It's over. We survived and are extremely extremely happy with where we ended up.
Here's the video of the moment! You probably only need to watch the first minute, after that things get a little shaky. Our cameraman stood up. We are not screaming and jumping up and down, because it's not home, but....it is the program that we liked the most. I can easily say if this program was in Sacramento it would have been ranked first. We are headed to the University of Arizona in Tucson Arizona! Where there are 360 days of sun!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tomorrow we can say tomorrow!
"Tomorrow we can say tomorrow," was the phrase of the day yesterday. This is in reference to the countdown to match day, which has been going on for about 2 weeks or so now. Yesterday was 2 days away. Today I have repeatedly shaken Sief's leg and said "Tomorrow" with wide eyes and a big smile!
It's finally here. I cannot believe it. We have been waiting our entire medical education for tomorrow moment at noon eastern time. The moment we open our envelopes and find out where we will be spending the next 3-4 years of our lives. Thankfully we passed the test on Monday which notified us that we had matched into our preferred specialty. And thankfully, we will only spend 3-4 years at our location of residency. For some of my classmates going into surgery or other long specialties will find out where they will be spending the next 7 years of their lives. That's crazy.
I cannot describe the emotions I have been feeling over the last couple of days. It's a mixture of excitment, nervousness, and fear. This is by far one of the biggest moments of my life up until this point. Likely it will be the most memorable day of my medical school career. I do not expect to feel this anxiousness and anticipation for something again until I may someday get married or have a child. That's the weight this carries. I know that may sound ridicuolous to some, but for us and the medical community that is the way it is.
I have played out the moment in my head of when we open our envelopes to find out where we matched over in my head more than 100 times. It's crazy and may be nothing like what I imagine. I'm afraid I'll get a paper cut from running my finger under the envelope flap to open it. I probably have obsessed over this moment a little too much. I hope I have a few glasses of champagne in me before the actual opening. We'll see.....
Here's a brief overview of what tomorrow will be like. When I get a chance I will post a video of Sief and I opening our envelopes. We have to arrive at 10:30 am. We each pay $1 into a pot (I'll explain where this comes in later). We have a few speeches - from our classmate, alumni, etc. More talking not sure about what and I guess somewhere around 11am they will start calling our names and handing out our envelopes, which we cannot open until noon. The last person to get their envelope gets the pot of $$$. Then at noon we open our envelopes and eat a yummy lunch. That's my understanding.
Here are some pictures from first year. I've come a long way. Wish us luck!
Much love,
Jen
It's finally here. I cannot believe it. We have been waiting our entire medical education for tomorrow moment at noon eastern time. The moment we open our envelopes and find out where we will be spending the next 3-4 years of our lives. Thankfully we passed the test on Monday which notified us that we had matched into our preferred specialty. And thankfully, we will only spend 3-4 years at our location of residency. For some of my classmates going into surgery or other long specialties will find out where they will be spending the next 7 years of their lives. That's crazy.
I cannot describe the emotions I have been feeling over the last couple of days. It's a mixture of excitment, nervousness, and fear. This is by far one of the biggest moments of my life up until this point. Likely it will be the most memorable day of my medical school career. I do not expect to feel this anxiousness and anticipation for something again until I may someday get married or have a child. That's the weight this carries. I know that may sound ridicuolous to some, but for us and the medical community that is the way it is.
I have played out the moment in my head of when we open our envelopes to find out where we matched over in my head more than 100 times. It's crazy and may be nothing like what I imagine. I'm afraid I'll get a paper cut from running my finger under the envelope flap to open it. I probably have obsessed over this moment a little too much. I hope I have a few glasses of champagne in me before the actual opening. We'll see.....
Here's a brief overview of what tomorrow will be like. When I get a chance I will post a video of Sief and I opening our envelopes. We have to arrive at 10:30 am. We each pay $1 into a pot (I'll explain where this comes in later). We have a few speeches - from our classmate, alumni, etc. More talking not sure about what and I guess somewhere around 11am they will start calling our names and handing out our envelopes, which we cannot open until noon. The last person to get their envelope gets the pot of $$$. Then at noon we open our envelopes and eat a yummy lunch. That's my understanding.
