Hey gang, been awhile since I updated this blog. I’m sitting at my parents house in Wilmington, NC writing this. I’m all over the place with residency interviews and the like. Right now, I am in pediatrics and buried up to my neck with work. I’ll keep adding to this post throughout the day but right now my car is being serviced and is ready for pick up Interviews have been going well thus far!

Ok a few days later but I am back.  Got new brakes and tires on the SUV now so I’m ready to brave the snow season here in WV.  I’m currently sick with some cold and gastroenteritis stuff.  I got me a steal of a deal on a collector’s edition Lord of the Rings Online box ( 9 bucks mhahaha) so I am now playing that.  It’s like World of Warcraft except with a storyline and a really really mature community.  It’s a nice change.  You can look me up on Brandywine if ya like….I know you all know the character name already

In the next couple weeks, I’m going to be redoing the layout of the site yet again with some updated photos of myself, since I have a goatee now…darn thing is I cannot find my camera the the moment so you’re going to have to hang on a bit.   But I’ve gained a bit of weight these past six months, 22lbs to be exact.  I bought a bowflex extreme last week though and have been working out on it.  I love the thing and have religiously kept up with the workouts (even when sick!) to stay on track.   I’ll keep you all updated.

Most people have a new years resolution to lose weight but mine is going to be to keep up with this website more!  Plus I have 75 pages of content to convert over from the old site still…. so much to do, so little motivation haha

Well, I am going to get off of here so I can sleep and get well so I don’t flunk out of my pediatrics rotation for falling asleep and then have to go on welfare and eat government cheese the rest of my life because I couldn’t pay my medical school loans back!

Peace out my friends and remember, DON’T DROP THE SOAP! (as said to me by one of the scrub techs the other day)

Well here I am at the end of week 3 at Charleston Area Medical Center.  I’ve been working my arse off.  This is the first day I’ve had completely off all rotation so I am enjoying it while I can.  I still have another week of hard work and reading ahead of me…hence why I have been slow with updates.

As for the survey below, my Patty is right on the money with the last post with the exception of a couple things   First, she told me she loved me first haha (not that it matters though of course) and my feet are bigger and my shoes fit very comfortably!  The only exception are the crocs that I bought at the mall which are sized one size smaller!  Oh and our first night talking to each other, she suggested we should get together 6 hours later…I was half asleep on the phone at 3am hehe.   I remember this because I slept a couple hours and began frantically cleaning my cluttered bachelor-like town house!

And for the record, I do suck at Laundry and dishes.  I can cook though at least… 

Anyway, guitar hero III just arrived and I haven’t even played it yet    Too much stuff to do between working on my residency application, drafting a prostate cancer research study and planning a wedding.  Sorry for the lack of updates lately, just got alot of irons in the fire.

Hope you all are well!  Much love —> Richie

Well I managed to lose 6.5 lbs on my internal medicine Sub-internship. Better than I thought I’d do and I was a slacker on the exercise too. Cutting Taco Bell and McDonalds out of your diet definitely makes a difference. Right now I am finishing up a fantastic urology rotation with Dr. Pujari. I just love the endoscopy involved with the procedures. And I love having to position the crosshairs of the lithotriptor over evil Calcium Oxalate stones. It makes me feel like I’m playing Duck Hunt all over again! Dr. Pujari is a British trained urologist and as such has loads of great British urology jokes.

Example: Did ya hear about the anemic guy on Viagra? His doctor gave him iron supplements and now he’s always pointing North! mhahahaah!

Now I am at CAMC doing an audition rotation with Dr. J.P. Tierney. My goal is to try to get a residency spot there. Why? Because it’s close to Patty’s family and my family isn’t too far away either. Charleston, WV is a pretty nice town thus far. As an added bonus, doing the rotation will give me the option to practice in West Virginia afterwards. Of course, I felt like a complete newbie all over again. New hospital system = nervousness. Pre-rounds at 5:30am, journal clubs, lectures, the whole nine yards…ya know, university hospital system like stuff. Anyway, I am happy to be here. The staff seem very friendly and helpful. I haven’t gotten to spend alot of time with Dr. Tierney yet but it’s my first day so that’s to be expected.

Well I would upload some pictures for you guys BUT…I didn’t bring my card reader today.  As Carlos Mencia would say…DEE DEE DEEEEEE!!!  Drop me a line, I might just write you back when I make it to the library.  As for now, time to go study.  Rounds come early at O-Dark-30.

