My head is currently pounding, trying to wrap my brain around the AMCAS application. Go look it up, it will make your brain hurt. Although, I apologize if by looking it up, you get a headache too. Whoops.
Seriously, there is a MANUAL for it. An 85 page manual describing how to correctly upload your medical school application! (AMCAS stands for American Medical College Application Service). Think of it as a hula-hoop the size of your pinky-finger that I need to jump through. If you don't recall, I run a lot. I have runner's-legs syndrome. This leg syndrome involves symptoms of: too tight jeans, wearing a lot of tent dresses, and explaining that I will be fantastic at child bearing. However, it does not help with getting through this relatively small hoop. Lame.
But I digress. Back to this application manual of death. As you can see, I have moved on from the MCAT test of death, to now the a fore-mentioned AMCAS application of death. Smooth transition, don't you think? I wonder why I refer to it with such a disgusting tone... Oh yeah... there is an 85 page manual discussing how to use it...
Well, in any case, this application is now sitting on my docket of things to do. And I need to start writing. Personal statement soul-writing. Spew out why I want to be a doctor without sounding sappy and lame. So how do I pretend like I'm not like that... hmmmm... good question... suggestions will be rewarded with cookies
Here's my article: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/24/politics/april-24-primaries/index.html
I found it interesting
Happy hump day!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Right here
Opportunities. Experiences. Adventures. How often do you take those, and run with them?
I had a day this week, unlike any other this year, that involved all three. An accumulation of a lot of thought, life, time, prayer, emotion, and travel that led me to the door of someone simply spectacular. Someone who has done work, and is continuing to do work, on a population of patients that I hold quite dear to my heart. I met my sister's Orthopedic Surgeon on Wednesday, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
Besides finally meeting someone who took care of my sister, let's trump it up a bit. The meeting was on the day she went to heaven 12 years ago. That was the only date that worked for this doctor. Unbelievable. I took it as an amazing gift. To be in the same building, talking to this doctor, on the day she passed, right around the same time she passed. Dude! My heart could hardly believe it. And now I'm 24, 12 years after the fact, and this is the year 2012. Honestly, God couldn't have laid out a more beautiful day to experience this opportunity.
So let's revisit some other aspects of the day that just made my mouth fall open. I stayed with my Aunt in Lake City, MN the night before. Lake City is super close to Rochester and BONUS! I could hang with my Auntie. Since the appointment was not until the afternoon, and my aunt is a grade school teacher, I went to school with her in the morning. I helped out with the kids. We made kites, and did calisthenics outside in a big line, (hilarious) and I got the chance to play piano. The kids LOVE singing, and bless my dear aunt, but her hands never got to learn how to play music, together, at the same time, on the piano, :) so I got volunteered to play some hymns. Awesome. Some of the first songs that the kids wanted to sing were played at my sister's funeral. "On Eagle's Wings" and "I Know that My Redeemer Lives". I smiled inside. God let me play my sister's hymns to rowdy children singing to their hearts content. Beautiful.
And it gets more amazing, believe me! When I did get to Mayo, I had to wait a bit before the appointment. I was sitting in the large atrium, and listening to gorgeous piano music a man was playing on a Grand Piano. After a bit, I realized he was playing hymns from my hymnal. Oh my goodness. He was playing songs I totally recognized. And right before I went up to my appointment, he finished playing with one song. On Eagle's Wings.
This was all before I even got up to talk with the Doctor! Can you believe it?? I have never felt the overwhelming presence of God's hand, like I did on Wednesday. There was no where else I was supposed to be. There was no other place in the entire world that He wanted me to be; experiencing and moving forward with the adventure that He is unfolding for me.
It's hard to wrap my brain around the gift. The gift to share in discussion, my sister's case, with the Doctor who did surgery on her. The meeting I had with him was intense. I was trying so hard to keep my emotions intact. To not completely break down and wallow in the ridiculous-ness of the day. I somewhat managed. :) And he expressed to me the impact that my older sister made on him and the way he practices medicine. She changed everything. She made a lasting impact on someone who has been practicing medicine for over 20 years. How awesome. How spectacular to hear these truths coming from a world-renown Doc! And tears were brought to his eyes, as he acknowledged that he remembered which day it was too. He couldn't believe it happened this way either. Such a great meeting. I learned so much more about my sister, medically, that I've been waiting to hear about for a long time.
