Back

I'm back to blogging regularly now. In the last week, I took both parts of the Step 2 licensing exam and went to my first interview at UCLA for anesthesiology. It was quite a tiring week. The clinical portion of the exam involved 12 patient encounters with patient actors; we had to do a history and physical and write a brief note. I felt that UCSF prepared us well for this exam as interspersed through the curriculum, we had standardized patient encounters simulating common chief complaints. Nevertheless, seeing twelve patients was exhausting; it felt like a long clinic day. The fund of knowledge exam was also quite involved, but I am glad to be finished.

Going on interviews is both exciting and tiring; the logistics of travel, navigating a new place, dealing with sleep deprivation, and at the same time learning about programs and interviewing well is challenging. But I am really looking forward to seeing different programs, their emphases, their strengths, and their styles of training. I won't blog specifically about any programs, mostly because it would not be a prudent decision. The residency selection process (which will probably earn itself a blog sometime) involves a somewhat obscure and precarious match (though the match was implemented to improve clarity and equality). The mechanics behind it are such that publicly formalizing my opinions about each program would hinder me. Furthermore, as I learned on the medical school interview trail, rumors about every program abound. I don't find them useful and would not want to start or perpetuate anything. Lastly, the word "match" really describes the process well; each program and applicant has its personality and style and no program is for every applicant; it really is about finding the best fit for oneself.