Aqua Regia

So before January 2011 is over, I thought it might actually be nice to take a look back at 2010. XD Yes, yes, I know I am very behind on the whole "recap 2010" post, but I thought the last year just brought so many changes that I couldn't go without being revisited a little.

When I think back to January, I was just starting the second half of my clinical rotations to finish up school. It almost feels like another life by this point. My first rotation of that semester was Internal Medicine. I often felt it was an exercise in speed - how much information could I gather and tie together about the patients before having to present in the afternoon? I learned a great deal during those six weeks. It was also my first rotation where there was another student from school with me, and having someone to gripe with was a huge comfort.

The second six-week period saw me going to a community pharmacy attached to the hospital. This was probably my second-favorite rotation (after the Psych rotation I took in 2009). If all community pharmacy work was as rewarding and fulfilling as the time I spent there, the choice between hospital and community would have been much harder. But I also discovered just how tired standing for 8-10 hours a day can be.

For my final rotation, I returned to the hospital where I had done Internal Medicine. However, this time around, it was definitely not a good learning experience. Aside from just wanting to be done with rotations at that point, I found the work to be of little value to my learning. The preceptor was a strange, strange lady who issued the vaguest instructions I've ever heard. Then she had the nerve to call me "needy" during my final evaluation because I asked for further clarification. Is wanting to do something right the first time wrong? NO. Haha...looks like I still have issues regarding that final rotation! Again, I had a student with me who had been with this preceptor before, and she thankfully helped to clarify things for me a great deal. Anyway, I'm seriously glad I didn't get a residency at this facility, because this preceptor was also the residency program director. I'm not sure I could have handled a year of vague instructions and general weirdness.
But in all fairness...this was the rotation where I got to watch open-heart surgery, which was totally rad.

I should also note that all three of my second semester rotations were at a hospital that had off-site parking and a shuttle service - something my fellow students and I absolutely loathed by the end. I can't tell you how many times I had to stand in the cold rain because the shuttle would be driving away as I came out of the parking structure.

After finishing up rotations came review week at school - basically one last chance to sit in our lecture halls again and listen to speakers while everyone chatted and surfed the internet. XD

Of course, after that came Graduation on May 15th, 2010. I officially got my doctorate and finished school. Still, even now - eight months later - it feel weird writing that. School has been my life for...well...my life. Coming out of something so structured into the rather nebulous "real life" has been strange. I miss the comforting solidity and framework of working toward something greater with a purpose. After getting a job (even one that I enjoy) I'm kind of wondering...what next?

So summer was spent studying for my boards from the time I finished graduated until around mid July. I even snuck in a nice vacation to Seattle and the islands in there (visiting the cousin and relaxing with the family). But those interminable days days studying really felt endless. To help keep me sane, I would reward every two hours of studying with an episode of She-Ra (which I completed over the summer), Fantastic Four World's Greatest Heroes, Iron Man Armored Adventures, or Star Trek DS9. It felt like a weird combination of long past summer vacations and taking self-study summer school. XD

Thankfully, I passed both tests on the first go. I've been debating taking the tests to be able to practice in another state, which if I decide to go forward with should be something I undertake sooner rather than later. The further I go on, the harder it will be to force myself back into reviewing the material and going through the rigmarole of taking another test/forms/fees/etc.

Summer also saw an explosion in my toy collecting hobby. Something I attribute to lots of time at home to hunt stores, eBay, and read internet reviews. Also may have had something to do with getting money for graduation. :D Likely pent-up retail therapy after having no income since February after leaving CVS.

I got my license on August 5th, 2010. At that point, I gave myself until the end of August to look exclusively for hospital jobs. After thirty-odd applications, by the end of the month I had an interview set up for a not-quite-hospital job (the only non-hospital job I applied for). After that interview, I had set another one up with a hospital (the place I work now). But in the meantime, pharmacy 1 offered me a job (part-time for up to six months, then full time). I asked for an extension to think it over and was up front that I had the second interview. After being offered the job where I am now, I accepted and had to call back pharmacy 1 to decline their offer. That was an incredible weird experience. I've always had to fight for part-time jobs...so having to turn someone down was something I'd never done before.

