long wait

[path19]

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good to see the responses rolling in on the rank list forum.

on another note, has anyone heard a rational explanation for why they make us wait so long to get match results when a computer can do the match in a matter of minutes? i certainly hope it's not simply because that's how it was done before they used a computer and people in medicine love tradition that much.

 

[GreatPumpkin]

It is to allow a few candidates in the really competitive matches like Derm and Ortho to spontaneously combust with anticipation and worry, thus making the match statistics look better than they actually are.

 

[Global Disrobal]

The results are actually determined within the first 2 days. After that they run the system while starting it with different applicants to ensure that the outcome is not different under different settings (starting with different last names). The reason it takes so long is that they take all those results and compare them to make sure there is no diference.

Enjoy the Gastritis!

 

[yaah]

OK, since I like bumping up old threads, I just received the letter from the NRMP about match week schedule, which reminded me that we hear about WHETHER we matched on monday, but not where until thursday. Why is this done? Why not tell us monday? If I remember my match rules correctly, by entering the match one agrees to abide by the rules and regulations &c, part of which is that you are bound by contract to attend only the residency that you match at.

So why not freaking tell us on monday where we matched? The only possible reason I can think of is to give everyone who did not match 3 days to find a spot. Thus, when schools announce their lists on thursday, everyone can join hands and sing Hallelujah together, with Those Who Did Not Match Initially(TWDNMI) on equal standing with Those Who Matched (TWM). Relatives, interested observers, fellow classmates, foreign diplomats, existing and potential spouses/civil partners, BBC radio news, MSNBC, and New England Cable News (NECN) thus will be unable to tell the difference between TWDNMI and TWM, unless TWDNMI admit it.

So do TWM really need to wait 3 days for the simple purpose of massaging the fragile egos of TWDNMI? Ironically, TWDNMI may know sooner where they will be training, as they can find a scramble spot!! The algorithm rewards failure!

Sigh, I guess it doesn't really matter. 3 days isn't going to kill me after being in school for so long anyway. I would, however, like to know, should I turn out to be a member of TWM?

(wipes solitary salty tear from eye)
Grumble grumble grumble.

I like NECN. They usually actually cover the UMass match day. The Boston stations, as is par usual, salivate over the Harvard match and put on an interview with someone who miraculously matched into his #1 surgery program despite being blinded in an unfortunate coal-mining accident.

 

[Doctor B.]

The only possible reason I can think of is to give everyone who did not match 3 days to find a spot.

That's exactly why they do it. And it doesn't really reward failure. If you match initially, then you're going somewhere you want to go. If you have to scramble, you will probably end up somewhere you didn't interview and may not even like once you get there.

 

[Global Disrobal]

At least NECN is good for something. The bastards seem to forget that Vermont is actually part of the NE region, especially when it comes to their weather report! But then again, I brought this doom onto myself by living here, where hell has actually frozen over...

 

[Primate]

Vermont is that suburb of Springfield with all the mountains and granola eaters, right?

JK - had a house at the 'Bush for years and years before the self-imposed exile to the city of brotherly love (tough to reconcile that moniker with my current experience on truama surgery - turns out that "standing on the corner and minding one's business" may be the single most risky activity in this city, after dark).

The news down here doesn't even mention the match. Oh well.

 

[yaah]

Hey, I bet down in Philly you didn't hear about the news that the town of Killington VT wants to secede from VT and join NH.

For those who don't know, Killington is not exactly on the border. It is well known as one of the largest ski areas in New England. Many residents are dissatisfied, to say the least, with the socialist paradise that is Vermont. In particular, they don't like the taxes. New Hampshire, on the other hand, is a state where people take to any proposed tax increase with the same fervor as they would accept a kick in the groin. I found it kind of odd when visiting Dartmouth that so many of the people who worked there lived in VT.

If Killington did secede, it would probably become not unlike the Russian hamlet of Kalingrad, which found itself as an island unto itself when the Baltic Republics declared their independence. Kalingrad, however, offers somewhat different living conditions. And I don't think travel in and out of Killington would quite match the the bribery-laden hassle of the trip from Kalingrad. Killington also has a few things going for it that would allow it to successfully separate from its homeland, again unlike Kalingrad. So maybe they're not too similar. It won't happen anyway though, the VT legislature, socialist paradise as it may be, is not about to give up the capitalist moneymaking bonanza that is a trendy ski resort!

