11/24/2005- Happy Thanksgiving~ I am flying to MD today so I can get up to NY for the services and then back to MD for the burial, gotta do the phone conference the day after we lay him to rest. What a bummer
11/22/2005- Pop passed away, need to make arrangements to get back home!
11/21/2005- Found out Pop slipped into a coma sometime during the night after we left on Sunday.
11/20/2005- I stayed up all night with my Pop because his home health nurse was snoozing within the 1st 15 minutes of her shift that started at 11pm...At least he knows I am here for him and I won't let anything happen! Got my first exposure to feeding tubes and did my best to settle him when he was having trouble breathing until the nurse arrived for the morning shift.
11/19/2005- Words of advice from my Pop Pop on being an excellent physician: 'Treat every patient as your favorite patient!'
11/17/2005- Flying to MD then driving to NY tomorrow to be with my grandfather!
11/15/2005- Husband got a job in Michigan! Will be Michigan resident before the school year starts, filed application for Michigan State right on the deadline and called Wayne State to see about re-opening my file in light of new residency consideration; Phone Conference scheduled with Dean on 11/29!
11/14/2005- Received a call that my grandfathers condition is worsening so planning a trip home this weekend, will have to postpone arranging 2nd component (Community Physician Interview) of U of AZ Interview
11/4/2005- Well I was going to head to MD to be with my family & my grandfather, but my dad (a general surgeon) managed to get him released AMA and drove him up to his home in upstate NY so he could spend his final days, months, whatever in the home he loves. Besides everytime I talk to my grandfather he just asks if I have any news, tells me to stay busy with what I am doing and to not waste my $$ on a trip to see him. Hopefully I'll get calls from the DC/MD schools in a couple of weeks so I can try to take some time to drive to NY to visit while I am on the East Coast. On another crappier note, I got my first rejection today! What a downer!
'I regret to inform you that we cannot further consider your application for the entering Freshman Class of 2006. Wayne State University School of Medicine..... Our average GPA and MCAT for the 2005 entering class was 3.51 & 9.8 (29)'
Oh well, it is what it is, I wonder what I could have done aside from performing better on the MCAT that would have made a difference in my application!
On a brighter note, I did accept a job as a medical documentation editor and transcriptionist so I can stay up on medical terminology and familiarize myself with dictations, SOAP notes, and what to look for in an office visit. It is a very flexible gig, won't interfere with my volunteer work, I get to work from home so I get to stay with my little girl, and I can supplement our family income and hopefully cover all the costs of the whole Med School application process.
Oh and by the way, damn, suit shopping is such a bear for women! I am glad I finally found one I liked, just in time for my interview Tuesday!
10/25/2005- Dropped off my Secondary for U of AZ and was offered an interview for 11/8! Guess I can't get too excited since they offer all AZ residents interviews, but I am happy that U of AZ is my 1st interview!
10/24/2005-Received Secondary for University of Arizona & Completed it, Ready to drop it off tomorrow morning while I am on Campus!
10/20/2005-Received email from GWU confirming my file is complete, so I'll just keep my fingers crossed for an email or call to set up an interview!!
10/19/2005-Received Secondary for University of Maryland. Found out that my grandfather's tumor is back already, he had a complete gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma back in August, they were placing the feeding tube so that they could hopefully finally get him out of the hospital and strong enough to go home to NY and found the tumor is recurrent already. Guess I'll be sending out all of my secondaries by the end of the week and heading back to MD to be with my family! Maybe I'll get lucky and while I am home in MD get called in for interviews at GWU, Georgetown, UMD and Hopkins.
10/18/2005 Celebrated my 3rd Wedding Anniversary by Completing Secondaries for Georgetown & Johns Hopkins. Received Secondary for University of Michigan.
10/17/2005 Received Secondaries for Georgetown & Johns Hopkins
10/14/2005 AMCAS certified will await for additional secondaries & I am hopeful for interview offers!
10/13/2005 MCAT scores in 28 O, not as high as I had hoped but it was the best I could do on that day and I hope that it hasn't shut any doors for me!
10/10/2005 Contacted Volunteer Coordinator to begin volunteer work with Arizona Cancer Center High Risk Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic!
10/9/2005 Participated in UA CatWalk supporting Bobbi Olsen Endowment for Cancer Research and Fight to Find a Cure for Ovarian Cancer!
10/7/2005 LOR sent to GW
9/30/2005 Contacted Volunteer Coordinators for Project Sunshine to begin volunteer work in hosting monthly parties for children on the Pediatric Floors at University Medical Center and Tucson Medical Center!
9/26/2005 All transcripts received by AMCAS
9/21/2005 GW secondary information received and returned
9/19/2005 Returned to AZ and submitted final AMCAS
8/23/2005-Spent 2 weeks in Maryland with family hoping for full recovery for family member (Side note: It is 2 months later and family member still hospitalized but we are hopeful to get him out of the hospital and back to his home in Upstate NY so he can spend his final days in his home that he loves! Oh yeah, and he is a retired general surgeon and inspiration to continue medicine as family tradition ~ Both grandfather & father general surgeons!)
Took MCAT 1st Time 8/22/2005 ~ never want to have to do that again, on a side note, severe illness in immediate family involving serious surgery & health in critical condition week prior to MCAT, considered changing test site to be with family on east coast decided to stay in AZ, on morning of MCAT notified by family that family member placed back on ventilator and may not make it until I arrive in town following MCAT later that weekend! Needless to say a little distracted on day of MCAT.
Completed AMCAS 7/26/2005 but did not submit~ Trying to narrow down Medical Schools
Started AMCAS back on 5/24/2005
Wish me luck!