The time between taking the job offer (early September) and starting the job (October 4th) was another strange period. During that month I looked for apartments (and finally found a decent townhouse!), hunted for furniture, signed tons of papers, packed up my toys/books/life, and watched some more shows. It was a frenetic month to try and get everything ready for the move, and yet I didn't really feel all that stressed. Maybe because I knew I had at least gotten a job, I was able to savor a few of my final days of freedom.

Anyway, work is where I've been ever since October. I still visit home at least once a month (heh...if not more often!). It's hard to leave a place you've lived since second grade, after all.

So I hope that 2011 brings good things. I have plans to do some writing (namely, finish my Jewel Riders fic, writing an original novella, and hopefully doing some Dragon Flyz writing). I also want to really take the time now to develop healthy eating habits and lose some weight. Since I make most all of my food, it should be easier to implement healthier choices more often. And of course, 2011 will see me continue the growth of my toy collection! :D

Direct me to it, please?

Well, my hopes were dashed.   Looks like I didn't get a residency like I'd hoped.  Maybe "dashed" is too strong of a word.  I'm not actually sad about NOT having to work super hard for pennies for a year, but I did put a lot of time and effort (and money!) into all those apps and interviews.  Now it all just feels like a big fat waste of time.  And I would have enjoyed the opportunity to learn lots more.

So I consoled myself by picking up the Twilight Barbies and the Princess and the Frog off of Amazon. XD

But in all seriousness, I feel incredibly directionless now.  I had put most of my hopes into getting a residency, and now I'm not really sure what to do.  I'm afraid of retail pharmacy - it's incredibly soul-sucking and tiring - but most hospitals don't actually hire that many pharmacists.  So I kind of see myself just falling into a retail position by default.  Which makes me sad.  I should really look up the contact info for some of my pharmacist friends and see if they can't hook me up with some sort of hospital job.

But on a more fun note, I just finished my fifth rotation last week, and they gave me $125 work of gift cards at the end!  I was in complete and total shock.  And touched, too.  I'm going to miss that pharmacy and its crazy antics.  One of the cards was for the the theater, so I'm definitely going to go catch How to Train Your Dragon this week.  Must support animation in the theaters!

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it here, but I've been seriously pursing a Pharmacy Residency. For those who don't know (which is probably everyone seeing as how I didn't even know what it was until a year or so ago XD), a residency in pharmacy is an extra year of paid "study" with a special institution or hospital. So basically you trade half of a normal pharmacist's salary for the opportunity to build your clinical knowledge in order to trade that up for a non-retail pharmacy job later on.

For a long time, I wanted nothing to do with residency. I was (and still am to a degree) very burnt out. Six straight years (year around for the last three) for my doctorate has been grueling, and something that I don't know if I'd repeat if I had to go back to the beginning. The last thing I wanted was an extra year of being not-quite done. But the more I've moved through my Rotations, the more I've found that regular retail pharmacy (like CVS or Walgreens) is really not where I want to work and spend the next thirty five years of my life. I may brain myself on a rock if that's what happens.

Plus, I think that all the dramas of CVS threatening to fire me for not signing their one year post-grad commitment letter might have something to do with pushing me more toward inpatient pharmacy, yes?

So, to take my mind off the stress of interviews, I have been watching Rome, which is a really splendid series. The city that they created for these characters has to be the closest to the living, breathing Rome of the late Republic that has ever been put to screen. I just started season two this evening, and can't wait to see what twists and turns the series takes before it's done!

Also, Bloom, Flora, and Musa arrived today, so my Simba Winx collection is complete! Finally. I seriously don't think I can deal with ordering any more of them. Aside from having horrendously expensive shipping to import, they are just expensive to begin with. The grand total (including shipping) ended up being about $50 per doll. If they weren't so awesome, I probably would have just stayed away.