Thankful Vibes

I originally planned to type this post on Thanksgiving Day, but decided to truly bask in the day and relax. Then I had the bright idea that since I was working a double shift on Black Friday, and it would likely be quiet due to everyone being out shopping (wishful thinking), I would just type this up while I was at work. But after a crazy busy day filled with managing things like what a patient thought was a hemorrhoid that actually turned out to be a huge abscess (and the most satisfying incision & drainage procedure I've ever performed!), a hand versus chainsaw accident (put my suturing skills to work!), and even a feather stuck in the ear (who knew down feather pillows could be so dangerous?!?!), I learned my lesson about planning for any leisurely activities while at work during a time when most people are not working. Moving onto yesterday, I found some time to start the typing process, but ended up putting it on hold to attend an event, and then I decided to go to the movies afterwards (I saw Queen & Slim and thought it was really good). With that being said, I finally found a moment to write about a few things I've been thankful for this year :)

I guess the most obvious thing I am thankful for this year is having a job! I can't tell you how many nights (and days) I spent worrying last year about what this year would bring. Would I have a job? Would I be homeless? Would I be working somewhere completely unrelated to my medical degree? Would I be living in another new state, away from all family and friends, and working yet again another 24 hour call shift during the holiday? There was so much anxiety! But here I am a year later, a working physician, with an incredible job, living in an area that makes me happy, and able to spend time with those people who mean the most to me whenever I want. It's honestly really hard to put into words all the feelings that surround my current state of mind, but one thing I can say for sure is that God's plan is the best plan, and everything always works out perfectly and at the right time.

Another thing I am thankful for is my family and the friends who have become like family (or I guess "Framily" as they call it). My family always comes through for me, provides me with so much help with my daughter, and they're always super supportive even if they don't completely understand my path. I'm even more thankful to have a child who doesn't mind being away from me and who tells me on a daily basis how proud she is of me. And even though I am absolutely horrible at keeping in touch with people, I am thankful for those who still check on me and don't trip when I don't reach out often, and for those who can deal with me and all of my craziness. Over the past year, I have been amazed by the amount of friends who text me to make sure I'm okay, take time out of their busy schedules to travel to hang out with me, and even those who are quick to send me the latest postings on open surgery residency positions so that I can continue to pursue my goals. I might not be the best at expressing it, but I am thankful for each and every individual I interact with, and your love and friendship mean a lot to me. 

Lastly, I am thankful for YOU. Next month will make six years of blogging, and some of you have been around from the very beginning. You've followed my journey from newly accepted medical student to navigating life as Dr. Ward, encouraged me through various struggles, and continued to cheer for me when things are going right. I am beyond grateful for the support you give just by reading my posts, and there have been numerous times where I wanted to give up or quit, but then I receive an email sharing your success story or inspiration that you gained from reading one of my posts. This has really kept me going.

So in my attempt to keep this post relatively short, I'll just end by saying every year I grow more and more thankful for life and all it's ups and downs. I'm thankful for the dark times that allow me to enjoy the happy times, the people who make life worth living, and for being able to live my dream as a physician. I honestly couldn't feel more blessed at the moment, and for that I am truly thankful. I hope everyone reading this had a very happy Thanksgiving, and I wish you all a wonderful holiday season ahead.

I'm Officially the Mother of a Teenager! (Paris, France recap)

Smiles outside the Louvre Museum in Paris

Life has a funny way of working itself out. Around this time last year, I was feeling overworked and extremely upset at the fact that despite putting in my request well in advance and getting approved, I was still scheduled to work a 24 hour call shift during my daughter's birthday weekend. This meant having to cancel an already scheduled flight and miss my only child's birthday for the first time ever since no one was willing to switch call with me (and who could blame them?).

Fast-forward to this year, and not only do I feel less stressed with the ultimate work-life balance, but I recently returned from a trip to France where I took my daughter to celebrate her 13th birthday. I seriously could not feel more blessed and thankful for life's current twists and turns :) This post will serve as a recap of our recent trip, but since I recently promised to get back to writing more frequently, more posts will be coming soon answering all your commonly asked questions and detailing my recent life experiences :)

Her first silk press!