Here are some pictures from first year. I've come a long way. Wish us luck!
Much love,
Jen
Monday, March 15, 2010
One hurdle down and THE day is almost here!
The most important day of my medical school career will happen this week. Some may say that day was today, because without today you don't make it to Thursday.
Here's my post on it from last year.
I don't know if you recall or not the system that we follow to find out where we will train for residency. Briefly - you apply to x number of programs, interview at the programs that offer you interviews, rank those programs in the order of personal preference. The programs then rank all the applicants they interviewed and....a big computer system matches them up.
Well....today we found out if we matched or not. And we did match, both Sief and I.
Thursday noon Eastern time is when we find out where.
Here's my post on it from last year.
I don't know if you recall or not the system that we follow to find out where we will train for residency. Briefly - you apply to x number of programs, interview at the programs that offer you interviews, rank those programs in the order of personal preference. The programs then rank all the applicants they interviewed and....a big computer system matches them up.
Well....today we found out if we matched or not. And we did match, both Sief and I.
Thursday noon Eastern time is when we find out where.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Green Challenge #11 and a little fun!
Green Challenge #11: Buy my downloadable music from: http://www.tunesfortrees.com/
So I feel like a lot of my eco-friendly changes include a lot of giving up and less of doing something. Here's an easy eco-friendly change. Follow the link above, bookmark it, and the next time you go to download a new CD or song try to do it through this website. For every 10 songs a tree is planted! With a very small change you are giving back to mother earth! Not all CDs or songs are there, but quite a few are- give it a shot!
------------------------------
Now for some fun!
Join me on a Costa Rican Coffee Tour!
We start at what is the both the beginning and the end....the coffee bean!
So I feel like a lot of my eco-friendly changes include a lot of giving up and less of doing something. Here's an easy eco-friendly change. Follow the link above, bookmark it, and the next time you go to download a new CD or song try to do it through this website. For every 10 songs a tree is planted! With a very small change you are giving back to mother earth! Not all CDs or songs are there, but quite a few are- give it a shot!
------------------------------
Now for some fun!
Join me on a Costa Rican Coffee Tour!
We start at what is the both the beginning and the end....the coffee bean!
Here you can see coffee beans sprinkled on the ground out of which leaves will sprout. I think it's funny to have a coffee bean atop a green sprout!
The little sprouts are grown in a nusery and after a year look like the small trees at the top of the picture. Those trees are then planted.
They grow up to look like this and can produce coffee for up to 100 years, but the yield decreases after 20-25 years or so, which means coffee plantations replace them at that point.
Above is the "coffee cherry." These red little fruits are picked by hand and then processed to make coffee.
The coffee cherry has many layers, which are depicted here. It may be a little hard to see. On the right, is the red coffee cherry. If you pop that cherry out comes 2 half beans as seen in the right hand above. Those 2 beans have another parchment paper type of layer, at the base of the fingers on the left. The small single bean on the left nearest the thumb ring is what will actually go on to be roasted.
A machine is used to pull off that outer red layer.
Those beans are put into troughs filled with water. The beans that sink are first class. The beans that float are second class beans. Second class beans float because they either have worms/larvae in them or have been infected with fungus. They still use these beans to make coffee, but all bacteria, fungus, etc are killed during the roasting process. According to our tour guide, starbucks buys about 50% first class and 50% second class beans. Second class beans are often ground up, because they don't look as nice.
After the beans are separted, they are laid out in the sun or in greenhouses to dry. This is our tour guide turning the beans, to make sure that they dry on all sides. Bet you didn't know your coffee beans were walked on before they made it into your cup!
Close up of drying beans.
Here is a pic to show you the parchment outer shell layer. The gray bean in the middle is what is roasted. Another maching pulls off this parchment layer, which can be used to make paper.
The gray bean goes on to be separated by size.
The big pretty beans are used to make whole bean coffee. The smaller beans are used to make ground coffee.
This is the roasting machine. The lighter the roast, the more caffiene content.
Coffee beans from start to finish with different roasts - light, medium, and dark.
What would a coffee tour be without tasting?
