It has been a while since I made an update. I was busy, which was not too shabby. I am studying for one of my two remaining finals - Internal Medicine. And I am living in interesting times. There are very few new things happening, but if they are they are big.
Both in terms of "professional" and personal life.
Well, first off the final is a monster. However, since Internal is something I want to do (at least as a baseline for a later specialization) I'd better do my damn best simply because it's the right thing to do. Dad used to say: "learn it because you wanna be a good doctor, not because you want to pass an exam".
Second thing is that me and Pneumology is something that has been postponed. I had an interview (my first true job interview) with the committee (not the head of the department) and let's just say that my deck of cards was missing the aces. I am someone who has skills that are not exactly easily described on a CV. Because of the first half, I have shit grades and I have no scientific stuff done. Or some international internship.
I have people skills. I am good with people in the hospital regardless of their rank and position. I can get stuff. I can talk patients into doing the right thing (my personal best of my short "career" is calming one lady who wanted to cancel radiotherapy, her reasons were understandable - homesickness and bad reaction to chemo, but the switch helped so it was the right choice).
Anyway, I had internships at the gastro clinic at the teaching hospital, followed by 3 weeks at a small regional hospital via contract and 1 week at Military Hospital in my city (about that later). The regional hospital in question is currently one of my two most likely soon-to-be-employers. The other is in a rival city that is fairly similar to this one.
Needless to say that both interviews at these hospitals were much more pleasant and personable. Because I talked to the actual heads of the departments. The second job interview... I was still nervous, but it was still a good experience. He cared more about who I am as a person. Whether it was because smaller hospitals put more emphasis on team play or because he had some info on my work/work ethic from the doctors at the wards... I don't know. Either way, he seems like a man that can teach me things that can help me how to be a good doctor and someone who I can imagine as my boss.
The third one was arranged on a fairly quick note, which could have helped me kill the nervosity. I was calm and confident, but not cocky (I have no intent to hide my past mistakes). The head of this department appreciated my honesty and my way of rationalizing things.
Got about 10 days to pick.
About the Military Hospital... Well here's a funny story.
The previous two groups who were supposed to learn there didn't spend there more than 2 days. Since the final is coming, we were focused on spending as much time there or less.
So we came there, assembled the party, and went to see the head. I took the initiative and asked if we could make some arrangement because we are busy with studying and they are busy with all the funky COVID strains and mutations. He didn't accept or reject my proposal, just chuckled and sent us to a doctor who was in charge of the ward and our learning.
Said doctor sent us to change into white... and then I managed to gain the initiative again. The doctor didn't look like it, but as he said himself he was waiting (as in hoping) for someone to say it. So necessary covers were created and we bailed and third times the charm, I took the initiative and asked the good secretary of the head to give us the stamps which she was completely fine with as we had the approval of the doctor.
PEOPLE SKILLS.
We spend an hour there. Alone time and study time for the entire group. Everybody wins.
And the third thing is that yours truly is... in love. Which is kinda dope. Because of recent circumstances in our personal lives, I was pressing the issue very slowly, but steadily. Now I just need for her to cross the border back. Praise calls and video calls, but there is some stuff that requires actually being together and I am not talking only about the obvious.
If you wanna why I didn't spend much time comment the 2nd and 3rd match against C-Bus... well here it is.
Funnily enough, it seems I am the calm/patient one. She's pretty fiery underneath her "general public" exterior.