Pediatrics is a heart breaking rotation for me.  There is just something about sick children that softens everyone's heart.  It has been quite busy since coming back from the States for a much needed Spring break.  There hasn't been much time for catching up with old friends from the past or even with my friends here.  Maybe it is just coincidence for me, but everyone in my team were female.  I felt out of place.  The attending, residents, pharmacist, nurses, and the other 2 students were all female.  It doesn't help that the other 2 students have little toddlers of their own.  I had no idea how to handle kids coming into this rotation. 

I am now doing Emerge shifts at the children's hospital, which gives me a little bit of free time because I get some time off after a night shift.  Millions of kids coughing in my face, gastroenteritis, fractures, and suturing lacerations are the bread and butter of the children's emergency dept.  Now that the Swine Flu has arrived, parents have been freaking out by the sniffles more so than ever, especially if they know someone who had just went to Mexico for Spring break.  I'm fine with suturing wounds, but not when the kid's mom, dad, grandma, and my attending are staring. 

Peds residents are some of the nicest that I have ever met.  While I was up on the wards, they played Jeopardy with us clerks, bought us coffee, made us breakfast on the last day, and checks and makes comments on my progress notes. 

Now that i have a little bit of free time in between my emerge shifts, i gotta set up my US electives in the Fall.  I'm planning to go to Chicago or Indiana.  Also, prepare for my USMLE step 2 and look up US residency programs.  I've been feeling overwhelmed since the day i started here.  I thought things would be better after I did the USMLE step 1, but no, it has gotten worse.  How i love med school here.