Come joinus, pull up a chair!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Green Challenge 8-10
Green Challenge #8: No more bottled water or from disposible containers
I have been planning on making this green change from the very beginng, but decided it was not wise to make this change prior to my trip to Costa Rica. I do not think that gaining a new parasite friend or dysentery from drinking the water in Costa Rica would be a wise idea.
I do not drink bottled water too often, because my Nalgene bottle is usually attached at my hip. But I'm not as good as I should be and whenever I forget my Nalgene bottle at home, I end up either buying bottled water or using a styrofoam cup at the school cafeteria. Also not eco-friendly.
Here's the plan - continue to use my Nalgene or my new Contigo. I really like my new Contigo - it's smaller than my Nalgene and is less likely to spill all down the front of my shirt. Also, I will continue to use my Brita filter, to make my water taste better. YUM!
Not only is the plastic bottle that is left behind not good for the environment, but think about the amount of energy it takes to make the bottle, power the machines that fill the bottle, the gasoline it takes to deliver those bottles to the store, and the energy used to make those bottles cold!
I was overwhelmed when looking at the statistics about bottled water. Did you know that our municipal water supply is better regulated and more regularly tested than bottled water?
Also, as you know that much of the world does not have access to clean water and that tens of thousands of people die from water borne diseases every day. I'm sure you are wondering how your buying of bottle water contributes or even relates? Well, the privatization of the water supply and the emergence of a global water business restrict clean water to those who have the money to pay for it.
Someday down the line what happens if the municipal water suppliers are underfunded or pollution makes clean tap water harder and harder to come by? Then the big business who have already started this process, swoop in and have control of bottled and clean water and we are left with no choice, but to pay what they demand. Here's a link to a better definition that also compares the idea to big oil.
Here's a link to a trailer that you may find interesting. http://www.flowthefilm.com/trailer
It's avaliable on netflix if you have it.
------------------------------------
Green Challenge #9: Recycle my Electronic Waste Properly.
Now that electronics are becoming more and more common, more and more of them are turning up in landfills across the US. Want some statistics? According to the US Environmental Protection Agency in 2007 Americans got rid of 27 million TVs, 205 million computer products and over 100 million cellphones and PDAs. And...guess what percentage was recycled? only 16%!
As you can see this is a growing problem, especially when you think about some of the hazardous chemicals such as mercury and lead that may be in the batteries and eventually leaking into the soil.
Last week, I recycled one of my old cell phones. I'll make it easy on you...Go to this website Earth911 and search for an e-recycling center near you!
-----------------------------------
Green Challenge #10: Wash my clothes with eco-friendly laundry detergent.
Whem my mom was here this last week, she is about to do a load of laundry and she looks up at me from a nearly (less than 1 scoop) tide box and says is this yours? Yup. I don't want to buy new laundry detergent, because I'm moving soon. She looks at me with this crazy look and says, BUT you still have to wash your clothes. So we started to research how to make your own laundry detergent, because I thought we could make a smaller amount.
Well, we found a recipe (see below), but the borax box was just as big as the tide box, so....I'll be making my own homemade laundry detergent once I move. In the meantime we bought a concentrated (less packaging) eco-friendly detergent. And don't forget to wash with cold water - it'll use 80-85% less energy compared to using hot water.
Wait? So why is normal laundry detergent bad for the environment? Well many contain phosphates which help to boost cleaning efficiency, but have harmful effects on our water supplies - rivers, lakes, etc.
There's more information on this, but...I feel by now I may be boring you with all of this information, so I am going to stop.
Make your own detergent and save money too!
You will need:
1 bar of soap (not antibacterial)
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup baking soda
Grater
Resealable container
Step 1: Grate bar of soap into container.
2: Add borax & baking soda
3: Mix
4. Use 1 tablespoon for small or lighlty soiled loads & 2 for large or really dirty loads.
And if you are interested in making your own homemade dishwasher detergent you can find out how here: Recipe for homemade dishwashing detergent
Guess you know what I'll be using once I move!
----------------------
Ok so now I am all caught up until tomorrow when I will be due for another eco-friendly change. I also promise to post a fun post in the very near future, because I realize all of this eco-posting may be getting boring.