I've never really understood why, but for the past few years, my daughter had been wanting to go to Paris. She has a picture of the Eiffel Tower on her bedroom wall and Paris trinkets throughout her room, so I figured I would surprise her with the real thing this year to ring in her officially becoming a teenager (yup, I'm now the mother of a 13 year old! *shock face*). But first, it was time for a trip to the hair salon for a new slightly more teenage look. She received her first silk press and judging by how many times she kept flipping her hair, I think she liked it.

Birthday welcome from the hotel

I don't think my daughter actually believed we were going to Paris until the plane started to take off, but the look of happiness on her face was priceless! It was the one picture I wish I would've captured. The flight was enjoyable, and when we arrived at the hotel there was a surprise gift, balloons, treats, and a welcome message waiting in our room for her. It was super sweet!

Sightseeing in Paris!

We arrived around 1pm and although we were tired and jetlagged, we knew we had to stay awake or we would risk being up all night. So we immediately ventured out for some exploring. We took pictures outside the Louvre, walked all the way down to near the Notre Dame so my daughter could check out a Manga shop that she swore had books in English (it didn't), took a little detour so that I could buy something nice for myself, and even went inside the Louvre and took silly pictures with some of the art. We ended the night with a nice dinner together, and then we were out like a light!

Day 2: More Paris sightseeing

We started off our second day in Paris with a trip to the Eiffel Tower where went all the way up to the summit and took in the gorgeous views of the city. Following this we used the hop on hop off river cruise (only $17 for 24 hour access!) to go to all the major stops in the city and take in the sights. We explored so much and the city was absolutely beautiful. In my Instagram highlight story reel of France, I have a video of a man playing the piano in the middle of the road. In my opinion, it captured the feel of the city so wonderfully, so feel free to check it out.

Eiffel Tower fun!

At the end of the day, we returned to the Eiffel Tower to see the light show. My daughter thought it would include various colors during the show and was not impressed with the 5 minutes of twinkling lights. I, on the other hand, was super enthralled! It was such a magical display and I was completely caught up in all its beauty.

Happy 13th Birthday to my little love!

The next day was my little one's 13th birthday and what better place to celebrate than Disneyland Paris?!?! After eating breakfast (during which the hotel surprised her with a cake and candle), we checked out, grabbed an Uber, and made our way to the happiest place in France. When we arrived at Disneyland, we went to the visitor center where she was greeted with a surprise birthday call from Mickey Mouse. I even got her to try escargot for the first time (she wasn't a fan LOL), we rode a few rides, had good laughs, and enjoyed both a parade and the evening fireworks show. I think it's safe to say she enjoyed her birthday :)

Birthday fun at Disneyland Paris

The next day it was time to return home, but we left France full of happy smiles and awesome memories. I'm so happy I had the opportunity to provide my daughter with such a memorable birthday experience this year, and I hope she'll cherish it for years to come. That pretty much wraps up our trip, but I thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed this recap. Until next time!

The Training Wheels are Off and the Doctor is In: An Update

My glow is back!

So many changes have occurred since my last full post! Over the past three months alone, my life has made a complete 180 degree turn, and I couldn't be happier at the moment. It was only six months ago when I found out yet again that I didn't match into a categorical general surgery spot, and it was so stressful worrying about how I would be able to pay bills, take care of my child, and still continue to live my dream of being a physician. I never could have imagined how smoothly everything would come together for me, and I can't help but feel anything other than blessed and thankful. I've finally settled down enough to write about my recent experiences, so this post will serve as a quick recap for your viewing pleasure :)

Goodbye Philly!

