Intern Year Survival Guide: Meal Prep

Intern Year Survival Guide: Meal Prep 

Despite the moments in the early seasons of Grey's Anatomy when the interns seem to have time to throw crazy parties and go on ridiculous dates outside the hospital, the truth about intern year as a surgical resident is that there are days when the only thing there's time for is work and sleep.

On those days, there's nothing that can replace the joy of coming home to a homemade meal instead of microwaving a burrito.

I am a big fan of the cook once and eat for days strategy. If you're going to bother to pull out all the pots and pans, why not make 12 meals instead of just 1?

I've found that there are a lot of secrets to a good meal prep session that will get you through a whole week (or two) of crazy shifts. The good news is that with some practice and only a couple hours you can put together enough food to last you days and days.

WHAT YOU NEED 
The key to any good meal prep is having lots of containers that fit single serving sizes. If you have to take the meals to work, the containers should be well-sealed.
I always use glass containers because I think that plastic often stains or collects weird smells. ALSO if you use glass containers, when I come home and want to just pop a dinner in the oven, I don't have to get anymore dishes dirty, I just throw the whole thing in the oven and then eat right out of it. Fewer things to clean = more time to sleep!

My meal prep requirements for packing
>> Lots of mason jars (I like the wide mouthed pint jars for salads and fruit and I use the mini sized mason jars for dressing, hummus, granola, etc).
>> Good quality single, serving size glass containers -- I'm using pyrex snapware containers at home. No spillage, easy to clean, highly recommend.
>> Ziplock bags for single serving snacks
>> Additional tupperware for meals prepped in large quantities that can be eaten at home.

THE MENU
The first step to any successful meal prep is the menu.
This may take some trial and error on your part to find recipes that easily can be made in advance. You'll find things you like that keep well and are easy to portion.
Some of my favorites
>> Quinoa salads -- excellent lunches, just toss quinoa with your favorite veggies and protein (my favorites: chickpeas, tofu, lentils) and make a bunch of dressing (or use store bought dressing) to package on the side
>> Pasta dishes -- lasagnas can be made in rolls, packaged individually and baked day of eating, meat or veggie pasta sauces can be made and pasta boiled separately and reheated day of
>> Tacos -- make all the taco filling and just reheat and toss in some taco shells the day of dinner
>> Premade salads -- just put the dressing on the side
>>Things cooked in sauce -- this is a really broad category I use for when you cook any protein in a sauce that you can reheat and toss on veggies or rice (like chickpeas cooked in curry sauce you toss on reheated rice!)

I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START
If you have no idea where to start on meal prep, try just making these things
> 1 or 2 grains premade (precook your quinoa and boil some pasta ahead of time)
> A big batch of sauteed or roasted vegetables (as a side for your main dish or tossed into a salad). Just pick whatever you like or is in season!
> Prepped proteins (bake your tofu, roast your chickpeas, boil your black beans, bake your chicken, etc).
> Chopped up fruit (perfect side dish for breakfasts)
> Fresh veggies cut in bags for snacks
> Small packages of nuts/dried fruit for snacks (alternately use granola bars, or your other favorite high protein snack)

WAIT... BUT HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE 
Generally, I spend about 2-3 hours on a day off doing meal prep to get meals for a whole week (some of this time includes cleaning and baking so it's more downtime). I also use my meal prep time as my time to watch Netflix, make phone calls, or listen to podcasts. It's a relaxing part of my weekend (but I like cooking...).
I've been doing meal prep for some time so I have it down to a science, don't be surprised if the first time you do it takes you a little longer. You'll learn how to do multitasking that will make it end up going much quicker!

HOW DO I MAKE IT GO FASTER
Easy, do things that need to take the longest time first!
I toss the rice into my rice cooker first thing so it's cooking while I do other things. I work on the dish that needs an hour to bake first so it goes right in the oven.
If you're pressed for time, use short cuts!! If I know I'm really going to only have an hour or two to do meal prep, I buy precooked frozen quinoa from trader joes or will spend a little extra money to buy presliced veggies to save myself a couple extra minutes.

BUT... IS IT EXPENSIVE?
Up front, your grocery bill may seem a bit steep... but remember that if you don't end up picking up take out you save a bunch of money!

OKAY, I'M ON BOARD, BUT I NEED AN EXAMPLE 
Right now, since Sweetheart isn't here, I'm just cooking for one person. That means I only cook about 3 meals a week and eat those three things for lunch and dinner and then have breakfasts.
Lunch and dinner (2 meals per day x 7 days a week = 14 meals = 3 meals with 4-5 servings per meal).
Simple?

So here's what I made last week as an example:
Disclaimer before I start -- I don't follow any specific diet plan/count calories/etc -- I just eat what makes me feel good. I use a lot of plant based protein sources with very little meat/dairy. It's just what I find to be easy, cheap, and stores well!

