You know you've been studying too hard for the Step 2 when...

... you completely miss out on the fact that your VERY LAST DAY OF CLINICAL ROTATIONS IS OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe that I didn't realize this. I mean, I'm sure I knew at least subconsiously, but if I didn't have the Step 2 to study for, then I would have had a more substantial celebration last Friday, the last day of my 2 week dermatology selective.

The real moment of realization came when I was driving home from Hillcroft with Ahila and Yasmin. Ahila was about to climb into the passenger seat, and I noticed that my white coat was crumpled up on the passenger seat floor. I said to Ahealers, "You can go ahead and step on that white coat because I'm not going to be needing that anymore!!!!" Felt good to say that. Although now I realize while writing this that I'll have to wear the dumb coat for the Step 2 CS. But that doesn't really count, does it?

On a happier note... I bought a pretty BRIGHT blue sari (can't find the exact color on blogger) today to wear at my brother's wedding reception. I think I may just leave it out on my bed so that I can look at it and smile at it periodically while studying the rest of the week.

You know you've been studying too hard for the USMLE Step 2 when...

You know you've been studying too hard for the USMLE Step 2 when:

1. You get a phone call from a friend, asking how you're doing and you reply, "Just dandy... but not dandy like as in the 'Dandy Walker malformation.'

2. You're studying at Barnes and Noble when suddenly someone takes the table next to yours and starts studying from an MCAT Princeton Review book and you think, "Ahhhh... the good 'ole days!!"

3. You see a Teen People magazine cover that says "PROM STYLES" and you think for just a split second... "Hey, I wonder what in the hell a teenie bopper magazine has to say about prolonged rupture of membranes??!"

There might be more to add to this list as March 4th approaches... we shall see.

On another equally sad note... too bad Sasha Cohen didn't win :(

I hate the Step 2

Tidbits from a recent Q-bank question: A child presents with ataxia, and multiple telangiectasias... What could it be? Ataxia-telangiectasia???? Duh! I hate the Step 2.

Ok, ok, the question was a bit more difficult than that. It asked for the levels of immunoglobulins in such a patient, which I happened to guess correctly. But still, I didn't realize till after reading the question explanation that the question was testing ataxia-telangiectasia. I hate the Step 2. But my parents sent me belated Valentine's flowers today, so that made me happy. They're so sweet. Unlike the Step 2, which I hate.

You're so funny, that I forgot to laugh!


There's nothing more irritating to a sports fan than a snide remark made by a sports announcer against your team. Yes, folks, #1 Uconn played #4 Villanova tonight in a heated Big East match up with the top spot in the Big East at stake. Boy, it was a great game, except that we lost 64-69. (FYI We= Uconn).

But there was one point where I could help but think, "Yeah they pay these announcers to talk about sports, not to act like they're comedians on the side." This moment occured in the 2nd half, when 'Nova's Will Sheridan drove to the basket despite the inside presence of Hilton Armstrong (who had something like 5 blocked shots). One of the announcers (dunno his slimy name) said, "Well, it looks like the Sheridan is taller than the Hilton tonight!"

Sooooo funny..

Patient is a 40 Y.O. male smoker...

Did you ever say something out loud without really knowing what you were saying, but at the same time, mildly amusing yourself in the process? (Keep in mind that posing questions such as these naturally reveal to a reader (that's you!!) that the author is about to explain how such a situation manifested in the author's life. Folks, this is simply a strategy that writers use to draw their audience in... Incidentally, using tangentiality in writing is a sure fire way to lose your audience. Oops.)

Telemarketers... For some reason, telemarketers have been inundating my life with phone calls, wanting me to complete surveys. This recent inundation is most likely a function of me actually being in my apartment as opposed to being found in various cities across the world interviewing for residency positions. Crap... Tangentiality.

So here's what's been happening. These telemarketers are calling me NON-STOP, and Devika is getting very annoyed with them. The worst thing about these recent telemarketers is that they right away launch into their spiel without honestly giving me a chance to refute their request for me to complete a survey. Usually I just hang up on the telemarketers before they even say "Hello" because usually there is a several second delay before they respond to your initial "Hello?"

But last week, I devised a new strategy to deal with the telemarketers, one that pretty much self-manifested without much forethought (see opening sentence of blog entry). Before I explain further, please know that I live alone in my apartment, and I'm in my twenties.

So one day this lady calls me, wanting to complete a survey.

"Ma'am, I would like to know the age and gender of the oldest person living in your household."

"62 years old and female," I reply. Sounds good. I smile.

"Ok, great. Can you tell me the age and gender of the second oldest living member of your household?"

"40 year old male." I say. This amuses me, because I guess the idea of a 62 year-old female and 40 year-old male is what some people may call a mildly scandalous relationship. Hey, why not make your life appear a little more zing-zing to a telemarketer? (See what Step 2 studying does to my life???)

"Oh, ok, great. A 40 year-old male. Is this individual a smoker or a non-smoker?"

"He smokes like a chimney," I reply. ooooh la la...

"Ok. I think the 62 year-old female would be a bit too old to complete this survey. Can I please speak to the 40 year-old male?"

Oh shit.

"Um, he's actually not here right now..." I say, wishing that I could have thought of something to say that rivalved the brilliance of my previous answers.

"Oh ok, ma'am. In that case, we'll call back at a later time. Thank you." Click.

YES!!! Devi has successfully devised a new way of getting rid of telemarketers!!! Or so she thinks...

Two days later, I get a phone call around noon-time.

"Hello?"

"Hi, yes. Can I please speak to the 40 year-old male in the household who smokes?"

Crap.

"Actually he's not here right now. Can I take a message?"

"No ma'am, there's no message. We'll call back at a later time."

YES! I got rid of her again!!!

A day later, I get another phone call, this time it's in the evening.

"Hello?"

"Hi ma'am. Can I please speak to the 40 year-old male who smokes, please?"

Dammit! Persistent telemarketers!! I toy with the idea of telling the lady that the 40 year-old male smoker moved... or died... or developed suddent onset dissociative fugue with chronic psychosis not otherwise specified (I think I just made that up). But instead I say,

"He's not here right now..."

"Is there a good time at which I may be able to talk to the 40 year-old male who smokes?"

"Well, actually, he's working night shifts..."

"Oh ok. That may not work for us. Thank you." Click.

Hmm... maybe that did the trick? I wasn't really sure what she meant.

Then, literally 10 minutes later I get another phone call.

"Hi, ma'am, can I please speak with the 40 year-old make who smokes in your household?"

Then I get annoyed.

"Um, actually you guys just called and I've already told you that he's working night shifts." Then I hang up the phone. The nerve of these telemarketers... to actually not believe what other people are saying!! Whatever happened to the concept of "trust" in this world?



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P.S. Yes, I'm alive and I'm blogging again.