FOURTH YEAR UPDATE: FIVE MONTHS TO GO

Hi guys! Long time no post on this blog! I've been writing for Merck Manuals Med Student Stories so head on over there for my latest musings.

I wanted to do a special post here because my life has slowed down quite drastically as 2017 said its last goodbyes. I feel like I've grown so much over the last six months and I wanted to keep you guys updated on where my life is now in medical school.

The end of audition and interview season
If you aren't familiar with audition rotations, I summarized it on a post here. After taking my Level 2 boards (CE and PE) in July, I had so many awesome opportunities to rotate through different hospitals in the east coast and Midwest to see if I could see myself fitting in any of the residency programs. My last rotation ended late November but as soon as I finished (literally right after my last shift), I started on the interview trail!

Interviews went well (I hope!) and I had a blast traveling to places I've auditioned at and places I haven't seen before. My last interview concluded in late December and I took one week of vacation to spend with friends and family eating so much food and getting over a two-week long sinus infection!

The start of the beginning
After my last audition rotation, I started on my required electives needed to graduate. I finished infectious disease, plastic surgery, and now I'm starting on eight weeks of family medicine. 2018 started off rather sick for me but I am super excited to see what this year brings. I've stared at "2018" for four years now and now that it's here, I am that much closer to graduating!

What is next?
I just submitted my rank list of residency programs, so I will be awaiting the results on Match day! I love sharing my life with you guys here and on Instagram, but I've decided to keep much of this process private because it involves the biggest process of my life. So, I apologize for those who have been curious what specialty I've chosen and what programs I will consider but my biggest priority is my future. I will always put that number one and if I had to exit the world of social media for my career, I would in heartbeat! But I hope to share good news with you guys within the next several months.

Setting my sights on Japan and other travels
I'm so excited to finally plan a trip to Japan! Ever since I took my first Japanese language course in 9th grade, I've had to forego many opportunities to take a trip there because I was had to do something or another for medical school. The opportunity presented itself when the flight I was tracking for months went from $1400 to $620 in one night. You can't beat that price. So, come March, I'll get to finally check off my third bucket list item! I also plan on traveling somewhere domestically before graduation but to where, I'm not sure.

My Social Media
Lately, I've decided to detach myself from constantly checking social media and spending more time with family and friends. If you have been following me, you've probably noticed that I don't post very often and that is with great intention. For 2018, I hope to continue to post when I feel like it and not because I feel obligated to post for likes or followers. I've decided to decrease the amount of work I do with companies because I want to go back to the real reason I started my Instagram: to portray my life in a real and raw way. I think that the medical Instagram community is absolutely amazing but I feel that it is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out. I find that I connect and am intrigued by those who post real stories of their lives and I hope to make my Instagram that way, too.

Graduation!!!
I graduate in less than 140 days and I can't believe it's almost here. I just put in an order for my graduation regalia and the girly girl in me is already on the hunt for the perfect graduation dress. I'm most excited to see my classmates and best friends. I already know that it'll be one of the happiest moments of my life. 

So, overall, life has been really good lately! With no exams, interviews, or tough rotations left, I will be spending the rest of my school year enjoying as much time as possible with my family and friends in Minnesota. It's amazing how much can change over the course of four years and I can't wait to see how the next several years play out.


Amanda