#459

12 hours to noon, I finished my last trauma shift. Only 4 more emergency room shifts to go, 2 of which are in pediatrics. Got to see the Mercy Flight helipad for the first time and was amazed at how straight-forward performing CPR is. I actually remembered my certification course. Oh, and I think I did well with the bag mask ventilation - squeeze...count to five...squeeze...count to five...All in all, a heroic night for my resident, although I thought you were supposed to have man-made accidents on St. Patrick's Day, not heart attacks.

At 4.5 hours to noon, I got a good luck text from the Blog Sidekick.

At 30 minutes to noon, I got a frantic phone call from a friend who thought I was going to miss the festivities.

At 15 minutes to noon, we laughed and cheered while we played "The Price is Right." (I did not win a prize.)

At 2 minutes to noon, we tried to sustain a drum roll with our feet but failed.

At 20 seconds to noon, the countdown began.

At noon on the dot, we rushed forward and grabbed our envelopes.

At noon plus thirty seconds, I had Tom on the phone.

At noon plus forty seconds, I still hadn't figured out how to read my letter. The text was so small...and then, there it was, in teeny tiny letters:

My first choice residency program, somewhere in NYC.

I'd like to thank everyone who reads this blog (in addition to my friends and family), for putting up with poor writing and bad moods as I made my way to becoming a pediatrician. I hope to keep fighting the good fight.