Rank Order List

Well, Drew and I have made several lists for the past several months. And I think we finally have our final, rank order list! We sat down today with my parents and Drew's Mom over lunch to discuss our final list. (Drew's Dad was supposed to join us but it a busy season at work so even though he had someone to cover his shift he was still called in to work all day.) Below is a photo of all of us after lunch.


We basically went through the list and discussed the pros and cons of each program and went over why we ranked each program in each spot. It turns out we were actually much more confident in our list than we thought. We didn't end up changing anything, after discussing it with them and it just confirmed that we had done as much researching, thinking, praying and discussing as possible. I don't think we could be any more prepared. So I think our list is final!
Drew certified it tonight and we plan to forget about it (or at least try to). Technically you can certify your rank list as many times as you wish, and the NMRP just uses the last list you certifiy. That way people can certify it and still change their mind and recertify it. But we plan to just leave our list as is and not touch it (even though the deadline is not until Wednesday night). Our fear is that if we do any changing of the order at this point it will be a rash decision which we will later regret.

It feels good to have our list finalized. I feel like I can exhale a bit!


I intend to get to some of your questions this week! I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Counting down, Anxiety update, and a giveaway to check out!

Today, Drew had his FINAL interview! Wooooo hooo! Thank goodness they are over because we seriously cannot afford one more! It also means that we can start to seriously put together our rank list! Rank lists must be submitted by midnight on February 24th!
Today is also five weeks, or 35 days (or however you look at it) from Match Day!

And I wanted to write that in the last two weeks I really have felt a great amount of peace. The anxiety has almost magically subsided and my stomach issues have calmed as well! I'm also starting to get excited about Match day instead of terrified and anxious. I can't exactly point to what has caused this change but I think I can contribute some of it to writing down all my fears, and perhaps some of it to yoga, and of course the power of prayer. I am so thankful that the Lord has given me a sense of peace and serenity knowing that He has a plan, and He will take care of us! Now I am just hoping this calmness remains for the next 5 weeks!

And last, but not least, Bloggy Blog Designz is doing it all over again! They are giving away blog designs and all kinds of goodies. Plus ALL entrants will receive 15% off their purchase! Be sure to check out their website (www.BloggyBlogDesignz.com) for more information, or to enter yourself. The giveaway will close on Feb 14 at midnight.

I can hardly believe we are almost half way through January! I feel like I am constantly saying, "I can't believe it's ______ already." I suppose I probably am. I figured it is about time I give a brief update on things going on in our life. And unfortunately I am too lazy to try and somehow incorporate these random facts into a cohesive post, so you are stuck with a bullet-point list for things I want to talk about.

• Friday January 15th, Rank order lists open up, which means we can start to put together our official rank order list with the NRMP website. Another reminder that that match day is approaching.
• Here is a good explanation on how the matching process works. (And how a candidate should rank programs).
• Drew has completed 13 interviews.
• Due to complications with school schedules we have had to cancel one interview this month and may have to cancel a second. He is currently in the process of totally rearranging his schedule so that he can keep a particular interview. His curriculum director is not very happy with him. But, unfortunately Drew didn't get to pick his interview dates and this whole interview process kind of effects the rest of his life. Kind of.
• Drew has three more interviews scheduled, but he probably won't be able to take one of them because the curriculum director may just kill him if he does.
• As a result of the above two mentioned bullet points, it looks like our rank order list will have 15 programs on it. Which is 3 shorter than we'd hoped for, but he has to graduate, so we'll just pray 15 is enough.
• TODAY our last semester of student loans were distributed. This means that we are DONE acquiring student loans (just interest). Wooo hooo! Shh, I don't want to talk about paying them off, I just want to celebrate the fact that we won't be increasing the principal amount any more.)
• We have recently had some terribly bad luck with travel (which I will elaborate on in the future).
• And last but not least, 64 more days until Match Day!

Done with Interviews until the New Year!

Drew officially has 12 interviews down (and 5 more scheduled for after the new year!). I am relieved that he has a break, but it is also somewhat shocking to realize that Christmas is NEXT week! We are soooo not ready for it! Every time I think things are going to settle or slow down, I am mistaken.
We have been on the road every weekend (mostly for interviews, but have been able to fit a few visits with friends and family in there too). And during the week we are trying to catch up. There is always something. When we are home it feels like all we are doing is getting ready for the next interview. Just unpacking, doing laundry, taking clothes to the dry cleaner (for interviews), picking out conservative clothes for interviews, writing Thank yous for the interviews, and baking homemade goods for the family and friends that are allowing Drew to stay with them... and then packing up again!
Our apartment is a mess, we hardly have any food in the house, the milk in our fridge is five days old, we aren't ready for Christmas, and there is absolutely no sign of the holidays in our train-wreck-of-an-apartment!
Drew and I went out to dinner tonight, because we didn't get home until 7:00 and we had a gift certificate that was going to expire this month. We literally sat at dinner and made a list of the things we need to do before next week. What a pathetic dinner out! But I must say I do feel a little better now.
Oh, and I did manage to get the Christmas cards out this week, finally! I always under estimate how long it will take to get them done!
There is so much I'd like to update about interviews, but there simply enough time! Hopefully one of these days I will get around to it!

