residency programs. After this fourth year, he'll finally GRADUATE and can be called "doctor". But he'll still have a three to six year residency (kind of like an internship) before he'll be totally unleashed. But at least he'll be getting paid some during residency, so that's a plus. We have no idea where we'll be for residency--I'm hoping somewhere where the winters aren't as harsh as Des Moines.

MY PERSPECTIVE OF MED SCHOOL SO FAR:
The last two years have gone by so fast! And it hasn't been bad--for me. (I can't vouch for Matt. He is the one doing all the work.) Despite the medical school horror stories I've heard, in my opinion it's all a bit over-exaggerated. (I do realize we're only two years into this, and I may live to eat my words.)

No, I don't feel like a single mom (Okay I don't have kids, but if I did I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't feel like one.). No, I don't think medical school has brought out-of-the-ordinary marital strain. No, I don't think our years in medical school and residency will be the hardest ones of our lives. No, I don't feel like we're getting in so much student debt that we'll never be able to repay it.

Sure, spending an entire day with Matt is unheard of. Sure, I don't want to spend the rest of my life in our 860 square foot apartment with Matt sitting on the couch studying. Of course I'm looking forward to the day when Matt can come home from work and just hang out. But all in all, it's pretty great. It's not like he's in Iraq or something, and I'm sure tons of families face tough times that make medical school seem like a walk in the park.

I'd say a lot of the reason I feel this way is because of:

1. Great Guy. Matt does a great job balancing everything in his life. The time we have together may be limited, but we try to make it quality.
2. Great friends. It would be rough if I never had anything to do or anyone to hang out with while Matt's studying.
3. Great school. Des Moines University is an awesome university that supports its students.