Once more unto the breach, dear friends...

It is Sunday, 4:06 am. In 24 hours, I will likely be IN the hospital at this time.

So much to do.

Walking rounds at 5:45 am. (That means the my notes have to be DONE before then... before the intern's notes, as I've been told)

I am a sub-intern... an acting intern, if you will.
A medical student auditioning for surgery.

And I am terrified.

I go to Office Depot, and Staples, and Stop and Shop, hunting for supplies as if a storm is brewing.

At least, that's what my roommate said when he saw everything neatly laid out in the pantry.

In many ways, a storm is brewing.

Hurricane Surgery.

I outfit my white coat with equipment as if it's a flak jacket. I have my color-coded index cards (soon-to-be-punched), the mini color-coded index cards for meds, the binder rings for the index cards, the little book where I will keep my running tally of cases, my portable hand sanitizer, attached to an ID holder. I have my colorful scrub hat, and its backup (yes, I have a backup scrub hat). I have TED stockings, since rumor has it that they work for leg pain or something. I've checked out Sabiston's Textbook of Surgery (the book is massive, by the way) from the library, and have a discounted copy on the way.

I should sleep, but I can't.

Already informed the parents that they won't be seeing much of me for the month.

I'm trying to remind myself that I won't be seeing much of the sun for the month either.

I have this simple mission.... shine for the next 28 days... Just six words (or five, depending on how one views '28')

I suppose that I can't complain. After all, this is thing thing that I've been dying to do for years.

Let's see how it goes....

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.....