And after the meeting, I still had to drive back to Duluth. Lame. But I got to meet someone in the cities for dinner. Which made the day that much more awesome. There was Bargo going on at the place we ate. Seriously, if you want a good time, go to the Rail Station in Minneapolis around 8pm on Wednesdays. You will have a hard time hearing ANYTHING or finding a seat for that matter, but folks in their 50s and 60s are a hoot to watch play Bingo at the Bar. Bahahaha
I think I've rambled enough. Go find yourself an adventure and embrace it.
I know this really isn't an article, but I thought it was totally awesome and wanted to share: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/19/health/gallery/crazy-races-fun-run/index.html?hpt=hp_c2
Happy Friday!
I had a day this week, unlike any other this year, that involved all three. An accumulation of a lot of thought, life, time, prayer, emotion, and travel that led me to the door of someone simply spectacular. Someone who has done work, and is continuing to do work, on a population of patients that I hold quite dear to my heart. I met my sister's Orthopedic Surgeon on Wednesday, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
Besides finally meeting someone who took care of my sister, let's trump it up a bit. The meeting was on the day she went to heaven 12 years ago. That was the only date that worked for this doctor. Unbelievable. I took it as an amazing gift. To be in the same building, talking to this doctor, on the day she passed, right around the same time she passed. Dude! My heart could hardly believe it. And now I'm 24, 12 years after the fact, and this is the year 2012. Honestly, God couldn't have laid out a more beautiful day to experience this opportunity.
So let's revisit some other aspects of the day that just made my mouth fall open. I stayed with my Aunt in Lake City, MN the night before. Lake City is super close to Rochester and BONUS! I could hang with my Auntie. Since the appointment was not until the afternoon, and my aunt is a grade school teacher, I went to school with her in the morning. I helped out with the kids. We made kites, and did calisthenics outside in a big line, (hilarious) and I got the chance to play piano. The kids LOVE singing, and bless my dear aunt, but her hands never got to learn how to play music, together, at the same time, on the piano, :) so I got volunteered to play some hymns. Awesome. Some of the first songs that the kids wanted to sing were played at my sister's funeral. "On Eagle's Wings" and "I Know that My Redeemer Lives". I smiled inside. God let me play my sister's hymns to rowdy children singing to their hearts content. Beautiful.
And it gets more amazing, believe me! When I did get to Mayo, I had to wait a bit before the appointment. I was sitting in the large atrium, and listening to gorgeous piano music a man was playing on a Grand Piano. After a bit, I realized he was playing hymns from my hymnal. Oh my goodness. He was playing songs I totally recognized. And right before I went up to my appointment, he finished playing with one song. On Eagle's Wings.
This was all before I even got up to talk with the Doctor! Can you believe it?? I have never felt the overwhelming presence of God's hand, like I did on Wednesday. There was no where else I was supposed to be. There was no other place in the entire world that He wanted me to be; experiencing and moving forward with the adventure that He is unfolding for me.
It's hard to wrap my brain around the gift. The gift to share in discussion, my sister's case, with the Doctor who did surgery on her. The meeting I had with him was intense. I was trying so hard to keep my emotions intact. To not completely break down and wallow in the ridiculous-ness of the day. I somewhat managed. :) And he expressed to me the impact that my older sister made on him and the way he practices medicine. She changed everything. She made a lasting impact on someone who has been practicing medicine for over 20 years. How awesome. How spectacular to hear these truths coming from a world-renown Doc! And tears were brought to his eyes, as he acknowledged that he remembered which day it was too. He couldn't believe it happened this way either. Such a great meeting. I learned so much more about my sister, medically, that I've been waiting to hear about for a long time.
And after the meeting, I still had to drive back to Duluth. Lame. But I got to meet someone in the cities for dinner. Which made the day that much more awesome. There was Bargo going on at the place we ate. Seriously, if you want a good time, go to the Rail Station in Minneapolis around 8pm on Wednesdays. You will have a hard time hearing ANYTHING or finding a seat for that matter, but folks in their 50s and 60s are a hoot to watch play Bingo at the Bar. Bahahaha
I think I've rambled enough. Go find yourself an adventure and embrace it.
