Yo, I survived Internal Medicine.
Last Friday (the 20th) was my final exam and my last night on call. I still don't know the results of my exam and I'm trying not to think about it too much. What's done is done.
Those last 7 days where probably some of the worst of this year, comparable only to that time in January I though I had TB.
I had a real nervous break down, with tears 'n all when I though I had lost my portfolio (which is kind of like a bunch of sheets of papers with lots of signatures of doctors and residents certifying that I participated in or watched several required medical procedures). I couldn't find it hours away from the deadline. If I didn't turn it in I was not allowed to present my final exam. People I know have failed their rotation for not finishing it. I was freaking out, like, seriously. Not fun, not fun at all. I truly recommend you to take better care of your important stuff, unlike me, who carry it around and constantly forget it at nurses stations, classrooms, and the such. Bad, messy, careless me.
At the end I found it at my apartment. You see internet, dumb me had left it there in the morning when I went home after a night on call (pre-exam, for the 3rd time in a row) to take a quick shower before I had to run and take my test. Well, it was there, or at least most of it was there. I had to get some new signatures for some of the procedures, but it was ok. I was able to deliver it on time, no problems. I say this now so peacefully and serenely, but at that time I was crying like the aliens had come and taken away my family, and my computer, and killed all the kittens.
The rest of the weekend and next week I spent it studying like crazy, trying to grasp all the info I was supposed to know from all these years of medschool, and geez! do I have a lousy memory. Anyways, everybody was so stressed out. We were all like screaming at each other for the smallest of things, not eating anything for large periods of time followed by hypercaloric and fat rich meals, abandoning our friends at hospitals 40mins or so way from their houses ... mmm... or was it just me? Damn, I'm so bad at handling stress.
Anyway, the judgement day arrived. It was last friday. My roomate and I woke up early, went to have a good and real breakfast and headed to school. I could not study any longer, we were just quizzing each other. We had to sit through a whole Alternative Medicine class, listening to some shit about how massages help your body and bla bla -who cares- bla bla. Finally the time came, 11 am. We were sitted in a large auditorium and our exams were handed. It consisted in two parts, the first were 63 questions on: Cardiology, Neumology, Infectious Diseases, Nephrology, Gastroenterology and Endocrinology and the second was Oncology, eight 2-3 page long clinical cases with one question each that were based on the American Guidelines.
After the fist 10 questions I wanted to cry. I knew for sure the answer to only 2 or 3 of them. The next 20 I was also clueless. I kept going, panicking with every question. Arghh I did my best, revised the exam, cursed all those hours I wasted during this last 4 years, cursed my failing memory, cursed everyone, and then ... knock knock, who's there? Its me, your bladder. Wanna hear something fun? You have to go. Like, NOW!
I still hadn't bubbled the bubbles on my answer sheet!! I started panicking, bubbling the bubbles as fast as anyone has ever bubbled anything (yes internet, I keep writing bubbling the bubbles cause it's just so fun to say it). Yet, every 7 or so question I had to pause, to breath, cross my legs a bit more, wipe the tear coming down my cheek and then proceed. By question 54 my legs were so crossed they were almost shaped like a frikin pretzel, I couldn't hold it anymore, and the air conditioner set to freezer-like temperature just didn't help. I felt chills running down my back as I bubbled the 63rd bubble. I stood up, ran to the teacher, handed de exam, mumbled something like "I have to pee..." while running, literaly running, to the bathroom.
I came back and took the rest of the exam, and no matter how badly I was answering those questions I still had that satisfyed look only emptying your bladder can give you. I handed in my exam, not sure if I would pass or not. This exam was worth 70% of my Internal Medicine grade. Yes, 70% one frikin' exam.
Whatever, I couldn't linger very long to apreciate the aftermath of that stupid exam in my classmates, 'cause you see, internet, life hates me and to prove it it made me be on call that day. Anyways, I didn't want to stay much longer afterwards because of the innevitable review of the answers all my geeky classmates love-hate doing.
I drove to the hospital and stayed there until midnight. Afterwards I joined my friends (or what was left of them after several hours of heavy drinking) at a party to celebrate we made it alive through IM.
It's all over now, at least until the results come out and I find out if I passed or not. Keep your fingers crossed!
No comments:
Post a Comment