A few days after I officially finished my intern year, I packed up my belongings, sold what wouldn't fit in my car, and I made the long drive back from Pennsylvania to Georgia. During that time, I had no real plan on what I would do for work as I didn't have any jobs lined up, and I was still waiting to hear back from a couple of residency programs I interviewed at for open PGY-2 positions. I only knew I wanted to be back in the south and that I would figure out everything later. During the last week in June, I took the time to relax, hang out with a few friends I made while living there, and enjoy some sight seeing in Philadelphia one last time before I was gone for good!

Badge Official!

During my final week in Philadelphia, I submitted the application to obtain an unrestricted medical license in the state of Georgia (I had to wait until my final day of training to officially have a complete application), and I received the approval email around three weeks later. This approval meant I could finally start working as a general practitioner, and I immediately applied for various jobs in my area. I also spoke with an old classmate who connected me with an awesome urgent care physician who told me his clinic was looking for a new physician. Just a few days after this conversation, I had a chance to check out the clinic and interview with the owner. I started training the following week working alongside other physicians as I couldn't fully work on my own until my DEA license was approved. Luckily the approval took less than two weeks, and my training was paid, so it was a super smooth transition. By the first week of September, I was working full shifts as the only physician on staff, and as we near the end of the month, I am starting to feel a lot more comfortable with my new role. I guess you can say the training wheels are officially off since, for the time being, I am no longer a resident physician, but a fresh urgent care physician.

Mommy-Daughter Time!

This new position is such a welcome change from the stress of residency life. I am no longer working insane hours, I have great work-life balance with much more free time, and I actually get to spend time with my daughter. I agreed to let her continue to stay with my parents another year to enjoy band, her friends, and her dwindling time in middle school, but being only six hours away from her by car (and one hour by plane) is way better than the two flights or twenty hour drive it took from the northeast. We pretty much get to see each other in person now whenever we want, and it's kinda fun making random trips in the middle of the week to help with homework or just relax with my little one.

Third time's a charm?

This new chapter in life doesn't mean my long-term goals have changed just yet. I am still one stubborn individual, and I submitted my ERAS application for yet another go-round of the residency match cycle. Having to re-apply sucks, but the bright side is I didn't have to struggle to pay for my applications this cycle, and no matter the outcome, I know I will have a job this time next year. In the past, I've been pretty quiet about the process, but this time around I will share more about it on the blog to help out my medical student readers. I'll also write a post detailing urgent care life since people close to me have asked a lot of questions about it. As for now, I'm going to use the next few days I have off to relax, and I hope everyone reading this has an amazing weekend!

Recap of SNMA AMEC 2019: Philadelphia

My first AMEC as a physician!

**It’s been a while since I last wrote, and a lot has been going on over the past few months, so the next few posts will be recaps from my experiences since March 2019**

Back in April, I had the pleasure of attending the 2019 Student National Medical Association's (SNMA) Annual Medical Education Conference (AMEC) which took place in Philadelphia, PA. It was not only my first time attending as a physician, but it was my final time (at least for a while) attending as a board member. Yep, that's right! My term of Immediate Past President is officially over and I am free of all SNMA duties! I have served on the national SNMA Board of Directors for four years starting in 2015 as National Osteopathic Co-Chair, and then as 2017-2018 National President which most people might not be aware is a three year term which began with my president-elect year in 2016 and ended with an immediate past president year that I completed with this year's AMEC. So yes, as much as I love the SNMA, I am relieved to break away from the politics of it all.

Teaching high school students CPR

This year's AMEC started off with a community service event. Through a partnership with the SNMA and the Student Health Impact Project (SHIP), a Healthy Attitude Summit was held at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) for over 200 high school students from Baltimore, Camden, and Philadelphia areas. There were many different stations covering everything from Mental Health to Nutrition, and I had the pleasure of teaching at the CPR station. It was so cool teaching and interacting with the students, and I even learned something new. Did you know that "Uptown Funk" by Bruno Mars has replaced the "Stayin Alive" by the Bee Gees as the new CPR song? Same beat needed for compressions, and the students enjoyed having a song that was closer to their age-range. The event also featured Rodney McLeod, NFL Safety for the Philadelphia Eagles, who has done a lot of great work with SHIP and educating students on living healthy lives. 

