Finished with 8 weeks surgery!!

So to those reading who are doing this will smallish or even not so smallish children, let me tell you that scheduling surgery during the summer months was a must. Now my 8 weeks was split into 4 weeks of a subspecialty and 4 weeks or general, but when we selected which 8 week time period it would be in we had no clue which would be first. I decided I wanted mine during the summer for two reasons: 1. I thought I was not that terribly interested in surgery (more on that relevation later) and 2. I had heard from upper classmen that general surgery hours could be brutal and I wanted it in the summer when the kids had less stuff going on than during the school year. I was so right on point 2. General surgery has to be by far the craziest rotation yet that I have experienced - but take that with a grain of salt becuase I am only on my 3rd rotation in and have not even come close to OB/GYN yet. I had to be at the hospital by 4:30ish to get all my prerounding and notes done by 6am rounds, then we were often there until 5 or 6 pm. I ended up staying closer to the hospital during the week and tehn coming home on the weekends. It was the hardest four weeks of my life. I missed my kids like crazy, and they were velcroed to me on the weekends when I did come home. Thankfully my husband switched his work schedule to alter in the day so they did not have to get up as early in the morning and my parents also helped out, but it was definitely a challenging 4 weeks. I can not imagine having to do that during a time when the kids were in school and there are many more after school commitments like sports, activities and homework to contend with. The biggest surprise of the entire rotation for me was the revelation that I actually like surgery - well orthopedic surgery that is. I ended up doing ortho first and I went in it expecting not to like it and to just survive. However, I ended up with a fabulous preceptor who was passionate about what he did and let me do things rather than sitting like a bump on a log or wall deecoration and I loved it. I loved the blend of clinic and procedures, I loved the office, and I loved the power tools!! :) This took me totally and completely by surprise becuase from day 1 I have always said no surgery for me - but I could completely see myself being an orthopedic surgeon. Dealing with the personalities one is bound to run into during the 5 years of residency is an entirely different question - but the end result is something I could do. I guess that is my other point. I know we all have inklings and ideas - but try to keep an open mind. I know at times this can be easier said than done, especially if you think you woudl enver do something or you could never do something. But you never know, you may run across something during your rotations that totally and completely takes you by surprise and opens your eyes to a possibility that you never thought of before or even considered. That is the point of all these rotations - that is the point of the experience of third year.