Well my friends, no worries, because this week will be filled with anticipation and excitement, because you see my destiny for the next 3 years will be decided this week....Ahhhhh
I plan to have videos of the event to share with you so (with fingers crossed), you can be part of the joy!
I have been planning on making this green change from the very beginng, but decided it was not wise to make this change prior to my trip to Costa Rica. I do not think that gaining a new parasite friend or dysentery from drinking the water in Costa Rica would be a wise idea.
I do not drink bottled water too often, because my Nalgene bottle is usually attached at my hip. But I'm not as good as I should be and whenever I forget my Nalgene bottle at home, I end up either buying bottled water or using a styrofoam cup at the school cafeteria. Also not eco-friendly.
Here's the plan - continue to use my Nalgene or my new Contigo. I really like my new Contigo - it's smaller than my Nalgene and is less likely to spill all down the front of my shirt. Also, I will continue to use my Brita filter, to make my water taste better. YUM!
Not only is the plastic bottle that is left behind not good for the environment, but think about the amount of energy it takes to make the bottle, power the machines that fill the bottle, the gasoline it takes to deliver those bottles to the store, and the energy used to make those bottles cold!
I was overwhelmed when looking at the statistics about bottled water. Did you know that our municipal water supply is better regulated and more regularly tested than bottled water?
Also, as you know that much of the world does not have access to clean water and that tens of thousands of people die from water borne diseases every day. I'm sure you are wondering how your buying of bottle water contributes or even relates? Well, the privatization of the water supply and the emergence of a global water business restrict clean water to those who have the money to pay for it.
Someday down the line what happens if the municipal water suppliers are underfunded or pollution makes clean tap water harder and harder to come by? Then the big business who have already started this process, swoop in and have control of bottled and clean water and we are left with no choice, but to pay what they demand. Here's a link to a better definition that also compares the idea to big oil.
Here's a link to a trailer that you may find interesting. http://www.flowthefilm.com/trailer
It's avaliable on netflix if you have it.
------------------------------------
Green Challenge #9: Recycle my Electronic Waste Properly.
Now that electronics are becoming more and more common, more and more of them are turning up in landfills across the US. Want some statistics? According to the US Environmental Protection Agency in 2007 Americans got rid of 27 million TVs, 205 million computer products and over 100 million cellphones and PDAs. And...guess what percentage was recycled? only 16%!
As you can see this is a growing problem, especially when you think about some of the hazardous chemicals such as mercury and lead that may be in the batteries and eventually leaking into the soil.
Last week, I recycled one of my old cell phones. I'll make it easy on you...Go to this website Earth911 and search for an e-recycling center near you!
-----------------------------------
Green Challenge #10: Wash my clothes with eco-friendly laundry detergent.
Whem my mom was here this last week, she is about to do a load of laundry and she looks up at me from a nearly (less than 1 scoop) tide box and says is this yours? Yup. I don't want to buy new laundry detergent, because I'm moving soon. She looks at me with this crazy look and says, BUT you still have to wash your clothes. So we started to research how to make your own laundry detergent, because I thought we could make a smaller amount.
Well, we found a recipe (see below), but the borax box was just as big as the tide box, so....I'll be making my own homemade laundry detergent once I move. In the meantime we bought a concentrated (less packaging) eco-friendly detergent. And don't forget to wash with cold water - it'll use 80-85% less energy compared to using hot water.
Wait? So why is normal laundry detergent bad for the environment? Well many contain phosphates which help to boost cleaning efficiency, but have harmful effects on our water supplies - rivers, lakes, etc.
There's more information on this, but...I feel by now I may be boring you with all of this information, so I am going to stop.
Make your own detergent and save money too!
You will need:
1 bar of soap (not antibacterial)
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup baking soda
Grater
Resealable container
Step 1: Grate bar of soap into container.
2: Add borax & baking soda
3: Mix
4. Use 1 tablespoon for small or lighlty soiled loads & 2 for large or really dirty loads.
And if you are interested in making your own homemade dishwasher detergent you can find out how here: Recipe for homemade dishwashing detergent
Guess you know what I'll be using once I move!