Rodney McLeod, NFL Safety for the Philadelphia Eagles

The next day is when the conference began for most attendees, and when the work began for me. I actually thought that I would be able to relax and enjoy this year's conference since I'm no longer a student, but I was wrong! Starting at 8am that morning I had to attend a Board of Directors meeting and because this year's term included sitting on the Elections Committee, I had the task of debriefing the candidates. Following the meeting, we all attended the opening meeting where Rodney McLeod was the keynote speaker, and then we rushed upstairs for the ribbon cutting ceremony and official opening of the professional exhibit hall. This is where residency programs come to promote their programs, so I also walked around to speak with a few programs with openings that I had submitted applications to, and to reunite with past friends who are now resident physicians but were at the exhibit to recruit for their programs. It was great being able to network and catch up with friends at the same time!

They paved the way. So much excellence in one session!

Following the exhibit hall, and after dealing with elections and other SNMA business, I had the pleasure of attending a plenary session which consisted of a panel of physician leaders who also had the accomplishments of being firsts and paving the way for us. They are pictured above, and for those of you who don't recognize each person, I'll name them off from left to right. First you have Dr. Velma Scantlebury, the first black female transplant surgeon in the United States, and my amazing mentor. Next is Dr. Altha Stewart, the first African-American president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). In the middle is Dr. Sharon Allison-Ottey who served as the first female chairman of the SNMA Board of Directors, and next to her is Dr. Patrice Harris, the first African-American President-elect of the American Medical Association (AMA) in all of its 148-year history. Lastly, (but certainly not least) is Dr. Augustus White, III who was so many firsts that I'm not even going to try to list them all, but he was the first African-American medical student and graduate of Stanford University School of Medicine, first black surgical resident at Yale University, first black professor of medicine at Yale, and first black department head at a Harvard-affiliated hospital (Beth Israel Hospital). He is standing next to Gabriel Felix, the now Immediate Past President of the SNMA. So much black excellence I can hardly contain myself!!!!

Finally met Dr. Caudle!

I was only able to attend one other session at the conference that day, but it was a session I just couldn't pass up. If you've been reading my blog for a while, then you'll remember my Minority Women in Medicine posts where I interviewed and highlighted minority women in osteopathic medicine. One of those women I had the pleasure of interviewing was Dr. Jennifer Caudle and she was able to attend this year's AMEC and present a workshop on her journey in medical broadcasting. This was my first time meeting her since I wrote my original post five years ago, and she was even more awesome in person. I truly enjoyed both meeting her and having the opportunity to attend and learn at her workshop.

I love my mentor!

After the workshops ended for the day, I took the opportunity to hang out with Dr. Scantlebury and explore some more of Philly. It was a gorgeous day and the tulips were in full bloom. 

Happy to have left a legacy

The next day was the day we installed our new SNMA National President. Our now Immediate Past President Gabriel Felix gave an excellent farewell speech complete with a goodbye song. It really made me reflect on all the emotions involved with becoming and ending my term as president. Pictured above our some of the past SNMA presidents with the current president Omonivie Agboghidi. I look forward to seeing all her accomplishments over the next year and the legacy she will bring to the organization. As you can see underneath the presidents photo, I am happy to have left my own legacy within the organization, but I surely hope I am not the last of my kind!

Dr. Eugene Harris, III from Married to Medicine

Later that evening, I had the pleasure of attending a mixer hosted by White Coats Black Doctors where I was able to meet and chat with Dr. Eugene Harris III, from the hit Bravo TV show Married to Medicine. He also served as the SNMA closing banquet speaker the following day where he gave a very inspiring and excellent speech. When I asked him if he was ever involved with the SNMA as a medical student, his response was “not only was I involved, but I served as chapter president.” Hearing that made me so happy!

Shout out to the DOs!