I like NECN though. Their weekend weatherman graduated from high school with me. He usually tries to get VT and the northern states into his reports.

Back to the match, only a few days left. I just want to get on with my life!

European Geopolitics enters the path forum!

 

[yaah]

I guess no one wants to discuss European geopolitics and how it relates to New England, and ultimately back to pathology?

More random thoughts related to Europe:
When I was in Berlin, I saw a monument to Virchow in the center of a small plaza.

The most fascinating celebrity graves I ever visited were those of Sibelius in Finland, Isaac Newton's in Westminster, St John's in Ephesus, Paul Revere's here in Boston, and Rossini's in a cathedral in Firenze. If I ever visit Beethoven I may hyperventilate.

The Ponte Vecchio in Firenze is nothing too special.

I visited Gdansk (aka Danzig) a couple of years ago and found it to be a hidden gem. When I control the world of pathology our annual meeting will be held there, alternating annually with the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Copenhagen, and Jackson Hole, WY.

Ralph Vaughn Williams was an underacknowledged musical genius.

My favorite piece of music is Mahler's 2nd symphony ("Resurrection").

If I ever make several million dollars, I will travel to Vienna for New Year's and attend their annual concert which ends with The Blue Danube and The Radeztky march.

If I couldn't do pathology, my alternate careers would be an international airline pilot, a teacher of European or US history, or a traveling concert pianist (I'd need a little work on the last one though).

I had a near-death experience waiting for an elevator in Monte Carlo with a bunch of pushy Spanish tourists.


Less than a week now. I can't wait until next year when I get to laugh at everyone going through the same thing, just like now I am laughing at all the college students trying to get into med school.

 

[Primate]

Yaah,

Are you a pilot? Flying is, no doubt, my back-up plan. I actually flew with the Penn-Star team (our "life-flight" people) this week as part of my Trauma Surgery rotation. Talk about sweet - flew in the left seat (co-pilot seat in helos) and no one died on us. Very good day.

Thinking about getting my instructor's cert. so I can teach on weekends, but we just keep having kids (takes a bit of time and $$$ for those - leaving less for "frivolous" pursuits like flying). Of course, only people who don't know the sublime pleasures of things like flight/the ocean/fishing/skiing would label them "frivolous," but such is the strange world in which we live. Then again, skiing at a place like Killington may make the frivolous list - too many camaro cowboys (if you've skied there, you know of what I speak).

Hope the waiting isn't driving too many people nuts.

 

[yaah]

No, I'm not a pilot. However, if you do decide on entertaining a career as a pilot, I will hire you to fly my private plane around Europe on some of the many goals I have should I become enormously wealthy! Perhaps more ancient celebrity graves (see previous post).

I am not, despite my current living location, completely enamoured with the ocean. I much more prefer inland locations, cool mountain lakes, rivers, all that. The beach is generally a place I leave to others. Too crowded, too dry, too hot, too sandy, too salty, too many strutting losers, too much glare, too many people playing frisbee, too many people who don't pick up after themselves or their dogs, I could go on but I won't.

 

[yaah]

I guess no one else wants to talk about random European topics. OH well!

I had a few more! We didn't even get to the places in Europe that I can't stand (Athens) and those that I am relatively unmoved by (Venice). The history and uniqueness of Venice make up for a lot of its drawbacks though, but the only way you're gettin me back on a gondola is if the girl is really hot.

Underrated: Copenhagen and Stockholm. Berlin also surpassed expectations. Barcelona, aside from being hot enough to make me lose 40 IQ points, was very nice also.

Places I would like to visit but have not yet: Vienna, Prague, Moscow, Warsaw (my ancestral home!), Ireland (My other ancestral home!).

Anyway, today comes the weird part of match day. I send my sympathies out to all of the scramblers, my mind hearkens back to an old amusement park ride I used to go on called THE SCRAMBLER which was kind of like TILT A WHIRL. I didn't particularly enjoy that version of the scramble, so I certainly don't envy those who have to go through it. I'm sure it will all work out in the long run though!

