The home stretch for semester 2

I have 27 more days until the end of the second semester. I think that I couldn't go for another week or I may go crazy (I am already on the road to going mad, so stopping the train before its get too far down this track is crucial).

Being in school since January 4th with the occasional break, spring break or two days off between semester 1 and2, has led to total exhaustion. I am tired down to the my bones and that was manifested last week. Everything last week was a problem: the test, the schedule, people breathing... Last weekend I took time to focus on why I was here. Why I was in PA school. What was my end goal. MY end goal is to become a physician assistant. A technique I used to focus on my goals was mindfulness. As a class we're taking an arching behavioral medicine course this summer and our instructor has stressed the importance of being mindful of your feelings. And although it sounds a little clique, I took the time this past weekend and said: "These feelings are not me. I am not an angry person who is unhappy with everyone and everything."

I realize that is sounds ridiculous, but it is helping me re-focus on what is important to me and that includes becoming a compassionate, patient provider for my future patients. I cannot do that if I let my feelings of frustration and exhaustion overwhelm me.

July 27th is the first day of my freedom. I plan on relaxing -- sleeping and laying out in the sun and letting myself heal from the rigors of a tough 8 months.

It's not all bad either... a few weeks ago our class go to round on patients in the GI unit. It was exciting and fun to get to present our patients to the fellow on call and go over the differential diagnosis for the patient!