Another favorite part of the conference was all the osteopathic representation. I ran into so many of my favorite DOs including Dr. Tyree Winters (literally one of the great faces of the AOA’s “Doctors that DO” campaign), and Dr. Courtney Scrubbs who mentored me during my time as osteopathic co-chair for the organization. It was a great ending to NOM Week 2019.

Here's to another 55 years!

The final part of the conference was the Saturday dinner banquet. This is always my favorite event, because the graduating medical school seniors within the organization are recognized and receive their graduation stoles. There were soooo many graduating seniors, and I was so there to share in that happy experience. It was also where the Chairperson of the Board of Directors gave her final farewell speech, and it was one that focused on shining our light even when confronted with hate. It made me proud of both her and everything the SNMA represents.

I loved my dress!

That pretty much wraps up my SNMA AMEC 2019 experience. For those who weren’t able to make it this year before the event sold out, the next conference will take place the week leading up to Easter Sunday 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio, so mark your calendars now! I highly recommend this conference for both pre-medical and medical students alike, and those of you who have been following me for a while already know that I credit the SNMA with helping me gain an acceptance into medical school. Oh, and shout out to all the people who recognized me from this blog and took the time to stop me and let me know how much it has helped them. I appreciate you all more than you’ll ever know. 

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!

It's My Five-Year Blogiversary! (Thank you Gift Inside)

Five years ago today, I wrote my first blog post. I had no idea that at this point, half a decade later, I would have written literally hundreds of posts and reached my goal of being a source of encouragement and inspiration for others with similar circumstances. I also didn't even think that I would still be blogging, or even better, that at this point I would have already achieved my lifelong dream of becoming a doctor!

Over the years, I have used my platform to not only share my story, but to let anyone reading know that any goal is possible with passion and perseverance. I started this blog to help others, but what I wasn't expecting was how much I would be inspired and encouraged by all of my amazing readers. From the emails sharing your medical school acceptances and accomplishments to the TSA agent who recognized me and told me he will be applying to medical school next year, you all have brought so much joy to my life. I have smiled with you through the successes, pushed you through the tough times, and I've even shed a few proud tears at some of your stories of medical school acceptances and other accomplishments. You've even managed to encourage and inspire me to keep pushing, which is something I never would have thought would come from this.

So this year, as a thank you, I'm going to do something a little different. Below, you will find a barcode for a $50 Starbucks gift certificate. Please use it to buy ONE small cup of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa (meets the needs of people like me who don't drink coffee). I am posting this early in the morning and will wait a few hours before posting on my social media accounts so that my email subscribers get first dibs since this will probably only be enough for 10-15 people. Please be fair and only use it for one cup, that way as many people as possible can benefit. Just tap on the picture below from your phone to enlarge it, and have the barista scan it at checkout. Super simple :)

To all my followers who have been around since the beginning, thank you for sticking it out with me all these years. For the new followers, I hope you'll continue to follow along on the ride. And to everyone reading this, thank you for allowing me to share my story and for giving me a reason to smile. Wishing you a very blessed and wonderful week ahead!

Update: Month Two of Intern Year

Happy Thursday! I can't believe I am nearing the end of my second month of intern year! The past two months have been somewhat of a blur, but I am continuing to learn a ton, and even with all the hard work of surgery life, there are a lot of fun times too.

I started off the second month of intern year at a completely different hospital where the general surgery service is run by one intern and two senior residents. The volume is a lot smaller than the location I worked at last month, but I was definitely thankful to have had a super busy first month where I saw and was able to do a lot with help the entire day. At this location, I am the only person covering the floor while the two senior residents and attending physician spend the day in the OR. This was super scary at first, but I am a lot more skilled and able to handle whatever is thrown at me more so than I was during my first month.

