Gearing up for Family Med exam, and some thoughts

There is less time for crafting and the like as I gear up my studying for the end-of-service exam for Family Med. This exam is notorious for being all-encompassing, and  it pulls questions from pyschiatry, pediatrics, and OB/GYN, as befitting the scope of the field. This means it is a much bigger pain to study for than other exams, like surgery or any of the above mentioned fields. It is also more pressure on me to do well on this exam, as it is one of the fields I am considering entering, and I want to make sure I don't fail this exam!

Here are some notes about knitting, and the rest will be thoughts on Family Med clinic encounters.

<Knitting notes>

I finished my shawl! It's the Balsam Hollow shawl from the Little Skein in the Big Wool Anne of Green Gables kit, with Leading Men Fiber Arts yarn in the Anne with an E colorway. It was actually a quick knit, everything considering. My dad had a slight medical mishap last week, so I sat in the quick care waiting room with him and got a LOT of knitting done. I was so happy to finish it, and just in time for our unusually cold Sunday morning hike!

I am using the rest of the yarn to make a matching hat. More on that in the next post!

I also bought several tincanknits books during their BOGO sale last week, and I'm getting ready to cast on a gramps cardigan for a friend's new baby out of Tink yarn.

<end knitting notes here!>

On a different thought, we encountered a patient this past week who presented with a spotty past medical history, and stated that she was anemic and instructed to take iron pills. Being a medical student, I wanted to investigate her anemia further, when the preceptor asked her why she had been anemic, and the patient stated that she had only recently had a job, and before that, she she didn't really have money for food. I was a bit taken aback, as the clinic where I am working this month is in one of the wealthiest areas in the city, in the same mile block as Whole Foods and several high-end yoga studios. The family medicine book that I was reading about anemias actually stated that "all adults in the US are unlikely to have nutritional deficiency-derived anemia" and to "rule this out as a possible cause." But in this day and age, when the American economy is still slowly recovering, and some (like my patient), are only working part-time for minimum wage, they are unable to afford good nutrition, it is still possible in America to be nutritionally deficient. In the age of cheap fast food, they'd be able to meet the daily caloric requirements, but most likely it is not nutritional in nature. It is sobering to encounter first-hand that there really is still poverty and hunger in America, the Land of Plenty. 

I saw three patients this week that made me nervous and thoughtful at the same time. Two of them were a couple, who came on separate conditions, and were both physicians nearing retirement who recently move to the area. The husband was the new director of one of the largest healthcare programs in the area. The third patient was a nurse, one who manages eight different clinics. I was shaking as I conducted my H&P. I wanted to be thorough and do a good job, yet I didn't want to make any mistakes or go too slowly. I didn't know if they might be judging my clinical abilities. I was happy that they were nice and let me conduct my exam, but I was definitely afraid and extremely nervous. On the same hand, it was also somewhat sobering and thought-provoking, that these "important" people of the healthcare industry were given the same medical care and treatment as those who could not afford to eat dinner properly. Medicine truly is the great equalizer, especially in America.

As I finish my second month of Family Med, I am truly humbled by the amount of knowledge I have gained in the last two months, from my preceptors and my patients. I have been so lucky to be able to have so much access to knowledge and medical information and patients, and I am so thankful to the patients for being patient with me as I fumbled to do their history and physicals. Family medicine has been the most stressful and most fun rotation. Now, on to OMM month! 

Yarn, knitting, and Superbowl, oh my!

I am not usually a Super Bowl watcher, but I am doing the Pigskin park knitalong, and it has increased my interest in football. So, this Sunday, this is what I will be doing:

That's right, SUPERBOWL BINGO. Because I might just earn myself some yarn. :) 

New WIPs, FOs, and some Family Medicine thoughts

I'm mid-way through my first month of Family Medicine, and while it has been interesting, it has also been a LOT of work, mentally and physically. Thus, I haven't been online as much. (At least, on Blogger. Ravelry is another thing all together.That's phone-time.) But here are some mid-family-medicine-month thoughts, and knitting progress:

<Med school/non-knitting notes> Family Medicine is a LOT of work. Orthopedic Surgery was a lot of work, but it was different: I was mostly assisting the surgeon in the cases, so I just needed to anticipate the tools they'd need in the surgeries, and try not to tremble too much when retracting fascia back for a long time. However, in Family Medicine, I am basically seeing patients on my own. My preceptor sees a TON of patients, so we start right at 7am in rounds at the hospital, then start at the office by 7:40 or 8am, and then see about 20-30 patients in the course of 4 hours. It is insane, but it also has allowed me more autonomy. I go into the rooms on my own, introduce myself as a student doctor, and then ask the patient if it would be okay for me to take their blood pressure and ask them a few questions before the doctor comes in. I reassure them that the doctor would be coming in afterwards, but that I am there to learn and also that it would speed things along. Then, I go through a do an H&P, ask about medications and allergies, and then do a physical exam. I try my best with the assessment and plan, and then ask if they have any concerns. Usually, I can get through most of the exam before the physician comes in. It's mentally tiring to do what I've never done before, but little by little I am able to get through more of it, which is encouraging.Sometimes, I even get to do a little bit of counseling, like today, when I counseled a patient with severe sleep apnea to start wearing his mask more often, as it is most likely the cause of his erectile dysfunction, leg swelling, and headaches. By the end of the visit, he was promising me that he would wear his mask. I don't know if he will actually do it, but it is encouraging to know that I can make some sort of difference just by taking the time to listen to him and talking with him. I know that I need to study more and study harder so that I will be able to make more accurate diagnoses, but I love what I do right now. </notes>

