Daddy Dearest came to visit me over Thanksgiving and I can honestly say that I had a really good time. Dad and I usually end up fighting over some stupid little thing and he never admits that he's wrong even though he is 99.9% of the time ;). We spent a majority of the time watching football or some movie (F.Y.I. Sweet Home Alabama is one of his favorite movies! Who knew??). I haven't slept this much in...well, I don't think that I've ever slept this much. I feel like a lazy bum and I don't like it at all. While he was here, he also bought my Christmas present. I am now a proud owner of a Garmin GPS thing. I've named it Graham because it talks to me in a male voice with a British accent and I think the name Graham fits. Hopefully I won't get lost when I have to drive from Buffalo to Missouri next summer. I can't believe that I'm going to move to Missouri. How random is that? At the beginning of this whole med school application experience, I always thought that I would end up somewhere in the South. My entire family is in Tennessee and the majority of my friends live in Tennessee, South Carolina, or Florida. Is Missouri anywhere close to that?? NO! I think that I'll be 9 hours away from the closest friend/family member. Why did I choose this school, you ask? The truth is that the male student population at this school was by far the most attractive and I figured that I would be more likely to find an attractive husband at KCOM because after all, that is the only reason that I'm going to this school. Only kidding.... I just really liked the feel of the school. The other 3 schools where I interviewed were nice but I just didn't get a good vibe. From the minute I drove into Kirksville, everything just seemed to fit. Never in a million years would I have guessed that I would willingly live in a city with a population of 17,304 but I am. There's not even a Target, like for real. Will I regret this decision? Probably not. I've had a lot of conversations with the Big Man Upstairs and I truly feel like this is the place where I belong. Sometimes you just know when something is right and this is definitely one of those times.
I'm ready for July...
p.s. it's supposed to snow tonight. i think that i might cry
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The Mental Check-Out of Tara Rhee
I hate Buffalo, I do. It's cold, it's old, it's ugly, and the people don't know how to entertain themselves without a bottle in their hands. This is the only city that I've been to where functional alcoholism is acceptable, if not encouraged. I thought that I was going to get out of this lovely little city last spring but I ended up landing a really good job. I love my job and I love Roswell Park but pretty much everything else in this city makes my skin crawl. Every morning I say a little prayer before I look out the window hoping that there's not a foot and a half of snow covering every flat surface. Lately my car has had trouble starting in the mornings so I'm sure that she's going to breakdown on me sometime in the middle of January when I have snow up to my hips and it's 20 deg. below zero. Where Buffalo is concerned, I'm a glass is half empty type of person.
Alright, I'll step out of my "Debbie Downer" mode and tell you some happy/exciting/awesome news. Last Wednesday I was busy at work (i.e. sitting at the desk checking my email) and my crappy cell phone started to vibrate. I was expecting it to be my mother because she gets nervous if she goes 2.5 hours without hearing my voice. What can I say, she still hasn't cut that cord :) Needless to say, it wasn't Mommy Dearest but some number from Missouri. Missouri? Yep, that's the state where I had an interview last week. I answered the phone and I heard "Tara, this is Ian from the admissions department at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine...." I kind of blanked out at that point but then I heard "...offering you a seat in our program..." and then I blanked again but eventually managed to utter about 20 "thank yous" and then I told him that he was my favorite person in the WHOLE WORLD and I giggled uncontrollably. Yeah, this is what a future physician looks like *hangs her head in shame. Needless to say, I was a little bit excited. Out of all of the schools where I interviewed, this one just felt right. I love the osteopathic philosophy of patient care and I felt as if this school truly embraced that. The faculty seemed encouraging and warm, and I think that I had a huge smile of my face most of the day just because everyone was so NICE. And since I'm a honest person, I'm going to also point out that the people at this school had definitely been hit by the pretty stick. Does this make me a shallow person? Yes, yes it does. I've been surrounded by ugly for two years and it's refreshing to see a large amount of both men and women who put effort into their physical appearance. I did not see one pair of UGG boots or Juicy sweatpants. "Refreshing" doesn't even begin to describe it...
The interesting thing is that once I got this phone call, I could actually feel myself mentally leave Buffalo. I know that you're all thinking that I've either been smoking the gonja or I've subscribed to some crap new-age philosophy where I only wear clothes made out of natural fibers and I talk to plants. Nope, I haven't done either of those but wouldn't that be fun if I had? No, to explain it a little bit better, I could feel my focus change from the here and now to some point next August when I'll be living in a completely different state and starting a new stage of my life. Isn't that exciting??? I can't wait to be thrown into yet another brand new situation where I don't know anyone and I have to adjust to something completely different than what I have previously experienced. I just love new places and experiences. I think my favorite thing about Buffalo is that it was so different than Tennessee and I had to start from scratch. I had no friends here, I didn't know where anything was, and I felt completely on my own. I'm a fiercely independent person so I feel like I thrive in situations like this. Now I get to do it all over again and I'm super-pumped. Right now I feel like I'll end up in Missouri and I'm perfectly OK with that. I've never really even been to the Midwest so this will be yet another crazy new experience that I have to get through.