A few general surgery intern essentials

The only drawback to this month has been the travel. The hours are a bit better since I can turn off my pager by 6pm and be done for the day, but it's a lot different when I'm on call. During the days I am on call, I come to my main hospital and work a full day, but then I leave around 5pm in order to go to the hospital where I worked last month and I spend the night there handling the surgery patients while taking in new admits and consults. It's just myself and a senior resident at night, so things can get a bit busy sometimes. When the interns arrive in the morning, I head back to the hospital where I am working now and have to round on all my patients, type up the notes, and then I can finally be post-call. Last month, I knew all the patients going into the evening, so I could relax and maybe take a small nap, but now I spend more time making sure I learn my patients when I am on call. Every now and then I get lucky with a couple of hours of sleep though, so I really can't complain.

Next week, I'll be starting at a busy hospital and trauma center where I will spend the next two months continuing general surgery with trauma on my call nights. Although my program has multiple hospitals, I kind of enjoy switching it up every now and then, and I'm looking forward to some new experiences. Plus, I have yet to place a chest tube, so I'm hoping I will meet my program's requirement of five within the next couple of months.

Golden weekends involve having fun and wearing sparkly dresses

As for maintaining work-life balance, I still take full advantage of being post-call and the rare days off. I haven't been on call as much this month as I was previously, but I was blessed to have a golden weekend last weekend, and I will have another this weekend. This past weekend, I enjoyed a night out clubbing where I danced and got super sweaty, hung out with some of my GA-PCOM family, was treated to an awesome meal at a great restaurant by my roommate and his girlfriend (can you believe I've lived here two months and never had a chance to really talk to the person I live with?!?!), and I even went to the movies and saw Crazy Rich Asians. It was an amazing and very much needed break, and I am so very thankful that this upcoming weekend will also be another golden weekend!

That pretty much sums up the past month. Although the change isn't drastic, I'm starting to realize that as each day passes, I am growing as a physician, and I really am enjoying the surgery life and all that comes with it. I'll make sure to keep everyone updated as I find time, but I appreciate all who continue to follow along with me on this crazy journey. As a thank you to all my wonderful readers, I'll be hosting a giveaway in my next post, so stay tuned!!!!

I Survived My First Week of Intern Year!

Remind me: why was I excited about getting these?!?!

What a week, what a week! On Sunday, I officially started my first day as a resident physician, and yesterday, I completed my first week of intern year! To say this week has been busy would be an understatement. From the moment I entered the hospital on Sunday, and up until the moment I left Monday morning, things were in full swing. The day started at 430am with getting oriented and rounding on patients, and then the official rounds and work began around 6am. Shortly after that, I was handed two pagers and the consult phone because my senior resident and I were the only ones on surgery for the day, and he was headed into surgery.

Officially a working resident physician!

It was super scary being given so much responsibility right away, but I had no time to freak out. Nurses immediately started paging me, I had new consults to see, labs to check, and there were so many notes to write (progress, consult, H&P, take your pick). Since I was on call my first day, it meant I was working a 24-hour shift, but honestly, I was so busy that the time just flew by. It wasn’t until after midnight that things finally started to slow down and I was caught up enough to take a moment for myself. I took advantage of this by taking a short 2-hour nap in my call room which ended up being interrupted with another ER consult. Around 3am, I started updating my lists and going over everything since the other interns would be joining me at 4am. After rounds and updating my notes, I was officially post-call which meant I got to go home for the day.

Post-Call Smiles

Sleep after being on call for 28 hours is the most amazing thing ever! I didn’t want to sleep all day though since I was back on call Tuesday, so I woke up around 3pm and took a trip to the movies to see Jurassic World. I went to bed around 830, and woke back up around 315am. Then the schedule basically repeated. Thursday was my first normal work day, and it was kind of weird leaving at night. I’m probably an odd person, but I actually prefer being on call since I know I definitely get to leave in the morning, get a decent amount of sleep, and do some normal daytime things. Normal days are weird because there is no guarantee of getting off at a decent time since things can get hectic at any time (as I quickly discovered LOL).

Today was my first full day off since starting, and it was glorious! I slept in until 11am (I went to bed around 11 last night), went shopping for things I needed, put my bed frame and shelves together, and I just ordered food delivery. I am one happy lady!