----------------------
Ok so now I am all caught up until tomorrow when I will be due for another eco-friendly change. I also promise to post a fun post in the very near future, because I realize all of this eco-posting may be getting boring.
Well my friends, no worries, because this week will be filled with anticipation and excitement, because you see my destiny for the next 3 years will be decided this week....Ahhhhh
I plan to have videos of the event to share with you so (with fingers crossed), you can be part of the joy!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Green Challenge Recap
I know I have fallen behind in my blogging. As usual it's all craziness. So in order to try and bring some organization to what has become a mess of a green challenge. I am going to do a little recap here and let you know how the challenges are working out in addition to try and catch up with them. We are 10 weeks into the new year, which means I should have 10 challenges underway.
Green Challenge #1: Turn off the faucet while brushing my teeth.
GC #2: No more elevators or escalators.
This challenge is actually harder to carry out than I expected. The reason is not actually due to my laziness or lack of being physically fit. It is because our world is set up to use the escaltors or elevators. In the airport it is extremely hard to find a stairwell compared to an escaltor which is plopped down right in front of you. The same goes for the mall - stairs are easier to find, but still not always as conviently located. I do my best, but feel that this challenge will be felt more once I am back in the hospital on a regular basis. I guess I better keep this challenge in mind when I look for a place to live next year!
GC #3: No more tampons.
Let's just say I am still more than happy with my moon cup and think it is a wonderful device, even if it does gross out over half the general population.
GC #4: No more plastic or non-reusable bags.
Going well, it helps that I have many reusable bags that fold up and easily fit into my purse. I also have my re-usable grocery bags hanging on hook near my garage door which helps to remind me to grab some before I head out the door! One of my favorite very compact brands is the Chico Bag!
GC #5: I'm giving up my hair dryer.
I promised to report in whenever I used my hairdryer. Well, I have used it once since the challenge. It was cold cold morning in Hershey that I broke down and dried my hair. Didn't use it on my birthday though! And shall I tell you in advance I will be using one Friday - I go get my haircut AND next Thursday for match day! (Ahhh...it's a week away)
GC #6: Eating only locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Ok, I've changed the criteria on this challenge. Originally, I said from the state in which I reside. Well, let's just say depending on where Sief and I end up next year, there may be little fruits/veggies grown. And...I'm trying to increase my veggie and fruit intake. Limiting myself to only locally grown is hard when traying to expand my palate. So....here's the compromise - fruits and veggies grown only in the US and if it's in season locally then I have to go to the farmer's market to pick up the fresh produce. That still means no more bananas :(
GC #7: No gum in those plastic packages.
GC #8: No more bottled water.
This hasn't been too hard, because I was sort of doing this already, but I'm working on using my reusable coffee mug for tea/coffee in the morning and not consuming any beverages out of plastic. Slow and steady.
Ok, so I still have two more green challenges to account for, which I will post before this Sunday. I promise. Part of the reason why I have not been posting is because things have been all craziness lately and....well sometimes doing the research to figure out the impact that some of the daily things we take for granted is depressing. I'm currently reading a book entitled "No Impact Man," which is the story of a man, his wife, and daughter who tried to live no impact for a year in Manhattan. The impact that he inevitably makes by being human he tries to make up by doing something to counteract it, thus in theory ending up "no impact." I'll be quoting this book more later on my blog. I'm very slow in getting through this book, again becuase to a certain extent it's depressing to think about the potential of all of our actions over the last however many years and the fact that some of this knowledge is out there and yet it continues to happen. Money makes the world go round and if there is no big money in being/going green then there is no reason for it to happen. Sometimes ignorance truly is bliss.
But....I will do my best to try and not be too cynical.
------------------------------------------
On a happier note: 1 week until Match day! 15 days until I will no longer be in class (those 15 days include the weekends and 2 days I get off for match day) and 67 days until graduation. The end is near - can you feel it?
Green Challenge #1: Turn off the faucet while brushing my teeth.
GC #2: No more elevators or escalators.