Now, for the knitting: I was a bad med student and knit all the afternoons after work last week, so I have quite a few finished objects! I finally finished my Felici Socks, which I worked on during my first ever knitting circle (more on that in the next post). They were finished just in time, too, as I needed my US 1.5 circular needles for the Knitting Through the Loops knit-a-long, which is another new thing for me. I am trying to be more adventurous and try new things, so this has been one of those experiences. Anyways, here is a pic of the Felici Socks, knit from KnitPicks Felici in the Sorbet colorway:

I ended up doing two different heels, since I wanted to try different heels. These were my first afterthought heels, which I think I don't like as much as the traditional hell flap and gusset socks, as it is harder for me to do the math on the length of the foot. Both of these socks ended up being a bit bigger than I anticipated. I did a Lara Neel Fork in the Road/thumb-joint hat top heel on the right, and a modified Sox Therapist Fish Lips Kiss Heel on the left. Both of these socks were knit cuff down.

I also finished my Chunky Socks, which were knit from some Ella Rae yarn I got on discount from Tuesday Morning. They are 100% wool, which is nice. I did a Sweet Tomato Heel on one, and I can't remember how I did the other heel. Truly. I can't. Both of these socks were knit toe-up, and these were my first toe up socks. I did do them magic loop, but I did them one at a time, as my needles were not long enough for two at a time. 

Finally, WIPs: 

I finished the first sock of my brother's Baronial socks, which, after much urging and bribing, he modeled it for me: 

I'm still working on the second sock, also knit toe-up, but it is hard to knit a sock when the foot I need to fit is never around to try it. 

My other WIP is also for my brother (See the pattern? I finish my own socks and my brother's socks are WIPS. Mostly his own fault, How can I knit if he won't try them on as I am going?) These are stash-busters, and my first pair of deliberate striped socks:

It has definitely been an interested few weeks, and I can't wait to see what else I can learn this year!

Socks, Socks, and More Socks!

Hello 2015!
I hope everyone had a good holiday season. Mine was filled with studying for the Surgery COMAT, and getting my knitted gifts ready! I had more finished objects than I had expected, which was quite nice. I finished the prayer scarf for the Alice's Embrace, as well as socks for my brother, and a pair of socks for myself. I was lucky that my brother was in China for a couple of weeks during the holidays, so I could finish his socks after the Christmas holiday and still gift them to him for "Christmas" without spending too much of my studying time on them.

I have started on my rotation in Family Medicine this month, which will go for two months. It's been fun, hectic, and somewhat nerve-wracking all at the same time. On one hand, I've thoroughly enjoyed being at this location because I am familiar with the office, as both of my parents and myself used to go to this family doctor. In addition, I am VERY interested in family medicine as a potential career choice, so it is nice to be able to get to see and do this rotation under the tutelage of a family friend. On the other hand, it is somewhat frustrating because I am still a third year student, and there is a LOT that I don't know, so I can't do as much as I want, and I don't want to disappoint or look bad in front of the doctor that I've known for a long time. Finally, there are so many patients in the morning that we barely get to breathe! I know that it is typical for primary care of any sort, especially since the passage of the ACA, but it is magnified even more here, as the doctor is a very well-established physician in town, and he has a LOT of patients to start with, even before ACA. 

I have a LOT of WIPs, most of which are socks. I have been on a sock kick lately, as my knitting awareness realizes how many different kinds of socks there are out there, and since I bought both Big Foot Knits and Sock Architecture during the Knitmore Girls Podcast's 25 days of enabling (There was a discount for books from Cooperative Press.) It's been fun, but sometimes my hands feel like doing something else besides fiddling with fingering weight yarns, so I've also been working on a chunky cowl. But still, all I can think of is socks, socks, and more socks! It's almost-instant gratification, to go in 2 days from balls of yarn to something to keep my feet warm. Actually, this morning, I took a hit to my ego when I decided that I wanted to wear my chunky socks today. I had 2 rows to go and the bindoff, so I put the finished one on one foot, and was furiously working on the other one. The room was really cold, and my foot was freezing when I finished it and realized I had, in my haste, bound it too tightly. I was forced to put on a different sock to keep my foot warm while I frogged the rows back and redid the bind off in a more stretchy manner.

I've decided that this year, my word is LEARN. I want to learn more about medicine, more about OMM, and more about knitting. I want to learn as much as I can, and explore the paths that can only open once you've gained knowledge. 

Ortho Surgery craziness! AND New WIPS, and yarn goodness!

I'm on my second week of clerkship with the orthopedic surgeons, and it's been a crazy week!