I know this really isn't an article, but I thought it was totally awesome and wanted to share: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/19/health/gallery/crazy-races-fun-run/index.html?hpt=hp_c2
Happy Friday!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Courage
I find it hard to have courage sometimes. Especially when that courage is an acknowledgement of a mistake. An error. Who wouldn't? Why would anyone really want to cop to making a mistake? No one wants to be found guilty of doing something wrong...
But it brings change. Mistakes help move us forward. Hopefully, in the end, making something better then it was before. I had to swallow that horse-pill yesterday. At work, I came across a ginormous error. One that has been wrong for a while. And when I discovered it, I wanted to flee from my cube. Grab my purse and casually just slip out of the building. La de da. I'll be back next week when someone fixes this, because I don't want to deal with it...
But I didn't do that. Darn. I really wanted to though.
I gulped. I assessed the ridiculousness of the situation, and went fact finding. Getting all of my ducks in a row before presenting the so-called 'disaster' to the people that needed to see the problem. Ugh. Courage. I needed a bucket of courage. You are stuck in a situation that makes you feel icky, exposing a problem that makes you feel ickier. Oh yesterday was lame!
But I found the strength that I needed. I prayed for guidance and patience. Guidance to get through the muck, and patience to deal with the after-effects.
You know the cool part, though? The error that was found will now clear up an issue that has been going on for 4-5 years. How awesome is that? In the end, finding the courage to expose a mistake, in turn, making a change for the better. Today was a great day.
Here is my article for the week: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/12/politics/campaign-wrap/index.html
It's long, but you should take the time to read it. It was really interesting.
May you find courage amongst the icky.
But it brings change. Mistakes help move us forward. Hopefully, in the end, making something better then it was before. I had to swallow that horse-pill yesterday. At work, I came across a ginormous error. One that has been wrong for a while. And when I discovered it, I wanted to flee from my cube. Grab my purse and casually just slip out of the building. La de da. I'll be back next week when someone fixes this, because I don't want to deal with it...
But I didn't do that. Darn. I really wanted to though.
I gulped. I assessed the ridiculousness of the situation, and went fact finding. Getting all of my ducks in a row before presenting the so-called 'disaster' to the people that needed to see the problem. Ugh. Courage. I needed a bucket of courage. You are stuck in a situation that makes you feel icky, exposing a problem that makes you feel ickier. Oh yesterday was lame!
But I found the strength that I needed. I prayed for guidance and patience. Guidance to get through the muck, and patience to deal with the after-effects.
You know the cool part, though? The error that was found will now clear up an issue that has been going on for 4-5 years. How awesome is that? In the end, finding the courage to expose a mistake, in turn, making a change for the better. Today was a great day.
Here is my article for the week: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/12/politics/campaign-wrap/index.html
It's long, but you should take the time to read it. It was really interesting.
May you find courage amongst the icky.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Dude! Pick up your feet!
Story of my life. My parents and teammates from various sports teams growing up can attest to the fact that I constantly needed to pick up my feet. I'd trip in basketball, softball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee. You name it, I've probably face-planted planning it.
Sure is no different today! I went for a run yesterday on the backside trails of Hartley that lead over to the trails between Hartley and Hawk Ridge. They are pretty technical and rocky at points, but so gorgeously beautiful that it doesn't matter. Anyways, I was about 4 mins into the run. Yeah, 4 mins, and I COMPLETELY biffed it. Like dolphin-flipper biffed it. You know what I mean. When you fall forward and your legs rock up behind you and your face and chest proceed to go forward into the ground so you look like a dolphin with their tail flipped up. Yeah. I fell like that. And I had leaves and dirt up my shirt and then down my pants and on my back? and on my arms and dirt smattered hands. Dude! PICK UP YOUR FEET. I don't even know what I was thinking about that made me totally forget that I was running among tree roots and rocks... It was quite a ker-splat. I have a nice raspberry on my right leg. Wooooo
But I finished the run. No more falls. And it got me thinking. I am terrible at trail running. Terrible. But I continue to do it and it continues to be one of my favorite activities of all time. Why?
