Logged into the Portal (school interwebs thingie) today, and what do I see at the bottom??

"Portal page for: LaKedra Pam, VMS IV"

Guys, it's happening! This year might actually end!! Back in July, I remember settling into things with the thought that the end of the year was so far away, I might as well just accept the fact that I'd be a VMS III for the rest of my days. Now look at me! The Portal just called me a VMS IV!!

I haven't been writing much recently because I've been depressed ever since starting psych. Probably not true depression, but guys, this rotation sucks. It's just so hard. Not just the hours: I've had long days before, and I'm willing to accept 11-hour work days as karmic payback for thinking that having Psychiatry last would be like starting my summer vacation five weeks early. What really gets me is seeing kids who are extremely sick, or come from extremely bad home situations, or both. In this respect I really think the pediatrics clerkship does students a huge disservice. It involves zero critical care time, and most of the time the third years are shielded from seeing suspected abuse victims. All well and good, until one of those third years strolls into a child psychiatry rotation expecting to spend their time hanging out with cute kids!! My not-quite two weeks of child psych is probably tied with my five weeks of Colorectal Surgery when it comes to time I've had to spend in intensive care units. That Pulm rotation that bothered me so much back in August is laughable in comparison.

Every single day feels like it stretches on forever. I just have to make it through the rest of today, and tomorrow, and then I get a weekend. Which I have to spend studying for my shelf exam. Then I have four more days before that shelf exam. And then I'm done.