Guest blogger: Richard

Night-before-my-first-day-of-med-school blog:

Not sure where to begin. Just read fifty pages about body parts and where they're positioned. Think I'm ready for lecture and lab tomorrow. We had a five days of orientation, and after the last session, our entire class (120 folks) voluntarily stayed to discuss what we want to be known for (or not known for as the case had been for the class above us). I thought this showed tremendous conscience for a group to decide to bond together and take the first step in stride. I would love to help lead this class toward a reputation of service, solidarity, and singleness of heart.

I am also getting involved with some like-minded individuals from the class who are passionate about public health policy and I'm very excited to think that we might be able to start effecting some change and infecting our fellow classmates with similar gusto. The timing of potential health reform is fueling the fire.

Finally, I'm enthusiastically continuing my work with the Developmental Brain Imaging Lab. I was checked off today to perform interviews of parents of kids with suspected ADHD. By examining these kids' brains with neuroimaging, we're hoping to start teasing them apart from regular kids, and aiding in the diagnostic process.

I hope to give updates at pivotal moments throughout this whole process. Hopefully my efforts these 3 aforementioned areas will prove to be fruitful. Thanks to my entire medstudentfamily for the love and support to make it happen!!

White Coat Ceremony

Yesterday you could find Tilly and me out in the hall celebrating with loud noises while inside the auditorium Richard was receiving his white coat. It was a 90 min program with some great speakers. 90 mins flew by as Tilly and I danced and played with other babies out in the hall. We even got to see Richard walk by on his way up to the stage and snagged a kiss! After the ceremony the class took a group picture in front of mac hall, one of which Richard handed out purple gloves for people to wear in tribute of Micheal Jackson during the class photo. We headed to the reception area shortly after and had a great time meeting some more of his classmates. While this was going on Koin 6 news was there interviewing some of the students. I just watched this link and his classmates had some very impressive things to say.
Tilly marked the time to go home and sleep for a little bit before heading over to our neighbors bbq. Krisanna and David had their family over for the celebration and it was so nice to be included. It's so great to have our med student family up on the hill.

Orientation

This week Richard has been going to orientation every day 8-3ish, and I may be a little more excited than he is. Every day he gets home with a couple details about the day, and I constantly ask my questions. Yesterday was a tour and ice cream social for the students and guests, Tilly and I walked down for the ice cream after the tour was over. She was a big hit, it seems like a lot of people knew of her from pictures! She loved all the attention and had a great time trying a little ice cream! That night Richard took Tilly to Lucky Lab to meet up with some of his classmates, while I headed to a spouse group function. It was a wonderful group of women who's husbands are all residents at OHSU. I am going to meet up with a few of them today at the doernbecher play area.

Tomorrow is the white coat ceremony, should be lots of fun! I will take lots of pics and post them later!

Summer Observership Debriefing

Tonight we went to the debriefing at Dr. Toffler's home. We heard about everyone's experiences while at their summer observership. Some people scrubbed in on deliveries, some put staples in the patient's head, and some (richard) got to collect guns from a suicidal patient's home. Everything was told with such ease, you can tell this group has a lot of passion and they will all become great doctors. I am going to have Richard do a "guest blog" to sum up his week for us.

To sum up my week: I had my mom in town until Thursday, we had a blast! I drove with Baby T and Bruno on Friday morning to meet Nancy Rinehart. She took us to the farm where she keeps Rose, her horse; there we met her neices and sister in law. We headed home to wait for Doc and Richard, then had a fabulus meal with them. Saturday we met up with Richard's high school friends in Cannon beach, walked to haystack rock, and had not enough smores at the bonfire. Sunday we went to Ecola State Park with friends, then headed back to the Rineharts' to say our goodbyes, then went to Jill and Dmitry's wedding. After all the parties we headed home. Richard started orientation this morning at 8:30, and I was dying at home to hear everything that went on--I really wanted to go with him! It is good to know that Krisanna, my neighbor, is feeling the same way!!
And that's it, it is here, I wonder what tomorrow will bring!?

Summer Observership Day 1 and 2

photo of Dr. Rinehart and Richard

Yesterday was Richards first day at the Rinehart clinic. We talked late last night after his 13 hour day. I can't believe how much he did! From dressing wounds to cleaning out ear wax with a tube(gross) to hooking up some equipment. He said he had a wonderful day and learned so much. Dr. Rinehart, whom he is staying with, asked him to start a journal of his experience with 3 questions: what surprised you today, what interested you the most, and something I can't remember at the moment=). I am so pleased Richard is getting such great advice.
While Richard is gone one of the methods we use to keep in contact is twitter. He is pretty good at updating once or twice with pictures of what is going on around him. Here is his page if you'd like to check out what he is up to now! Apparently he has been enjoying freshly caught crab each night!! I think I may have to head there earlier than I planned!

