This month has been an incredibly important and busy month. Classes have been going pretty much the same and all is well there, even though studying can get a little bit overwhelming at times. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Only two months left of the didactic year. Speaking of that, we also received some of the most important information since we started the program: we received our second year clinical rotation schedules! A lot of time this month was spent on preparation for next year, along with a vast amount of exams.
Finally getting the news and info about our clinical rotations was a revelation and breath of fresh air for us. It made me realize how close we are to the end of year. We have come so far and learned so much. I am incredibly excited to attend my rotations. There are a total of 8 rotations in six week blocks. 2 rotations are autopsies and the rest are surgical pathology. My schedule for next year is (submitted) as follows:
Children's Hospital, Pittsburgh for 3 weeks, followed by Cuyahoga Medical Examiner, Cleveland for 3 weeks. This rotation has two locations that are a short 3 weeks each. The Cleveland location is with a medical examiner performing autopsies, which is new this year. I'm super excited for this opportunity. I was able to find a really nice AirBnb for my three week stay. I'm just not excited for the amount of snow I am sure to see.
Butler, PA - this rotation, you are the only pathologist assistant. There are pathologists to answer your questions though, so you aren't completely alone. I am pretty nervous for this since it is early in my schedule, but I am sure everything will work out.
St. Clair, Pittsburgh
Conemaugh, Johnstown PA - housing is provided at this location
Magee Women's Hospital, Pittsburgh
Presby Surgical pathology, Pittsburgh
Shadyside, Pittsburgh
Presby Autopsy, Pittsburgh
Next year my blogs will detail each of these locations and my experiences with them. Everybody has a different schedule and there are other locations that I do not get to go to. Some of them are Ruby Hospital here on campus, (not THE - that is ridiculous) Ohio State University, CAMC in Charleston West Virginia, Eastern Tennessee University, and a few others. As you can see, none of my rotations are in West Virginia, which is odd! It makes it really easy for me because most of my rotations are in Pittsburgh. I have signed a lease to rent out a 4 bedroom house with 2 of my classmates who are in a similar situation. We are lucky to have an extra bedroom because people that are rotating in Pittsburgh occasionally, can stay with us for their duration, since it is very difficult to find a place to stay short term. I am really happy with the location of the house. It is about 10-15 mins away from downtown and only a mile or two away from some of my rotations. I've never lived in a big city like Pittsburgh before, so I am excited to see what that kind of life brings.
Classes have been going pretty well. We have at least one exam a week, but I am passing all of my classes comfortably. With the weather getting colder (we are expecting snow next week), it makes my half hour walks to class not so fun, but I know that there's only a little bit of time left that I have to make that trek. We have a really really really busy week coming up. The week before Thanksgiving is dubbed "Hell week." We have an exam in all 5 of our classes. And it starts this Saturday with our frozen tissue practical exam. We have been working all year towards this and I will be thankful when it is over. That is unfortunately just the beginning, though. It's going to be a very rough week. After that, we are rewarded with a whole week off for Thanksgiving break.
On a fun note, Halloween was really fun this year! We dressed up for class on Halloween (see photo). I dressed up as an emo kid and my classmates were all animals. The day after Halloween was better, when a few of my classmates and I participated a Halloween-themed bar crawl. I then went to a concert in Pittsburgh the following night to see the band A Day to Remember. Prior to Halloween weekend, I went to Chicago to be in my buddy's wedding. We've been friends since elementary school, so I wasn't going to miss that. We had an amazing time, but the weekend felt so short. I am glad that I have the opportunity to still have some fun on the weekends. It just means I really have to buckle down during the week. Only two more months of our didactic year. I just have to finish out strong, and then I get to make the move to Pittsburgh. I am looking forward to every day into the future.