Mom left me a voicemail message the other day that made me laugh and I felt like sharing. She said, "You went to undergrad in the South, you got your graduate degree in the North, and now you're going to get your doctorate in the Midwest. I forbid you, I repeat, forbid you to practice in the West. I'll be getting old and I'll need someone to take care of me...with that night-blindness shit that happens to old people...." I love my mom :)
Alright, I'll step out of my "Debbie Downer" mode and tell you some happy/exciting/awesome news. Last Wednesday I was busy at work (i.e. sitting at the desk checking my email) and my crappy cell phone started to vibrate. I was expecting it to be my mother because she gets nervous if she goes 2.5 hours without hearing my voice. What can I say, she still hasn't cut that cord :) Needless to say, it wasn't Mommy Dearest but some number from Missouri. Missouri? Yep, that's the state where I had an interview last week. I answered the phone and I heard "Tara, this is Ian from the admissions department at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine...." I kind of blanked out at that point but then I heard "...offering you a seat in our program..." and then I blanked again but eventually managed to utter about 20 "thank yous" and then I told him that he was my favorite person in the WHOLE WORLD and I giggled uncontrollably. Yeah, this is what a future physician looks like *hangs her head in shame. Needless to say, I was a little bit excited. Out of all of the schools where I interviewed, this one just felt right. I love the osteopathic philosophy of patient care and I felt as if this school truly embraced that. The faculty seemed encouraging and warm, and I think that I had a huge smile of my face most of the day just because everyone was so NICE. And since I'm a honest person, I'm going to also point out that the people at this school had definitely been hit by the pretty stick. Does this make me a shallow person? Yes, yes it does. I've been surrounded by ugly for two years and it's refreshing to see a large amount of both men and women who put effort into their physical appearance. I did not see one pair of UGG boots or Juicy sweatpants. "Refreshing" doesn't even begin to describe it...
The interesting thing is that once I got this phone call, I could actually feel myself mentally leave Buffalo. I know that you're all thinking that I've either been smoking the gonja or I've subscribed to some crap new-age philosophy where I only wear clothes made out of natural fibers and I talk to plants. Nope, I haven't done either of those but wouldn't that be fun if I had? No, to explain it a little bit better, I could feel my focus change from the here and now to some point next August when I'll be living in a completely different state and starting a new stage of my life. Isn't that exciting??? I can't wait to be thrown into yet another brand new situation where I don't know anyone and I have to adjust to something completely different than what I have previously experienced. I just love new places and experiences. I think my favorite thing about Buffalo is that it was so different than Tennessee and I had to start from scratch. I had no friends here, I didn't know where anything was, and I felt completely on my own. I'm a fiercely independent person so I feel like I thrive in situations like this. Now I get to do it all over again and I'm super-pumped. Right now I feel like I'll end up in Missouri and I'm perfectly OK with that. I've never really even been to the Midwest so this will be yet another crazy new experience that I have to get through.
Mom left me a voicemail message the other day that made me laugh and I felt like sharing. She said, "You went to undergrad in the South, you got your graduate degree in the North, and now you're going to get your doctorate in the Midwest. I forbid you, I repeat, forbid you to practice in the West. I'll be getting old and I'll need someone to take care of me...with that night-blindness shit that happens to old people...." I love my mom :)
Saturday, November 07, 2009
What a month...
When I tell people that this has been the month from hell, I truly mean it. I finally know what complete exhaustion feels like and I'm not so sure that I like it. Since the beginning of October (October 2 specifically), I have been on the edge of a nervous breakdown...well not a real nervous breakdown but just a period of where I want to crawl into a hole and sleep for a week and a half without talking to anyone. I've had 4 medical school interviews in 4 different states and over the past week and a half, I've had 3 of those interviews. I have decided that I now hate to fly and that airplane peanuts are only a step above licking dirt off the floor.
All of my interviews have been at osteopathic medical schools and after my past month of seeing students in action and actually getting to know the philosophy behind this way of practicing medicine, I think that this is the type of physician that I want to be. If you don't know what osteopathic medicine is, I'll be happy to explain it to you (that's basically what I've been doing in every flippin' interview), but I think that this website will do a much better job of explaining what it means to be an osteopathic physician. My first interview was at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, PA. Since it was only 1.5 hrs away from Buffalo, I drove to that one. It was a nice school and I liked the classes, building, instructors, etc. but it was in Erie. Erie is pretty much the same as Buffalo but without as many empty buildings. Same weather, some strange people....Two weeks after my interview I got a letter in the mail telling me that I was accepted to LECOM. Yeah, I was super-pumped mainly because I know for sure that I will be in medical school somewhere next year. If it's in Erie, so be it. I'll make the best of it and I'm sure that I'll be happy.