Summer Observership

My mother who is in town for the week, Tilly and I dropped Richard off on the coast today for his summer observership (he shadows a family medicine doctor for a week). It was so exciting! The town is amazing, the view is beautiful, and the Dr. and his wife are wonderful! Tilly and I are going back on Friday to stay the weekend with them, and I can not wait! Already Richard has called me to let me know the daily schedule of getting up at 430, 6-8 at office (paperwork), 8-9 nursing home across the street, 9-530 see patients. WOW that's a lot of goings on!! I know he will love every second of it. I'm sure I will have more to write this week, things are happening fast now, but it is late now and I have to get some rest.

Gatherings

Tonight was another med13 gathering down at 3 degrees on the river walk. I unfortunately couldn't go. Richard did tell me it was pretty fun, a lot of people came out and he was excited to meet them all. One of the girls I have met announced that she was engaged, which is so exciting! I think it is wonderful to have such a diverse group of people, all going through different experiences outside of school, but getting to share a huge part of their lives with each other. I am truly hoping we can instill a med student family with this class, and not only grow as doctors but grow as a community and support one another outside of school.
When he got home, I also got to hear all about the health care system and how it needs to change and I got a nice shpeel about if we aren't moving forward, then we're moving backward.
I love my husband.
Richard starts his summer observership next week on the coast. I am going to be home with my mom who is visiting. I sure hope he calls to fill me in on what he is doing everyday!! I heard from someone who has already done an observership that they helped deliver a baby. I'm sure whatever he does will be loads of fun!

Let me introduce us

I am Mary: wife of med student, mother, sewer, baker, gardener, oh this list could go on and on
Richard: Med student at OHSU class of 2013, father, husband, runner, volunteer (seriously he volunteers for everything)
Tilly: 9m old daughter, giggler, reader, crawler, stander, learner, and trier of all things new
Bruno: 16 yr old doggie, sleeper

We are the Brunos and our life is about to change. Really it is always changing but we are taking a big step and starting school this month! I had originally thought of starting this when Richard started school, but really this school process started... what was it a year ago? when he took the MCAT. So far it has been a wonderful process with lots of ups and few downs.

Richard applied to SO many schools his top choice being OHSU. We lived in portland for 3 years and LOVE it, I especially did not want to leave (but of course i would have). We found out he got accepted in Feb. and the day we found out we went looking for a house on the hill. We found one that day!

So from then until now we could have just relaxed right?! Richard was still working for the sleep lab at OHSU and we both had a lot going on with trips and family visits. And all the sudden school life started. I joined the Oregon Family Resident Network (ORFN) or spouse club which is a wonderful way to have support. Contact me if you would like info!! Richard started a Med13 group on the facebook and the class has had 5 parties so far! He has also taken on volunteering for an adhd study (something he worked on previously i believe) and he still continues to volunteer for another children development study with a former boss while still helping at the sleep clinic oh and hosting a sleep apnea support group once a month!

I love that he is involved in everything! I pushed him to run for national student delegate at the American Academy of Family Physicians conference that he went to Kansas City to give a speech for and only did not make it after 5 runoff ties. Bummer! I will continue to support him to be involved with everything he can. It is hard for me sometime to think about how much he does and wants to do, it leaves me thinking about how little time he has with me and Tilly. But he always makes time for us, and when there is really to much going on I just slip into his calendar "FAMILY DAY DO NOT PLAN ANYTHING" and he will stick to that! I am hoping that will still work while in school, I really don't know what it will be like! I am excited and nervous and anxious for it to start!!

So I have started this to get it out there how I deal with school, how much time we really get together, what years are harder than the rest. I am hoping it may help someone going through it to know they are not alone, and mainly so that I can look back in 4 years oh make that 10 after all the fellowships/residency/whatevers and think that it wasn't so bad!!

I won't pretend to know all the fancy words Richard comes home with, to be honest I do not like blood or needles and am not looking forward to hearing about the cadavers!! I did just listen to him talk about an eye surgery he watched and I managed to sit through the whole thing!! But I will do my best to write what really is going on and how we are making it work!
Here's to the next 4-10 years!