Wish Us Luck!

Tonight/tomorrow is Drew's FIRST residency interview! I'm heading there this afternoon so that I can join for this evenings dinner. I'm hoping I don't say anything silly/stupid!
If your wondering how Drew is doing an interview while he is still on his Third Away Rotation it is because it is at that program. It makes it particularly convenient because 1) it saves him an extra trip there and 2) I think it will be "easier"/less nerve wracking for Drew to have his first interview at a program with which he rotated (since he is already comfortable with the staff).
I'm both nervous and excited! Say or prayer or send us good luck!

Odds and Ends

This week has gone pretty well, we've had a few more interview invitations come in, putting us in the double digits. So far it looks like 40 of the 99 Neurosurgery programs are offering interviews. Based on looking at the list of programs that have offered interviews so far (not the most reliable source - a chat board) more than half the programs we applied to still haven't extended invitations. Although we think that this week is the start of things picking up. Most programs have interviews in November (if not earlier) so they need to start extending invitations so that people can plan to attend. As for right now we aren't getting our hopes up but we aren't worried either. The one thing we are realizing is that this is going to be a very expensive process. We knew it before but I guess it is finally becoming a realization. I'm thinking we may have to borrow some additionally money because the scheduling is not going as well as planned. For example Drew may have to take more than one trip to some states like Texas that have several programs. But at least that means we are getting interviews, I suppose we'll keep accepting them and figure out how we are going to pay for them later.

So far Drew seems to be enjoying his second away rotation, although I really haven't spoken with him much since he got off early on Tuesday. He worked yesterday until a little after eight, and by the time he got home he ate and went to bed. At this rotation Drew is staying with one of his friends from college. His friends house is about 20 minutes from the hospital so he does have a short commute. Although it is no longer than his commute at his first two away rotations, he does not have public transportation here. This worries me a bit because I know how sleep deprived he was the past two months. But Drew has assured me he will just stay at the hospital or take a cab if he every feels too tired to drive.

This weekend I am heading home to my parents house. I will have a weekend packed: of seeing an old friend I haven't seen in a while and meeting her new baby, seeing my Goddaughter (and her parents), possibly seeing a law school friend, and going apple picking with my sisters and nephews. My Martha-Stewart-sister has plans to make all kinds of candied applies and apple desserts! And I am also looking forward to taking lots of pictures with my new camera, so you'll get to see those next week. Wishing you all a wonderful fall weekend!

I'm back!

(to blogging that is).... but my husband is gone.

We had a wonderful week at home together. Drew hadn't been back to Springfield in two months, so he was happy to be at home (and I was happy to have him home!) He said that although he felt comfortable at his sister's place it wasn't "home." So this week he finally got to relax and feel at home. He got plenty of rest and also was a great help around the apartment. In the last few weeks I had allowed our apartment to become a complete mess, so it was in need of a thorough cleaning. And even though he didn't help create the mess he was a doll and helped me clean it up.
While he was home for the week I wanted more than anything to stay home and relax with him all day, but unfortunately I had to be a grown-up and do that "working" thing. In order to spend as much time together as possible Drew came to work everyday and picked me up and took me out to lunch. Although it wasn't in the budget, we were able to use gift certificates most of the days, and we considered it a worth while splurge.
It was simply wonderful to come home to my sweetheart everyday, and to roll over and see his precious face every morning when my alarm went off.
But this afternoon he left again for Away Rotation #3. Although I am going to miss him over the next four weeks, I will be able to visit him and this time there is a light at the end of the tunnel. When he left for his first away rotation, the thought of him being gone for three months seemed so long, and so daunting. Right now with eight weeks apart under our belt, four weeks seems like nothing. I'm hoping it will fly by.
As far as the residency application process, things are moving along. We have heard from 9 programs so far and have 8 interview offers and 1 rejection. Although eight seems like a large number, for neurosurgery it isn't. With a 60% match rate we are hoping for at least 18 interviews in order to better increase Drew's chances of matching.