Because it makes me happy. It makes me so happy. Who cares if I'm bad at it. I love doing it. This also goes along with my skills for riding bikes, and gardening, and sewing... I am not very good at any of these tasks either, but I enjoy doing them. Despite falling off the bikes, and spraying myself in the face with a hose, or poking myself and sewing over my fingers. They make me feel good and I laugh at myself in the process. Even better.
Go do something you're bad at today, and find yourself doubled-over in laughter.
Interesting article of the week:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/04/romney-makes-general-election-pitch-in-pennsylvania-but-cant-ignore-santorum/
Cheers to almost Friday!
Sure is no different today! I went for a run yesterday on the backside trails of Hartley that lead over to the trails between Hartley and Hawk Ridge. They are pretty technical and rocky at points, but so gorgeously beautiful that it doesn't matter. Anyways, I was about 4 mins into the run. Yeah, 4 mins, and I COMPLETELY biffed it. Like dolphin-flipper biffed it. You know what I mean. When you fall forward and your legs rock up behind you and your face and chest proceed to go forward into the ground so you look like a dolphin with their tail flipped up. Yeah. I fell like that. And I had leaves and dirt up my shirt and then down my pants and on my back? and on my arms and dirt smattered hands. Dude! PICK UP YOUR FEET. I don't even know what I was thinking about that made me totally forget that I was running among tree roots and rocks... It was quite a ker-splat. I have a nice raspberry on my right leg. Wooooo
But I finished the run. No more falls. And it got me thinking. I am terrible at trail running. Terrible. But I continue to do it and it continues to be one of my favorite activities of all time. Why?
Because it makes me happy. It makes me so happy. Who cares if I'm bad at it. I love doing it. This also goes along with my skills for riding bikes, and gardening, and sewing... I am not very good at any of these tasks either, but I enjoy doing them. Despite falling off the bikes, and spraying myself in the face with a hose, or poking myself and sewing over my fingers. They make me feel good and I laugh at myself in the process. Even better.
Go do something you're bad at today, and find yourself doubled-over in laughter.
Interesting article of the week:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/04/romney-makes-general-election-pitch-in-pennsylvania-but-cant-ignore-santorum/
Cheers to almost Friday!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Empty Bowl
I went to a sweet shin-dig today. So glad I was told about it. I got a sweet souvenir too.
For lunch, I went to the Art and Soul Empty Bowl event downtown at the Depot. The Empty Bowl benefits Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank, which provides food for more then 3.3 million meals annually, to people in need throughout northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. Totally sweet, right? But besides the awesomeness of helping out a food bank, you get the added bonus of being able to encourage the arts and art education in our local schools!
The whole premise of the event is based around pottery bowls. Kids from different schools throughout Duluth and also some other local artists, make supremely unique pottery bowls and have them on display. So you go, pay twenty bucks, pick out a kick-butt bowl to take home with you (which is gorgeous and wonderful because it's homemade), and then you get some soup that was brought in from the local restaurants for lunch. I had a spicy black bean and green chili soup from the Duluth Grille. Super tasty. And I didn't spill on myself! Bonus!
And now I can eat from the bowl that I got, and be happy, knowing that I participated in spreading food throughout the northland. One of my favorite things of all time. Sharing food.
So make something good for dinner tonight, if you can, and be happy about it. Cheers!
For lunch, I went to the Art and Soul Empty Bowl event downtown at the Depot. The Empty Bowl benefits Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank, which provides food for more then 3.3 million meals annually, to people in need throughout northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. Totally sweet, right? But besides the awesomeness of helping out a food bank, you get the added bonus of being able to encourage the arts and art education in our local schools!
The whole premise of the event is based around pottery bowls. Kids from different schools throughout Duluth and also some other local artists, make supremely unique pottery bowls and have them on display. So you go, pay twenty bucks, pick out a kick-butt bowl to take home with you (which is gorgeous and wonderful because it's homemade), and then you get some soup that was brought in from the local restaurants for lunch. I had a spicy black bean and green chili soup from the Duluth Grille. Super tasty. And I didn't spill on myself! Bonus!
And now I can eat from the bowl that I got, and be happy, knowing that I participated in spreading food throughout the northland. One of my favorite things of all time. Sharing food.
So make something good for dinner tonight, if you can, and be happy about it. Cheers!
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