The Jury is In

The exam went well, but it was kind of strange. Lots of easy questions, but quite a few of the uber-hard ones too. My stats tell me that a hard exam would have favored me, but I'm not quite sure how to classify this one. It felt easy at times, until you got whammed with one of the bitchy questions.

Can't tell at this point how I've done. The answer sheet should be out in a few days, and then the academy will start putting together data points. I guess by the end of this week, I'll know more or less how I've placed. Of course, definitive results will take a bit longer.

For now, I'm just happy to be done with this shit. I'm very tired. I'd planned on going out tonight, but it's only 1.30 and I feel like crawling into bed. I'm at Tom's house, there's music and liquor. I might just crash here. Dunno. Either way, it's great that my whole choice range only includes sleeping and/or having fun. Freaking great for a change.

Happy but bust. Have fun.

Exam Day

Tomorrow is D-day. I'm nervous and have had trouble concentrating this morning, but otherwise, I'm fine. I'm going to eat now and then I'll study maybe one more hour this evening and that's it. No more studying for a long long time.

Can't tell you how happy I am to get this over with.

I've studied well. Now, I just need to stay reasonable and not double-guess each and every question like I tend to do. I don't do it on purpose, either, I just have this tangential way of looking at problems. Creativity--not good when applied to exam questions.

Wish me luck.

A Whimpering Mess of Spiritual Constipation

Ok people, the big day is coming. I should have realized this about six months ago, but it hit me yesterday that my exam is on January 19th. That's little more than a month to revise everything that can come up in the exam--ie: all the Medicine in the World.

Some people say God is so obviously not a woman. Well, God is so obviously not a doctor either, or he wouldn't have all these diseases so complicated. The fact that these things kill people is no longer an issue. I'm studying to pass and right now, to be sincere, I don't much care about any hypothetical patients. Ever wondered how the empathy was beaten out of your doctor? This is how.

I haven't been able to write for a month or so (except for the micro story I wrote for that editor--he knows who he is). Ideas keep building up faster than I can bat them aside to focus on my books. Hell, even the books make me think of story ideas. And, guess what? Ideas spawned by miastenia gravis? Not so good. I'm spiritually constipated and ideas keep throwing themselves at the blockage. The blockage is January 19th. I wish once that's done all these ideas will come out nice and easy. But from experience with previous pre-exam idea barrages, I doubt that's going to happen.

Sale to Desolate Places

Death and Love in Gehanna has been accepted by Desolate Places, an anthology about, well, desolate places published by Hadley Rille Books. The minute I saw the premise of the antho, I knew I needed to send them this story. I can't think of a more desolate place than a frozen continent peopled only by a couple crazy exhiles and a semi-sentient albino pantiger.

I think this is the first time my work will appear in book format. Gotta love them milestones.

This sale was much needed. I haven't been able to write for the past few weeks and was starting to feel all down and spiritually constipated. On top of that, Intestines were kicking my ass that week (this week it's Heart, but he behaves a lot better and doesn't make me feel like a hopeless loser). Percentiles suck. Keeping them up sucks even more. I'm starting to feel the drain of studying for this damn exam and can't wait to get it over with. This sale put a bit of color in my week.

January 19th. I'm dreading the day, of course, but part of me just want to sit through all 5h of the exam now and be free!

Beware The Eye

Yep, Eyes today. I kept being reminded of the Eye of Mordor. This one was equally malevolent and for the 5 hours that I stared at it, it didn't blink--not once. Is personifying my study material a sign of mental illness? The books say no, but I have to wonder.

Please remind me why I'm doing this.

Uncle Kidney Wants YOUR Brains

The Kidneys are back, and they're wooping my ass. I've tried studying Nephrology in every way that is known to man or woman, and some that only Extraterrestrials with particularly quaint urethras could think of (sorry, Jason, couldn't help it, sorry, sorry, sorry), but I just keep forgetting it as soon as I've finished memorizing it.

I think they demand a sacrifice. Of my pickled brains. I'm not sure I'm about to give those up. I mean, you'd think my social life and sanity would be enough for the critters, but oh, no, they want my brains too.

And today, the Ear joined the fray--taking the Kidney's side. Now, come on! Otology was never meant to be difficult to understand (only funny to say). Finding, so late in my internship preparation, that even Otology is giving me hell, doesn't do much for my morale.

Cardiology

Today I managed to study the three main types of myocardiopathy and revise cardiac valves. I know this doesn't mean anything to any of the people who read my blog (being writer types and all that), but studying all this in one day means:

1. I hauled ass
2. I study from a rather abridged manual.

Just wanted to share my exasperation. Now, I'm off to finish those valves and hopefully start with "shock".