The Stoeckers Tackle Medical School: SI -- WEEK TWENTY SEVEN

It's a new month - so let's chat about my rotation! I'm back at the VA in town working on the general medicine floors. This is the same rotation I did back in September but with a different team (all men!). My schedule will be working nearly every day of the month (I'll have 4 total days off) along with an all day-->night-->day shift every 6th day. This month I'll have two different attending doctors - so I'll learn some from each of their styles of practice. The boys on my team are also a fun mix: med-peds, radiation oncology, and internal medicine. Maybe that is all gibberish to you-- but basically there will be a lot of different perspectives to bounce around when we discuss plans of care.

Before I started back to work on Friday, T and I attended a Murder Mystery Mascarade on New Years Eve. This photo is the only evidence that it really happened:

Backing up even earlier in the week.. Travis and I drove across the state to Scottsbluff for my final residency interview. It took us about 7 hours to make the trek. The drive out was beautiful! We had super blue skies and great views of the bluffs:

When we got to town, we drove around to see the sights (including where we would attend church) then grabbed dinner from a bar. We ate in bed as we watched Divergent on HBO then the newest episode of The Librarians (I highly recommend both!).

The next morning, I awoke early and spent the morning interviewing with the program director and a resident. I took a tour of both the main hospital as well as the clinic where the residents work. It wasn't the best of weather.. this was my view in the morning as I left to drive up the hill to my interview:

Besides the slosh on my suit pants.. the day went great! T and I grabbed lunch at a local mexican restaurant and then we made the trek home! The drive home was basically pure white and terribly windy:

I really enjoyed my time in Scottsbluff and I would LOVE to live in the western part of the state. The weather, views, culture -- its all so different. Hours from the mountains? Yes please! Bluffs to hike and explore in town? Sounds great! T and I haven't finalized anything, but we are still expecting to preference Grand Island. I'll keep you updated!

The final thing to include in this post is pictures from R's birthday dinner that was just a few hours ago. We had La Casa Pizza, garlic bread, and homemade Madagascar Vanilla Bean Custard. Any guess which part I helped with? :)

The "vanilla caviar" that made the custard so delicious! Mmmm.. such delicious little specks!
Sorry I neglected to take a final picture!

It was a casual get-together with plenty of "R memories" to go around (that is the family tradition -everyone shares a memory of the person that is having the birthday). The best was the one shared by E when R cut up the shorts he was wearing and tried to deny his guilt.. as he was still holding the scissors.