In sympathy, I did not eat scrambled eggs this morning. I went for "over easy" and "sunny side up" as potential good omens.

Music of choice for the day: Beethoven's Hallelujah (From Christ on the Mount of Olives, for those who matched) vs Strauss' "Non-Stop Fast Polka" for those who have to scramble. I choose that over a funeral march, because the appropriate tone is that of frantic frenzy to find a place to settle.

 

[yaah]

Since I like this thread I find myself unable to stop refreshing it. I am somewhat sick today. I don't think it has anything to do with post match day revelry, because I was relatively tame and tired after a marathon heme-onc consult day on wednesday, followed by a trip back home to the parents that night, followed by minimal sleep and an early morning wake up to travel back to wusstah for match day.

Here are my symptoms: Dry, scratchy, sore throat. Soreness is mostly in the upper pharynx, towards nasopharynx. Doesn't really respond to cooling remedies like popsicles or frozen drinkies. Aggravated by speaking which is irritating. This AM I developed a bit of a runny nose which helps my differential dx a lot. No fevers but I feel they may be pending. I can't feel any lymph nodes other than my normal submandibular peas. No cough. No other systemic symptoms.

So what do you think? A URI? I am thinking I need a nasolaryngoscopy and possibly biopsy of the area to rule out some rare sarcoma or fibrous tumor. That probably wouldn't help my nasopharyngeal pain though.

But now the long wait has to do with finishing school so that I can get on with my life. 45 more days of consult service, which bites the big one.

 

[Global Disrobal]

Perhaps a Singer's Nodule?

 

[yaah]

Doubtful, although I did just complete a 6 week tour as Tristan in a local revival of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde.

Michigan told me today I don't have to be there until 7/1. I am still hedging my bets though about a future email of, "Oh, by the way, please report for 3 weeks of painful orientation on June 10th. You will learn about infection control, patient privacy issues, how to work your pager, and other completely brainless and obvious things."

Sorry, I can't make orientation. I have a singer's nodule!

 

[Global Disrobal]

Perhaps you should start a new thread titled: "Chronicles of Pathologist Foretold."

hehe... Thanks for the update on your throat!

 

[yaah]

I was thinking about doing that...Perhaps once I start residency. As of now the consult service is a pretty menial existence.

7:30am arrive at hospital, get on internet, check email
9:00am not paged yet, go to fellows room to look for fellow
10am still waiting, no fellow. page fellow
1030 fellow still not here, despite saying it would only be 5 minutes more (at 10)
11am fellow arrives, Yaah watches fellow check email for an hour
1200 speak with attending about consult, will see later
1230 noon conference
130 after noon conference, go to floor to find fellow
215 pm (now) waiting for fellow to finish note, find computer with web access, check stock portfolio then SDN.

exciting, huh?
Pathology is much more interesting, you'll see. I'll probably be here until 6pm tonight..........

***ADDENDUM AT 445pm***Here: I'll post the rest of my day.

2:30 pm. Fellow finishes note. Go to ICU to see lymphoma pt who is refusing any biopsies to stage or clarify his disease. Talk to house staff about their weekend.
3:00pm go to another floor, talk to house staff about another pt.
315 pm page attending about consult, attending to meet us in 10 minutes
345 pm attending arrives, see pt who is incoherent
4pm watch attending cosign note and write own note
415 give recommendations to house staff
430 pm leave hospital
445 pm post update on SDN to breathless students awaiting conclusion of day.
5pm go home, collapse on couch from exhaustion due to 4th year elective on consult service.

 

[2005]

I think you need a web cam so we can watch your exciting day!

 

[yaah]

Originally posted by 2005
I think you need a web cam so we can watch your exciting day!

Tomorrow the fellow and I are going to IHOP. I think that kicks butt.

The heme-onc rotation, by the way, is again serving to convince me I should go into path (good thing I did!). Heme-onc probably would have been my career had I not done the PSF. I love the depth of knowledge, the range of disease, as well as being able to treat patients at their most difficult stages. Not that I enjoy seeing people suffer, of course. There is just an intensity of interaction and a total dependence on the physician for guidance in both the medical and emotional realm. Path is still more appealing to me though. And I'll tell you what, these heme-onc folks work really hard. Long hours.