Rememberlutions, Part 2 of 2

At the start of last year, our Bible Study group decided to make "rememberlutions" rather than resolutions for the new year. We promised ourselves to write down the good things that happened during the year and put the pieces of paper in a decorated jar. Today, the first day of 2016, is the day of reckoning: what good things do I get to remember? I sat on the couch and pulled out the slips randomly, then went back and found photos I haven't already shared with you as illustrations.

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On top were two tickets from April. First, I enjoyed a "MOMIX: Alchemia" modern dance recital with an acquaintance from medical school. A week and a half later, I went to my first-ever production of "Into the Woods" with performers from the music school. I'm amazed to remember that I had the time to do that while finishing my ob/gyn rotation and starting surgery.

"Celebrated 10 years of married life to my Liebling [in August]."

"Sitting in the same row on the airplane as another med-peds applicant and talking halfway to Denver." It was a serendipitous moment on an uncrowded Southwest flight that put us together to go over our life stories and hopes and fears about transitioning from medical school to residency and practice. I gave her my business card but got no contact information from her, and I'm sorry we didn't get to stay in touch after meeting on the interview trail.

Ticket to the Morgan State University Choir's Annual Christmas Concert, a fantastic mixture of classical and gospel renditions of holiday tunes in Baltimore. My favorite piece was "Ring De Christmas Bells," a Calypso song by Jester Hairston and orchestrated by Tadd Russo.

Public art at Capitol Square in Madison, WI.

Somehow I managed to score "Interviews at all three peds rehab programs." Now follows the hard decisions about how to rank them.

"Internal Medicine Grand Rounds talk June 16, 2015." [Click to watch the YouTube version I recorded later.]

"Gave a Grand Rounds-style talk to the Carle pediatricians 2/17/2015." [YouTube version hopefully coming soon.]

Ticket to see the Peanuts Movie at the last showing on the last day it was playing in town. [December]

"Lost my promise ring at County Market--and found it! 5/27/2015"

"Helped set a broken leg." That was while on trauma call in the ED during my surgery rotation. It was not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.

Me and a friend at the Fall Retreat.

"10th anniversary potluck" Guess it was so nice I wanted to remember it twice! The leftovers were just as good the third or fourth time, too.

"Courage is grace under pressure" ~Little aluminum pin from our visit to the Ernest Hemingway house and museum. It allows us to visit twice in one year.

"Second standard deviation on Step 2 Clinical Knowledge." [In other words, I did well on this big test.]

"Outstanding in Neurology!"

"Dr. Oliphant complimented me on my running subcuticular stitch." He had sent me home after my first surgery with him to practice suturing some more; this means I made progress!

"How beautiful the autumn trees in Central New Jersey were, the waterfront in Boston, the first snowfall in Champaign."

Ticket to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens with my family over Christmas.

"I want to remember playing catch with [my toddler niece] on Halloween with her light-up bouncy koosh ball."

The happy couple on the logia at the Biltmore Estate on a rainy day.

"Playing double frisbee with [my elementary-age niece and nephew]" over Thanksgiving.

"[A camper's] joy at Hogwarts winning the Quidditch World Cup--twice."

"I think you would make a good surgeon. And I don't say that to everyone." Said a female surgeon to me during a procedure.

"Classical-music 'high' from the tenor arias at the BACH Messiah sing" in December.

"O in Pediatrics."

"I learned how to change my windshield wiper blades."

Winning money for "Breaking the Rule of Twos," the clinical vignette I presented at the College of Medicine Research Day.

Me and my fellow health care
volunteer, a nursing student, on
"Pajama Day" at Camp CAMP.

"Two weeks at Camp CAMP in July, achieving my maximum potential."

"Started my 1st IV (on Labor & Delivery--and the patient didn't hate me for it at her 6-week follow up)!" This was on my ob/gyn rotation.

"1 point for the medical student. ~ Dr. Jarrett, when I asked about Fragile-X genetic testing for a patient we saw together" at the infertility clinic

"I learned to two-hand tie!" a suture while on surgery back in June. I probably can't remember anymore.

That I presented a "conference paper in Philly at the MudPhuD conference" in April. This is why I missed Dear Husband's house concert.

"O for Outstanding in Obstetrics and Gynecology."

"I earned an 'O' in Family Medicine." That was actually a rotation I did in 2014, but it took so long to get the grade back that it fell in 2015.

"Lost my IDs...and found them. 2/7/2015"

"I caught a baby named Lincoln on 4/4/2015."

"Saw my first optic disc with Dr. McNussen 8/5/2015." You know when the doctor shines a light and looks inside your eye? That's really hard to do well. But when a neuro-ophthalmologist dilates the patient's eye, it's a lot easier.

"Got 8 out of 8 on a Med-U differential diagnosis." This refers to quizzes in the pediatrics teaching modules I did back in January and February. To correctly guess all eight possible diagnoses was quite a feat!

Christmas morning breakfast with Dear Husband:
waffles, Cajun scrambled eggs, grapefruit, OJ, tea.

Ticket to see Mr. Holmes with Dear Husband.

Being gifted "6 Sudafed from another applicant and 2 throat lozenges from a cab driver when I was sick during an interview in Denver."

"Outstanding in Surgery."

A Chinese fortune cookie slip: "You are a bundle of energy, always on the go." Who me? Couldn't be!

"Gold star from Dr. Schmitz for reading non-stress tests" on ob/gyn.

"Gold star from Dr. Schmitz for dopplering fetal heart tones" on ob/gyn.

Another Chinese fortune cookie slip: "You will be honored with a prestigious prize or reward." There's no date on it; I wonder if it was predicting the paper award I received in April??

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Well, that's it. Unfortunately, I was not able to put "published my first academic article" in the jar this year. I'm spending the next month working on that manuscript so I can try again. Maybe in 2016...