My next interview was in Harrogate, TN. Where is Harrogate, you ask? It's about 1.5 hours northeast of Knoxville. Two years ago Lincoln Memorial University opened up an osteopathic medical school called Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine. The school is absolutely gorgeous. The technology is amazing and everything was just so clean and new. The faculty was super friendly and I felt like they were behind their school 100%. The campus is in the middle of nowhere and I really like that. Most of you know that I think East Tennessee is absolute beautiful because of the mountains and trees and this school was nestled right in the middle of that beauty. The only bad thing about this school is that since it is brand new, it does not have its full accredidation yet. In order to be fully accredited, you have to graduate your first class of students and they will do that in Spring 2011. Even if I do get in here, will I go? We'll see.
My third interview was at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia Campus. PCOM has their main campus in Philly but they also have a satellite in Georgia (about 20 miles northwest of Atlanta). The campus is actually in a business park which is kind of weird. I had mixed feelings about the look of the building but once I walked inside, I felt completely at ease. You know that you've stepped into a medical school. This interview was a little strange mainly because it was so short. The other interview days were a lot longer and we were given more information. GA-PCOM we were given a tour, lunch, and then we had the interview. That was it. We didn't get presentations about financial aid and how great the school is. I mean, I liked it the whole experience but it was just different. I liked this school so we'll just see if I get accepted.
My last and most recent interview was at ATSU-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. This school is in the middle of nowhere. I actually had to drive 3.5 hours north of Kansas City, MO in order to get here. The population of the town of Kirksville is 17,000 and the main sport here is hunting. Most of you are thinking that I hate it, right? Well, you are wrong! I absolutely love this town and the school. The interviews were a lot more challenging than my other ones but I think that made me like the school even more. I get the feeling that the faculty and the community are behind their students and I just love that. Luckily, I have a friend who goes here so I stayed with him and I've been harassing him with questions. Such a nice guy!
Hopefully I'll hear if I got into anymore schools within the next week or so. Honestly, I'm just excited that I'll get the chance to go to medical school next year. I know that there's a plan for me...I'll just have to wait and see.
keeping my fingers crossed
All of my interviews have been at osteopathic medical schools and after my past month of seeing students in action and actually getting to know the philosophy behind this way of practicing medicine, I think that this is the type of physician that I want to be. If you don't know what osteopathic medicine is, I'll be happy to explain it to you (that's basically what I've been doing in every flippin' interview), but I think that this website will do a much better job of explaining what it means to be an osteopathic physician. My first interview was at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, PA. Since it was only 1.5 hrs away from Buffalo, I drove to that one. It was a nice school and I liked the classes, building, instructors, etc. but it was in Erie. Erie is pretty much the same as Buffalo but without as many empty buildings. Same weather, some strange people....Two weeks after my interview I got a letter in the mail telling me that I was accepted to LECOM. Yeah, I was super-pumped mainly because I know for sure that I will be in medical school somewhere next year. If it's in Erie, so be it. I'll make the best of it and I'm sure that I'll be happy.
My next interview was in Harrogate, TN. Where is Harrogate, you ask? It's about 1.5 hours northeast of Knoxville. Two years ago Lincoln Memorial University opened up an osteopathic medical school called Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine. The school is absolutely gorgeous. The technology is amazing and everything was just so clean and new. The faculty was super friendly and I felt like they were behind their school 100%. The campus is in the middle of nowhere and I really like that. Most of you know that I think East Tennessee is absolute beautiful because of the mountains and trees and this school was nestled right in the middle of that beauty. The only bad thing about this school is that since it is brand new, it does not have its full accredidation yet. In order to be fully accredited, you have to graduate your first class of students and they will do that in Spring 2011. Even if I do get in here, will I go? We'll see.
My third interview was at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia Campus. PCOM has their main campus in Philly but they also have a satellite in Georgia (about 20 miles northwest of Atlanta). The campus is actually in a business park which is kind of weird. I had mixed feelings about the look of the building but once I walked inside, I felt completely at ease. You know that you've stepped into a medical school. This interview was a little strange mainly because it was so short. The other interview days were a lot longer and we were given more information. GA-PCOM we were given a tour, lunch, and then we had the interview. That was it. We didn't get presentations about financial aid and how great the school is. I mean, I liked it the whole experience but it was just different. I liked this school so we'll just see if I get accepted.
My last and most recent interview was at ATSU-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. This school is in the middle of nowhere. I actually had to drive 3.5 hours north of Kansas City, MO in order to get here. The population of the town of Kirksville is 17,000 and the main sport here is hunting. Most of you are thinking that I hate it, right? Well, you are wrong! I absolutely love this town and the school. The interviews were a lot more challenging than my other ones but I think that made me like the school even more. I get the feeling that the faculty and the community are behind their students and I just love that. Luckily, I have a friend who goes here so I stayed with him and I've been harassing him with questions. Such a nice guy!
Hopefully I'll hear if I got into anymore schools within the next week or so. Honestly, I'm just excited that I'll get the chance to go to medical school next year. I know that there's a plan for me...I'll just have to wait and see.
keeping my fingers crossed
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