Tomorrow, I’m back on call, but since it’s the beginning of the month, I’ll be switching to a different surgery service at the same hospital. This past week I was on acute care surgery, and our daily list always had at least 20 patients. The surgery service that I’ll be beginning tomorrow has a much lighter load, so I’m excited for the chance to finally have some time to study during the day, and maybe get more uninterrupted sleep during the night. Plus, the intern on call tonight just texted me and told me to come in a little later than usual in the morning. Woo-hoo!

Even though I’ve been super busy, I can’t help but feel super happy at the same time. This week, I inserted my first NG tube, performed a bedside I&D on an abscess, signed prescriptions with my name for the first time, and even placed my first orders as a physician! I even got paged over the overhead as “Doctor Danielle Ward” and even though it freaked me out, I couldn’t help but smile at hearing my new name being called. I literally break out into a smile when I think of all the awesome things I accomplished this week! After having not really studied much of anything since March, and not doing anything surgery related since November, I was terrified I had forgot all my knowledge. I actually know more than I thought I would, but there's still so much more to learn. Fortunately, everyone has been super helpful during the times I’ve gotten lost, or not known how to do something on the computer, and I ordered some new surgery textbooks to build my knowledge base. 

I must say this lifestyle is definitely not for the weak, but I feel completely in my element and blessed to be in the position I am. I still get kind of sad when I think about the fact that I’m not a true categorical general surgery resident (and I’ll have to reapply to next year's general surgery programs in the coming weeks), but I am so happy for the chance to really learn and improve as a physician this year. On top of that, I am living my dreams! Plus, knowing my daughter is rooting for me and not mad that I’m away makes me that much happier. She sent the above text the other day, and it completely made my week!

Anyway, my food just arrived and I’m about to start winding down for the night. Just wanted to give a quick update to let everyone know that I’m still alive :-)

Graduation Week 2018: Mason W. Pressly Memorial Medal Award Reception

When your face is on your school's wall #Blessed

On day three of graduation week, I received the Mason W. Pressly Memorial Medal award during a beautiful reception held in my honor. For those who aren’t aware, this medal (in memory of one of PCOM’s co-founders) is presented to students for their outstanding achievement and service to the College, the community and the osteopathic profession, is the highest award a student can receive at either PCOM campus, and only one is given each year on each campus. This award also comes with a plaque containing a portrait of the recipient placed on the school’s wall for the entire year. Since starting medical school, I always stopped and admired the portraits of the year’s recipient, and said that I wanted that to be me one day. These were AMAZING individuals who not only left their mark on my school, but the last three recipients were people who I personally knew to be caring, hard-working, and just downright awesome. To even be nominated for this award was a true honor, and I am happy that I finally accomplished my dream of having my picture placed on the wall as I joined the same ranks as these wonderful individuals.

The award reception program

The day of my award reception was actually a bittersweet one. I was excited to have my closest family, friends, and loved ones in town for the event, but an hour before the reception, I received a call saying that my great-grandmother had passed earlier that afternoon. My parents were still driving into town and hadn’t heard the news, so I then proceeded to give my mom a call with the news. I was devastated and felt like I got hit with a ton of bricks, but there was no time to be sad and process my emotions since I had to be somewhere soon that required a happy face.  

The look on my parents' faces is priceless

The reception itself was so nice that it helped take my mind off my great-grandmother’s passing. It was such a blessing to have those closest to me in attendance, and the look on my parents’ faces when they saw the program and realized I was the sole honoree was priceless. The school also invited some of my favorite professors along with SNMA members, and I enjoyed their presence. Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet members of the PCOM Board of Trustees, and it was nice being able to chat with both my school’s Dean and the President of the school who were also in attendance.

Love this!

I was presented with my medal by my school’s SNMA advisor, and then I gave a short speech. Seeing my parents get all teary-eyed during the introductions and my speech absolutely made my day. My daughter even smiled a bit (which is the full extent of her getting emotional during stuff like this LOL). The medal even came with a beautifully engraved wooden box that I will forever cherish.

