Excited for 2019!

Goodbye 2018!

 

Happy New Year!!!! Yes, I realize this post is a month and a half late, but better late than never, right? 2018 was such a crazy year, and if I only had one sentence to describe it, I would quote from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities and say "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times". I experienced the high of becoming a doctor and the low of not matching. The joys of international travel and the sadness of domestic travel away from everything and everyone I know and love. Boss status with presidential suites and selfies with senators to a more humble status complete with a small apartment and being a broke resident. From the carefree laid-back lifestyle of the second half of my final year of medical school to spending insanely long hours working my ass off as an intern resident physician. But despite the highs and lows, you know what? 2018 was an amazing ride! I learned so much about myself over the year, and every day I grew more in love with the woman I am becoming. If 2018 taught me nothing else, it taught me how to remain resilient in the face of uncertainty while staying true to myself, the importance of prioritizing self-care, and the value of a good support system. It was a year of transition, and I will forever be grateful for the lessons it taught me, but now I can happily say to 2018 (in my Ariana Grande voice): Thank you, Next!

32 and loving it!

As for 2019, this year is shaping up to be an amazing one! I started off the year with a vacation week that gave me the opportunity to ring in the new year with a bang, and spend time with my daughter and loved ones, while also getting in some much needed rest and relaxation. I also celebrated my 32nd birthday a couple of weeks ago with another week off spent in Atlanta. Even though my Saints got robbed, it was fun joining in on some of the Super Bowl activities, and it was even better getting away from the frigid cold in Philadelphia.

No more medical board licensing exams for me!

The best part of 2019 thus far was last week when I found out that I passed my final medical board licensing exam, otherwise known as COMLEX level 3. It's such a relief to have these exams behind me, and to know that I'll finally be able to apply for a full unrestricted medical license at the end of intern year. Before I entered medical school, my biggest worry was if I would be able to pass a board exam, and now I can boldly declare that all my MCAT struggles didn't mean a thing, because I passed all my exams, and even better, on the first try!

Right now, I am loving every minute of 2019, and eagerly looking forward to what the rest of the year will bring. I also anticipate that I will be sharing a lot of good news with everyone in the coming months, so I hope you all will stick along for the ride. Lastly, I plan on going back to my original intent with this blog, which includes having more guidance and inspirational posts, so please let me know if there is a topic you would like for me to address.

That's it for now. I'm currently in the middle of a 24hr call shift and on the tail end of a brutal call schedule (those vacation days don't come without consequence!). I just finished sign out a couple of hours ago, and then got hit with a couple of ER consults, but hopefully it won't be too crazy of an evening. I hope everyone reading this has had a wonderful week, and I wish you all an even better weekend!