7.5 down, 2.5 more to go!

I'm updating the blog by popular (or not-so-popular- who really reads this anyway?! lol) demand, merely because I feel I SHOULD post an update since it's been 2 weeks, although - to date this rotation has been - while FUN and EDUCATIONAL... simultaneously, pretty... well... boring! haha But of course, now that I've actually put that to TYPE, I'll be reporting back next time with multiple days of gore, mayhem and my own fumbles and incompetence... For now though, things are blissfully calm. I am working a 7-days on/ 7-days off schedule in In-patient medicine. My preceptor is an older English gentleman named "Ian" (whatelse would his name be?). He is a GREAT teacher, and has an even better sick/ sarcastic sense of humor. He jokes around with me a lot, pimps me a lot, and always buys me lunch - which is SUPER nice, but also makes me uncomfortable, as he is treating me EVERY day. Really, too nice. After our first week together, he told me in his thick Manchester accent : "Meghan, I think you're practically BRILLIANT... I just don't want to see you get your ass-kicked on your boards".... with those words of encouragement and wisdom, I have set out to read the ENTIRE Washington Manual of Critical Care in my 7 days off... it's going... welll, average. Time will tell on retention! But at least I'm getting a first shot at exposure... and it'll DEFINITELY take REPEART exposures to the material to get it cemented in my little Meghan-head before I take my Boards in August. And truth be told, I've been 'balancing' (generous "balancing") between studying and getting some of the loose-ends taken care of for the wedding. 2 of the 3 girls have their bridesmaid dress. I've got a START on their gifts. The invitations have arrived - and are awaiting assembly. I have meetings with the caterer, vineyard and frenchie cake-maker in my next week off. So I've been takin' care of some FUN business on the side too :) Speaking of which, while work remains "status quo" I suppose there are some interesting 'personal life' developments worth updating! The first of which is: Ryan got approved to "separate" from the Military... this means he gets to get out of his current Active Duty contract and become a Civilian! This is what he was hoping for and we are super excited they are actually LETTING him! This way, instead of hammering out 1-2 classes/ semester as he serves Active Duty full-time, he'll be able to walk away, free and clear, and just be a "regular" civilian. This fall semester, he'll be a full-time college student for the first time in his life! We figure if he can take a 16 credit load, he should be able to take the MCAT for Med School in about 3 semesters. This exciting turn of events doesn't mean that he'll be done with the military for good (he hopes and plans to go to USHSU (pronounced: "you-shoes" - the Armed Forces university for med school in Bethesda, Maryland). If he does that, he will of course owe time in service back to the Air Force when he completes his residency. But all that is several miles down the road, for now, we're just pumped that he can buckle down and focus on school where he'll be enrolled at Old Dominion University when we move to Virginia this fall. As for me, my assignment in Virginia still stands (hence why we're driving out there!). As soon as I pass my boards ( I plan on testing ASAP post graduation- hopefully, within 14 days) I can leave for the next possible ODS (Officer Development School - get used to me talking in all these abbreviations for the next 3 years! lol) that is, the Navy's version of bootcamp for officers in Portsmouth, Maine. ODS is only 5 weeks - and thank goodness - because once I graduate, I won't be getting a paycheck til after I graduate ODS! So with THAT pressure on me to pass my boards, I better wrap up this benign post and go study. Miss and love you all! And whether I see you in my travels in the next 2.5 rotations, or at the wedding this summer, I can't wait to see you all! Know you are very missed and loved! xoxo Mego