So happy to have these wonderful people in attendance

After all the speeches were done, it was time to take pictures. As usual, my daughter was more interested in eating the food than taking a million pictures, but I managed to get her to pose for a few. I also made sure to get some great pictures with other people in the room.

I love my family

All-in-all, the reception was an incredible blessing and my favorite highlight of graduation week. Even though my great-grandmother passed, I know she was smiling down on me that day, and it made the event even more special. If you’d like to know more about the award and see the official press release, feel free to check it out in the “features” section of my blog. My next post will be what everyone has been waiting for: Graduation Day!

Graduation Week 2018: Dinner Dance and My Little One’s Graduation

Graduation dinner happiness

The second day of graduation week was reserved for the annual dinner dance held for graduating students in all programs. This was an awesome day, not just because of the dance, but because my daughter officially graduated from the fifth grade! I can’t believe I am now the mother of a sixth grader, but I am so incredibly proud of my child and all her accomplishments.

My daughter is officially a sixth grader!

The actual event started with a nice dinner, and of course, a lot of pictures were taken. The dinner was followed by an award component, and even though I knew I was an award recipient, I was surprised to hear my name announced since my award reception would take place the following day. When my name was called, “God’s Plan” by Drake started to play, which I thought was the perfect song for me! I couldn’t help but dance a little as I walked across the dance floor to receive my award, but unfortunately, I can’t remember who caught a picture of it to share.

#BlackExcellence

Another awesome thing about the dinner, other than getting to party with all my classmates (and even professors) in the same room for one last time, was getting to see our official class of 2018 banners displayed. These banners not only had our names complete with the new “DO” title, but they also showed the residencies we matched into along with the locations. I was so happy to see my classmates match into various fields such as urological surgery, internal medicine, family medicine, general surgery, and orthopedic surgery, just to name a few. I was even more shocked to see that one decided to take on an assistant professor position at an out-of-state college. Exciting futures are ahead for all us, and I am so proud of my classmates!

Loving my new title! #DoctorStatus

Overall, I’m really glad I attended the dance, and it was a great way to have fun and celebrate as graduation approached. My next post will highlight my favorite part of graduation week: receiving the Mason W. Pressly Memorial Medal Award.

Women Docs!

Graduation Week 2018: A Letter to My Future Self

A Letter to my Future Self

During medical school orientation week four years ago, the staff had each of us write letters to our future graduating selves. They held onto these sealed letters, and on the first day of graduation week, the staff gave them back to us. My letter was super uplifting and made me smile. I even loved my super positive outlook on surgery back then, and how I knew that despite how match would go, surgery would remain my passion to this very day. Since I didn’t write anything too personal or crazy about myself, I figured I would share. Dated 8/15/14, it reads:

Hey Dr. Ward,

Guess what? You’ve made it! You finally accomplished your dreams of becoming a doctor and you are now on the way to the residency of your dreams. Despite the many obstacles you faced including raising a young child throughout school, you persevered and didn’t let anything stop you. I am so proud of you! Tiana is proud of you too, and she appreciates the sacrifices you made to get to this point and raise her to be the most independent and strong-willed pre-teenager that she has become.

At the time of this letter, you feared you would fail and disappoint those who believed in you. Med school was probably one of the hardest things that you have ever done in your life and you survived! You are now on your way to becoming one of the world’s best surgeons, and hopefully you matched into an amazing plastic surgery program that will take you far. If you changed your mind on plastics, I know you are still going into surgery regardless of the specialty and YOU WILL BE GREAT! I love you and take the time to enjoy this moment, because another long hard road lies ahead. But guess what, you will succeed and I’m proud of ya!

 -Danielle M. Ward

P.S. The cheddar cheese stains are from that awesome popcorn at orientation! LOL

There you have it! Even though the road ahead will be long and hard, I look forward to the ride and eventually achieving my goal of becoming a surgeon. I just might even write another letter to myself before beginning intern year in a few weeks to see if my outlook has changed a year from now. Up next, I’ll share highlights from day two of graduation week.