Thursday, April 16, 2009

Wait listed

Drexel offered me a spot on their wait list. I submitted the paperwork for that today. I don't know what position I am and they won't tell me. I'll just have to wait and see. I missed the deadline for the SLU scholarship, it's either 5000 or 10000 depending on how needy you and your family are. I forgot to submit tax documents, but I would only have qualified for 5000 maybe and it's offered every year so I'll just be out an extra 5000 if I get in to SLU. Oh well. I hear back from SLU in 2-4 weeks.

I went to clinic again last night. It was nice seeing all the Indonesian patients again, there were 3 that I had seen and translated for before. Indonesians are so easily familiar with other Indonesians even though we are still strangers. It's really nice.

I'm keepin' the fire burning!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Drexel decision

Drexel decision letters were mailed out Wednesday and I'm now waiting on it. A couple of my friends were waitlisted and a couple were accepted. The ones waitlisted were the people I thought would've been accepted, but I guessed wrong.

Mine should be coming tomorrow or Monday then. Can you feel the tension in the air?

Funny story, St Louis University is a Jesuit institution. The Jesuits are a Catholic group started by St Ignatius of Loyola. They did work in hospital and missionary work in Jerusalem. What's that got to do with me you ask? My middle name is Ignatius, I was raised denominationally Roman Catholic and I'm wanting to do hospital type work, applying to a Jesuit school, who follow the teachings and lessons of St Ignatius. I'm not one to believe in signs (actually I kinda am), but hey...

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

What I learned in Chinatown Clinic...or I've lost the will to blog and the only reason for this post is I'm high on scotch

Just finished another clinic. This one's not as depressing as the last one. Lemme tell you about the last one. So there's this lady that comes in complaining of severe headaches that she's had for years and years. Well there's nothing we can do because she would need MRI's and other procedures that cost $$$. She's not insured and she's not under any kind of emergency so she can't get insured. The best that we can do is give her a free women's health checkup...very important nonetheless. But the headaches she'll have to live with or get richers or die trying...is that a song?

If she were in the OC, she'd get MSI, but she's not and we're even more cash strapped here than the OC. Oh well, another one slipping through the cracks. Thats the first time I've seen someone not be able to get care first hand. In the OC, if you're poor and you know where to go, you would probably get better care than most people who are of a higher income class. At least that's what I saw.

Today, I saw a lady have pain from a subacromial bursitis. She'd had it for a year and gone to many doctors and never got it resolved. She was prescribed anti-inflammatories and other crap that never worked. It would hurt her to look left or right and it would hurt her to sleep and sit and it would hurt her to move her arm. She said her pain level was a 10 out of 10, although it might just be her playing the system. Our doc, who happened to be a rheumatologist examines her for a second and makes a diagnoses and injects lidocaine...a few minutes later this lady starts to feel better.

I also saw today someone with Bell's Palsy and possible TIA from hypertension and also severe headaches. He was supposed to get an MRI and therapy for the bell's palsy but he didnt have insurance, luckily this crisis was an emergency and we applied for emergency medical insurance that the state offers. Hopefully he'll have lowered his blood pressure which would also hopefully lessen the headaches by next week when he comes back. Oh and possible diabetic too.

I almost had to twist the arm of the lawyer lady to come and help one indo man fill out a form for his new medicaid insurance. But she was nice about it so everyone was happy.

I had glenmorangie 12 years old today, it was smoky and smooth. Very nice scotch. I have to find foods that go along with scotches, it just screams palate cleanser and I feel water is just too plain, although it works just fine. I also saw someone at the bar order cured salmon that was sliced very thinly and arranged in circles to make it look like a flower. I hear it was very delicious.

I had my St Louis University School of Medicine interview yesterday in St Louis...where else. It was very nice, school is very pretty with lots of greens and lots of pink blossoms. The city is very nice and very spread out. Overall a positive experience.

My dad is sick, his cold isn't getting better and now his mucous is yellow and green.

I have a paper to write now and then I'll go to bed, sorry for the lack of updates, I just don't feel like writing anything and don't really have anything to say. I'll post cell phone pictures of SLU soon...my camera battery died and the charger had conveniently forgotten to pack itself in my luggage and was therefore 900 miles away in Philly...yes I blame no one but the charger.

Shout out to my cuz, his bday is today, he's turning 16...two more years until he can drive!