-Richie

Woo hoo!  I passed my step II boards which essentially lets me graduate once I pass the physical exam portion in February!   I also improved substantially over step 1!    I also have a new phone number now so if you try to call me and cannot get in touch with me, email me to get my new number sent to you.  I got one of those new Motorola Q9m phones and they are snazzy.  Why not an Iphone?  Cause there are too many issues with the darn things right now.  I’d rather get the google phone when it comes out because google just owns.  Period!

Other than that, doing well!  Trying to get my ERAS (residency applications) done so I can get on the interview trail for residencies!  Have an awesome day.

-Richie

I’m sitting here writing this at 1:16am. I’ve worked 2 weeks straight and thru labor day weekend on my medicine sub-I. Tonight’s entry is on “trust.” I am realizing that in one’s journey to become a physician, one has to be ever vigilant in being suspicious. Whether it be a patient who sells morphine tablets to other patients in the hospital or a cheating wife who brings home a nice STD to their husband. As clinicians, we hold the dirty little secrets to humanity’s immorality but are conditioned to be ever vigilant in maintaining confidentiality. This results in the problem of bearing a million little secrets on oneself, which is taxing on the mind. Over the past few months, I’ve learned to cope the only way I know how…to become hardened and numb to it all. Numb in the sense that almost every person gets a tox screen ordered to look for drug abuse and infidelity is always a consideration when things just don’t add up. Does this mean that I have become uncaring? On the contrary, it makes me feel more caring and appreciative for the others who play life by the rules. But the path to becoming a physician robs you of your innocence, particularly in your clinical years, molding you into a more jaded and street savvy individual. Why? Because it is necessary to be able to provide the best care for all of your patients. It is necessary to maintain the confidentiality that physicians provide so that the bit of truth that is divulged in a patient’s history can be used for the betterment of the patient without their fear of repercussions. The knowledge of the crap society is capable of is the pressure that refines our soft carbon newbieness into our sharp diamond-like precision.

Just remember, next time your physician is a smidgen short with you, we do not intend to be. We just live with the lies of many and the truth of few…and without the ability to ever tell who those who it matters to. Now that’s deep.

So I’m taking my board exam this week and boy is it coming up fast. I’ve read thru most of USMLE Step II Secrets and my USMLEWorld scores are coming up slowly but surely! Stay tuned for the recount of the exam experience!

So time for a short update since it’s been awhile. I’m in full study mode for USMLE and COMLEX Step II. I’ve been doing USMLEWorld questions and reading USMLE Step II Secrets to bone up on material for the exam. So far, I feel like I’m getting my butt kicked by USMLEWorld but the normal practice exams state otherwise. I’m in general surgery right now with Dr. Duremdes again. This time around, everything makes alot more sense in the context of procedures and patient care. The first day was awkward because I had to relearn how to scrub and “do the dance” again. Plus I need to bone up on my suturing skills too Will get plenty of practice though.

Things are continuing to go well with Patty and I as we inch closer and closer to the wedding. Other than that, it’s same old stuff. I’ll be writing some updates after boards when I get my life back again. I’ve been to Williamsburg to ride the Griffon at Busch Gardens and back to Wilmington/Myrtle Beach to chill out during my birthday!

Ok time to jet, I need to do another USMLEWorld test!

Ah yes. The smell of the hospital hallways… The obligatory “Sorry Richie, the employee badge maker is down” comment. I’m in a new hospital, lost and in my little white coat without an ID badge. But you know what? I don’t care because today…I walk the hospital floors as a bona fide 4th year medical student! Oh yes my friends. Something happens when you walk into your 4th year. You gain confidence. You transform from a shy and meek 3rd year medical student who’s worried about every little look the chief gives you…to…a Dr. Huggie Bear straight from Starsky and Hutch (complete with the pimp cane and all) I have acquired a photo of this elusive creature.

Vacation was nice and much needed. I made it home to Wilmington to see my parents for a few days. It was nice to get home and see the beach town. Unfortunately, I was sick for part of the trip but I still did alright. Patty did her best to try to nurse me back to health before I went. She begged me to stay until I got better but I’m stubborn and made the drive anyway. I spent the rest of my vacation with Patty. She’s directing a high school summer theatrical production (Little Women) for Wise County during the day so I’ve been studying for the USMLE and COMLEX Step 2 board exams while she is gone.

I’ve got alot of old nintendo and SNES games to sell on ebay. It’s going to be rough parting with my Final Fantasy collection but I am going to need to downsize what I have if I am going to be moving in the next year. Residency choices you say? Oh Lord, I haven’t gotten it nailed down yet. I’ll keep you all posted. I just know that I will never ever ever do OBGYN or Pediatrics as a specialty.