<non-knitting life notes> I was in the OR with the preceptor surgeons from 7am to 11:30pm on Monday, where we repaired two fractured ankles, cleaned up 3 meniscus (menici?), and replaced two knees with artificial knees. It was amazing to see the surgeries in person after reading about them, and I was so happy that the doctors let me scrub in. I don't get to do much beyond retraction and suturing, but it was still great to get some hands-on experience! Tuesday and Thursday were office days, so we didn't do much except see the patients coming into the clinic. It was still good to get experience of taking history and doing physical exams, as it is all practice for when I have to handle the patients on my own in the future. Wednesday was another crazy day, as we were in the OR from 7am to 10:30pm, and did 11 cases, including one shoulder rotator cuff repair, one elbow cartilage cleanup, one ankle fracture repair, a partial hip replacement revision, three arthroscopic ACL repairs, one knee meniscus clean-up and cartilage microfracture, and two other cases that I can't even remember right now. I also had to finish writing up a paper that was due this week, and look up some tests that the preceptor wanted me to report on. All in all, it has been a crazy busy, stressful, and fun week all wrapped up in one. </end notes>

I finished up my cabled mitts, and immediately cast on a second pair, this time in pink. I was going to give the mint-colored pair to a friend, but seeing as I ended up wearing them a few times, I'm going to keep them for myself, and make a pair for her. :) That's my excuse anyway. Mostly, I just like doing the large cables in worsted weight yarn. It makes me feel accomplished. ;)

I also started knitting my very first pair of DK weight socks. It's an interesting experience. I think all considered, I might actually prefer knitting socks in sockweight. DK weight is quite heavy on the needles, and the pattern tweaks I made are making the sock larger than I thought it would be. I'm not sure if I'm going to have enough yarn to make both socks...Ah well. I guess worst comes to worst, I'll just have mis-matched socks.There are worse things in life than mismatched hand-knit socks.

And finally, my box of Knit Picks yarn is here! I was so excited that I started casting on for a sock immediately. The wool is so soft, I can't even believe it.

Finished WIP, New WIP (With cables!), and plan for COMLEX PE!

I have been super nervous about starting my new clerkship for medical school, so I've been knitting up a storm! I finished the second sock of my first sock project (YAY!), and I decided I needed a new challenge. Cables.

I've lusted after cables for years and years, from store windows and even on other people's bodies. Like, I've secretly taken pictures of people's sweaters because I've loved the cable work. Yeah, I know. It was getting to be a problem. So I finally decided that I should woman up and just learn to knit cables myself. I found the perfect project, a pair of fingerless mittens in worsted weight yarn, with beautiful cable work on the dorsum of the hand. *sighs of admiration and like*

The best part was that it was free on Ravelry! Or on their website. So I downloaded it, and to my surprise, by the end of the night, I'd finished one of the two mitts! I've been saving the second one, knitting it more slowly, but still *should*  have it done by the end of today or tomorrow. I'm so addicted to cables, even more than before now! I can't wait to knit more! Cables, cables, everywhere! (okay, that's a bit much...) But still, look! Isn't it pretty? 

Anyways, the third thing I've been thinking about is a trip in the distant future, to the Philly area for my COMLEX PE exam, which is the second part of the second part of my medical boards. Confused yet? I was, too. For the COMLEX II, or the second part of the medical boards, there are two parts, one is written, and the other is a physical exam portion that is only conducted in one testing center in the whole of the US. Meaning that there are few testing spots available. Mine is basically in 10 months. I am already starting to freak out a little, so I decided to start planning something fun to look forward to after the exam. Many of the upperclassmen and women usually go to the touristy stuff of Philly, but I've already done that with my family when they dropped me off for college. I want to do something more crafty, and since I'm on a yarn kick, I decided to compile a yarn-hop of the top 5 yarn shops of Philly, based on Yelp reviews. Here is my proposed trip. I feel much better about the exam now, and I am actually not so nervous anymore. Success!

Black Friday purchases and a Crafty Thanksgiving!

Happy Holidays! I had a great day yesterday, cooking up the turkey and our Thanksgiving meal for 8. I made more food than necessary, as usual, but the leftovers were great for my crafty get together today, so it all worked out.

I had been looking around, and one of my Facebook groups mentioned that Knitpicks was having a sale, so I browsed around, and ended up putting just enough in my cart for free shipping. I had my mom look at some of the yarn, and managed to snag some of the ones she wanted (I think they will be her Christmas gift this year!). I'm going making good progress on my socks, so I also ordered some self-striping yarn for the next pair in my queue.

In other news, I had a few friends over for a Crafts and Thanskgiving Leftovers party. We had lunch with all of the leftovers my parents wanted to get rid of, and had a fun time knitting, making Christmas cards, and watching Harry Potter. We had a great discussion about how strange and sad it is that the HP series are over. We basically grew up around HP, the books and the movies.

All in all, it was a great Friday. Not too much crazy Black Friday-ness around here, but just enough.

*update* Okay. Confession time. After I published the post, I then caved and bought 5 of Alana Dakos's patterns on Ravelry. They were 50% off! I couldn't resist! Can't wait to add them to my queue, though: they are GORGEOUS. That is all. ~Z