What a world that we live in today. Our country is undergoing a critical social movement, while trying to adjust to a new "normal" way of living for the foreseeable future. With all of that going on, staying focused and on task has become quite the challenge. Due to the covid quarantine, my classmates and I have missed approximately two months of our clinical rotations. In between watching the recently discovered Youtube series "Good Mythical Morning" and listening to the new "Scrubs Rewatch Podcast", we still took our exams and we were assigned supplemental homework. You would think that with nothing going on except staying inside trying to stay safe, that I would have a ton of time to study and get ready for the exams. For me, it was very difficult to find the motivation. I am a person who is not built to do work at home. My classmates know that last year I went to the library almost every day to study. I struggle with staying on task at home. This was a huge challenge for me personally. I can't imagine kids growing up right now that have to attend school strictly online, and I feel for the first year students. I never would have made it through this program without classroom lectures and the ability to lean on my classmates. Luckily, as of June, we are finally back on track and are attending our rotations again, albeit with a new schedule for some of us.
The new assigned schedule placed me at Conemaugh Memorial Hospital, in Johnstown, PA. Johnstown is an hour and a half due east of Pittsburgh. I cannot tell you how good it was to get back in the gross room. It took a day or two to get back into the swing of things. Eventually, I felt right at home. Conemaugh sets you up with a house to live at for the duration, and it's not a bad place! Especially, since the house is literally across the street. They also provide you with a generous gift card to use for food at the cafeteria. That hospital has to best cafeteria I have ever eaten at. They serve real restaurant quality food. I was also lucky to serve my rotation out with a fellow classmate. It was nice to be able to lean on each other for help and to split the workload. Conemaugh is a great rotation because there is a wide variety of specimens. Every morning we would start off by grossing placentas, then some small biopsies and excisions. Every day we would get a couple of larger specimens that range from colectomies, lung wedges, and all the way to the infamous whipple specimen. A 9:00 start time with a 5 minute walk for a commute puts the cherry on top.
As a side note, one thing that is unique about this rotation is that you go "old-school" with the bone specimens. Every day we would get a few femur heads or knee specimens. In order to cut your sections, you have to use a hand saw. Manual labor! It's quite the workout! It can be fun though, once you get in a groove.
Naturally with so much of a variety of specimens, you are bound to run into some difficulty grossing. Luckily, the pathologists are very approachable and willing to help guide you through a difficult specimen. Your coworkers are also very helpful, and are willing to help with anything you need. I felt very comfortable for the duration of my rotation, and I really did learn a lot. It sure felt good to get back to grossing. Although the quarantine was nice break that I didn't take for granted, I really like what I do and I want to graduate so I can do this for a living.
Johnstown is a pretty city. It is completely surrounded by mountains which makes for some great views. Since it was summer, everything there is so green! I loved it. I found a park nearby the house and went there after work on most days to play basketball. Other classmates have found many trails to hike and there is a river that courses through the city. If you are lucky enough to go there with nice weather, you will not be bored.
On a personal note, not much has been happening, but I can't complain! My family, friends, and classmates are all staying safe. I have been playing a lot of frisbee golf, and some real golf. In the high heat of summer, it has been extremely hot on the third floor of the house that I live in. My roommates bought A/C window units for their rooms, and I caved and moved the living room unit to my room, with the generosity of my roommates. Getting a much needed haircut is also a recent highlight of mine. The things you take for granted. I now move back to Pittsburgh for the rest of the year to continue my rotations at UPMC hospitals. I am looking forward to staying in one place for a while.