My google adsense/HyperVRE project has gone nicely for my new startup sites. Richiesbridal.com had over 1000 visitors last month, which is not bad for a 2 hour project. My dad hasn’t done much of anything with the golf site so I may just take it over when I get past taking boards. My goal is to have to increase my supplemental income so Patty and I don’t have to live off of Ramen noodles when I am in Residency hahaha

I am also a “SDN Mentor” now for studentdoctor.net. So come get your cheap (read: free) advice from me on the forums over there if you are looking to get into medical school. It’s a wild ride but I still say it’s worth it. And now I bid thee adieu. Till next time my friends! (Probably after I finish this next USMLEWorld test…nothing crushes your little medical ego like a practice USMLE!)

So tomorrow is my final day here at Dr. Todd smith’s office.  I really enjoyed my time here.  Everyone is alot of fun!  I’m currently 1/4th thru my ”USMLE Step 2 Secrets” book and already I feel like I am refreshing my memory on alot of topics I had forgotten about.  Got to see a case of acute cholecystitis (gall bladder stuff) and some joint injections today.   Dr. todd ordered some fish for his saltwater aquarium and they arrived dead as a doornail.   Well, all except the starfish survived hehe  All in all, today is flying by though!  Pretty schhhweeet! 

As you can see below this post, the lovely lady posted.  She is so sweet.  Well her sweetness has gotten her a cavity and now she needs a root canal.  Lemme tell ya, I avoid the dentist at all cost cause I have had some nasty experiences with having some of my permanent teeth pulled when I had braces.  Getting my wisdom teeth cut out wasn’t fun either!  In fact, I remember having to get new stitches because I sliced my wound open by eating a poptart 2 days after the surgery!  So when your doctor says to eat soft foods….listen to him and EAT SOFT FOODS!  

In other news, I became a Studentdoctor.net mentor today so I’ll be helping people out with medical school stuff.  I’m the PBL and computer science to medicine mentor.  Cool beans eh?

Anyway, gotta jet.  Patients are trickling in now!

So today is one of those days where I just wanted to pull the sheets up over my head and stay in bed.  Nevertheless, rounds start at 7:30 sharp so I ousted myself out of the bed in my sleepy daze.  The water was hot in the shower, a little too hot for Captain Winky though who let me know real fast by sending a burning pain up through the rest of my body   At least I was awake then!   Murphy’s law I guess.   I dashed out of the shower, shaved, put on my scrubs and made a mad dash to the hospital.  And now, here I sit, in between patients…working on my carpal tunnel syndrome by writing this entry

A guy just walked by and held up his urine sample and asked “Is this enough?”  Of course I nodded seeing the liquid gold in the bottom of the container.  Maybe that is why I want to go into Urology…pee doesn’t bother me (Hey that rhymed!)

My newest project is going along nicely.  It’s making what we call “Virtual Real Estate” websites, commonly called “VRE” for short.  The basic jist is that you build websites based around a niche theme and then post articles about your topic.  You then integrate Google Adsense ads into your articles and generate revenue.  I have to admit though, I have this negative vibe towards advertising on pages…but you know, lately I’ve come around.  Especially after this morning…   I watched Dr. Remines search for a new spin-milled sand wedge on the internet.  He probably clicked 3 out of 5 sponsored links on the pages he visited, just because they appealed to him.  It took me awhile to realize that THIS is how the average person surfs the internet…and I am *not* the average person.   So my project has been coming along nicely.  I’m trying to get my dad started with it but he hasn’t done much yet.   But it is a viable way to make some residual income (that is passive income that you earn on a monthly basis with little work) if you don’t want to sell a product on the side thru Multi-level marketing.  I think it is much more appealing for most folks who are looking for a way to generate residual income with under a 10 dollar investment.  Anyway, I am using a program to automate some of the website building.  It’s called HyperVRE.  I’d write more here about HyperVRE but I already wrote an article on brokemedicalstudents.com.  You can check it out here.

So, Patty has been busy buying up every bridal magazine ever made, looking at wedding stuff.  I am getting jazzed about getting to shop for our gift registry.  I hear they give you one of those barcode scanner guns and let you go nuts.  Here is a short list of what I wish I could zap:

- a 50″ plasma TV (as if 42″ isn’t enough)
- Stainless Steel BBQ grille with bun warmer
- 1000 Thread Count Sheets
- One of those weather station things for your house
- 2 portable dog carriers
- Cool looking china with golf embossing
- A new set Golf clubs
- A ez-boy recliner
- One of those $2000 massage chairs.

Well, I could keep brainstorming here BUT, I need to go see another patient so mind and body strong grasshoppers!

-Richie