Sunday, September 22, 2013

Up to date

Sometimes I blog to be social. Sometimes I blog to share my (usually strong) opinions. Sometimes I blog to dispute something. Sometimes I brag, self deprecate, or tell a funny story.

And sometimes I just blog.
For the sake of blogging.

Today is one of those days. I feel I haven't had a lot to share over the past few weeks (hence my "silence") but I feel it is time. Time to check in even though I don't have anything particularly interesting or life shattering to share.

I think sometimes I shouldn't do posts like this. Why do I think I am so important that you want to hear my random chatterings? But, I find I tend to like similar posts from others. Even just the "saying hi" posts. So, for the sake of "doing unto others" we will see where this goes.

Life sure passes by quickly! Abe is about to finish his first (and most challenging) rotation of his second year, the Head and Neck cancer team. He remains very busy. I have pretty much stopped complaining about my schedule. He usually leaves about 5:00-5:30 am and is gone until at least 6:30 pm or much later. He works at least a partial day almost every weekend. He studies a lot and does "homework" type study questions every week. He comes home and writes notes for hours on patients. We often stay up too late just to have a little more time together.

My life has been great so far as a fourth year resident. I am continuing on for one more month come October of not being on-call. I usually work from about 6:30 am -5:30 pm and have had weekends off. Perhaps it is the "free time" I have because I have really been digging in on some personal development.

I have been making some good progress in budgeting, exercise, and healthy eating. I am also striving to be a better housekeeper, but with less success. I know as I have months of a crazier schedule I will fall short on these areas again, but I am hoping to set a good foundation for myself now when I feel I have a little more leeway. As always, studying is something I need to be doing much much more of as well.

So what's next?

Abe will be joining me for an upcoming Oral Surgery conference. Not only will my department cover some of our travel costs, but I won a scholarship to help pay for the trip as well. I am really looking forward to some vacation time together as well as the conference itself.

Planning for next year. Real life kind of scares me. I'm not super anxious to be done with residency and "out there" in the "real world." When I am there I will be glad but I'm just trying to soak it all in in the meantime. But it is kind of weird and exciting to be seeing my hard work will literally be paying off in a few short months...9. Before we know it, I will be birthing my career as a real Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon!

And of course, the ever struggle of studying, housekeeping, exercising, and husband-tending (my turn now that he is the busy one). And getting used to be on-call again.

2 comments:

Tawnya said...

wow erin! I think i would have given up by now just out of sheer exhaustion. You are both amazing!

Rachel Culmer said...

I so want to know where Dr. Erin Sheffield will be doing after she is done with residency! I can't believe you are almost done. WOW!