This challenge is actually harder to carry out than I expected. The reason is not actually due to my laziness or lack of being physically fit. It is because our world is set up to use the escaltors or elevators. In the airport it is extremely hard to find a stairwell compared to an escaltor which is plopped down right in front of you. The same goes for the mall - stairs are easier to find, but still not always as conviently located. I do my best, but feel that this challenge will be felt more once I am back in the hospital on a regular basis. I guess I better keep this challenge in mind when I look for a place to live next year!
GC #3: No more tampons.
Let's just say I am still more than happy with my moon cup and think it is a wonderful device, even if it does gross out over half the general population.
GC #4: No more plastic or non-reusable bags.
Going well, it helps that I have many reusable bags that fold up and easily fit into my purse. I also have my re-usable grocery bags hanging on hook near my garage door which helps to remind me to grab some before I head out the door! One of my favorite very compact brands is the Chico Bag!
GC #5: I'm giving up my hair dryer.
I promised to report in whenever I used my hairdryer. Well, I have used it once since the challenge. It was cold cold morning in Hershey that I broke down and dried my hair. Didn't use it on my birthday though! And shall I tell you in advance I will be using one Friday - I go get my haircut AND next Thursday for match day! (Ahhh...it's a week away)
GC #6: Eating only locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Ok, I've changed the criteria on this challenge. Originally, I said from the state in which I reside. Well, let's just say depending on where Sief and I end up next year, there may be little fruits/veggies grown. And...I'm trying to increase my veggie and fruit intake. Limiting myself to only locally grown is hard when traying to expand my palate. So....here's the compromise - fruits and veggies grown only in the US and if it's in season locally then I have to go to the farmer's market to pick up the fresh produce. That still means no more bananas :(
GC #7: No gum in those plastic packages.
GC #8: No more bottled water.
This hasn't been too hard, because I was sort of doing this already, but I'm working on using my reusable coffee mug for tea/coffee in the morning and not consuming any beverages out of plastic. Slow and steady.
Ok, so I still have two more green challenges to account for, which I will post before this Sunday. I promise. Part of the reason why I have not been posting is because things have been all craziness lately and....well sometimes doing the research to figure out the impact that some of the daily things we take for granted is depressing. I'm currently reading a book entitled "No Impact Man," which is the story of a man, his wife, and daughter who tried to live no impact for a year in Manhattan. The impact that he inevitably makes by being human he tries to make up by doing something to counteract it, thus in theory ending up "no impact." I'll be quoting this book more later on my blog. I'm very slow in getting through this book, again becuase to a certain extent it's depressing to think about the potential of all of our actions over the last however many years and the fact that some of this knowledge is out there and yet it continues to happen. Money makes the world go round and if there is no big money in being/going green then there is no reason for it to happen. Sometimes ignorance truly is bliss.
But....I will do my best to try and not be too cynical.
------------------------------------------
On a happier note: 1 week until Match day! 15 days until I will no longer be in class (those 15 days include the weekends and 2 days I get off for match day) and 67 days until graduation. The end is near - can you feel it?
Monday, March 1, 2010
unpacking and trying to organize my life that I have been away from for 3 months
I'm back in the states, but things are in a complete whirlwind here. My room was left in complete chaos when I left 3 months ago and please just use your imaginations for what it must look like now after unpacking from a month in costa rica. I am proud to say I'm almost caught up on unpacking. My mom flies in tomorrow night and today, well rather than cleaning as I should do - I'm going shopping with Mel. What can I say? You gotta have your priorities, right?
I know yesterday was a green challenge day and I know that I'm also a week behind. Here's the green challenge for this week, just to let you know I'm not slacking - give up bottled water. This does not count as the real post, I'll post that later once I have better composed some of my research for the reason why it's eco-friendly, even though it is pretty obvious.
Ok a few more random pictures for your enjoyment and I gotta run to class!
\
I know yesterday was a green challenge day and I know that I'm also a week behind. Here's the green challenge for this week, just to let you know I'm not slacking - give up bottled water. This does not count as the real post, I'll post that later once I have better composed some of my research for the reason why it's eco-friendly, even though it is pretty obvious.
Ok a few more random pictures for your enjoyment and I gotta run to class!
Status post coffee plantation tour!
\Me pretending to be Sief
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