Breakfasts:
1) Homemade chia pudding with cooked fruit
--For the chia pudding: Mix 1 can of coconut milk with chia seeds and chill until thickened (total prep time 2 minutes)
--For the cooked fruit: open bags of frozen raspberries, strawberries, and cherries and cook with a small amount of water until a thin, jam type substance forms (total prep time 2 minutes, total cook time 30 minutes)
2) Coconut milk yogurts with fruit and granola: Package individual servings of granola and fruit (total prep time 5-10 minutes depending on whether or not your fruit requires cutting)

Lunches:
1) Quinoa salad: Cook quinoa, mix with a can of precooked lentils, chop scallions, zucchini, herbs, and dried cherries. Mix up homemade balsamic dressing. (total prep time 15 minutes, total cook time 45 minutes) -- start your quinoa at the beginning of the cook prep
2)  Leftovers from dinners

Dinners:
1) Raw veggie panzanella: Slice up bread into cubes, toast with olive oil and salt, dice up fresh cherry tomatoes, corn, and cucumber. Roast chickpeas. (total prep time 20 minutes, total cook time 30 minutes). Add fresh mozarella balls if desired. Use the same dressing you used for the quinoa salad.
2) Veggie and black bean enchiladas: Saute up remainder of random vegetables in your fridge (zucchini, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, etc)  and mix with canned black beans. Layer between corn tortillas with enchillada sauce and bake in large pan or layer or in individual dishes. (total prep time 30 minutes, total cook time 1 hour) -- make this first so it can bake while you make the rest of the meals

Snacks:
1) Packs of nuts
2) Bags with fresh snap peas

With some quick planning, you see how all this could be mixed up in a couple hours and baked off while packaging other meals or doing dishes.

WHAT ARE THE SECRETS?
1) Having a good plan before you go shopping -- figure out what you might need so you don't have to make 18 trips to the store
2) Reuse -- once I know I'm going to make a quick dressing for one meal, I'll plan two meals that can use the same salad dressing
3) Plan a couple of meals that can use precooked ingredients for speed (like yogurts for lunch or using a premade pasta sauce to go with the roasted veggie pasta).
4) Start the things that take the longest first -- the worst thing is to get to the end of your meal prep and realize that you haven't put in the dish that takes an hour to cook. Do those things first.
5) Practice. The first time you do a meal prep it will take you a little longer than you'd like. Don't give up, you'll get faster and faster every time you do this and the delayed gratification of having a meal to come home to every night is amazing!!

MASTER LEVEL PREP
If I have some extra time here are some fun things I like to add to my meal prep
1) Homemade iced tea packaged in single serving bottles to make my lunch more exciting
2) Something special for breakfast -- muffins/breakfast burritos/etc
3) Prep a special dessert for yourself -- add a batch of brownies or cookies to your prep
4) Do a "half-prep" -- prep all the ingredients for a sandwich and spend the additional 2 minutes in the morning to put it all together before you go to work. This can make your meals a little more exciting if you can't make something because it would get ruined by siting premade for 5-7 days.

Despite the work of doing all the cooking up front, I save so much time the rest of the week by just being able to grab my meals and walk out the door every day or toss something in the oven to reheat while I workout or take a quick shower after I get ready.

This meal prep can easily be adapted for more than one person. It might involve some extra time to make more than one meal or the same amount of time if you just make your meals in a larger batch. OR you can always include the other people eating your meals in the prep and make it go faster!!

Intern year is ridiculously hard, make it easier on yourself by having ready made meals for those nights when you're too tired to cook!

Happy eating!

Weekly Update June 5 - 11

The Week in Review 

One week into residency and already a day late getting this written -- at least you guys know what to expect.

Before I delve into talking about my week this week, I wanted to take a second to talk about the incredible tragedy that happened in Orlando a few days ago. I've spent a long time trying to get together the words to talk about how I feel -- but I just don't have them. There are no words for the incredible loss each and every one of those 50 families must be feeling right now. There are no words for the loss of a friend, child, spouse.

I cannot find the words because they do not exist.

I cannot find the words to say to my friends and loved ones who are members of the LGBTQ community. There are no words for the fear that someone could take your life out of hatred. There are no words to realize that for every step forward there are still steps back.

My heart breaks for the families and friends who will never get to hold the person they love again. I have watched people die in the ER from gunshot wounds. I have seen young people bleed out as doctors and nurses fought to save their lives. I have seen families fall to the floor as the news is given to them of life cut short too soon.

I have no words for the loss any family must feel for a loved one lost to violence.

I do not have words to say to those families. And one day, it may be me, in the ER giving the news to a family who will bury a loved one lost to violence -- I hope on that day I do have something to say. But even more than that -- I hope I never have to have something to say -- I hope the violence stops.

~~

This was my first week as an official resident physician. I have a long white coat and a badge hanging next to my door. But none of it feels real. I know that I am less than 7 days away from my first shift and that thought terrifies me.

I've met so many new people in the last week that it will take me weeks to sort out all the names and faces. For someone who's not particularly good at meeting new people and not adept at social interaction, the endless social events and small talk has been tiring! I'm trying really hard to be more outgoing and social, but it's always a relief at the end of the day to come home and be relieved of the need to be extraverted for hours!! I am much better at talking to people in professional situations -- social situations are much harder for me. Is there a secret I could learn? No. Just practice. Fine.

We're two weeks away from Sweetheart being here for his away rotation! I am already planning a couple of fun things for us to do on days off, but mostly we're looking at just being excited to share five minutes together at the end of the day when we're both exhausted from work. Being a two doctor household means that "couple time" has a whole different meaning!! Haha.

The Week in Photos 

flower delivery from Sweetheart / long white coat / brunch with new lady interns / hair bow / reading about vascular surgery 

Reading 

Mostly I'm reading about ATLS right now.... but I'm still reading a couple pages of Carry On by Rainbow Rowell every night. It's an excellent fun book very reminiscent of Harry Potter. 

Listening 

I've been listening to a lot of spotify playlists that are for "focus". I haven't identified anything particular that I can recommend because mostly it's just playing in the background! 

3 Things

• Programable coffee makers are a MUST for anyone starting residency. Nothing like hearing the coffee brewing when you're waking up. 
• There was an incredible rain and lightning storm for the last couple hours, but now it's clearing and the clouds are perfect purple and pink. I tried to take a picture... but the colors just aren't turning out right, so you'll have to take my word for it. 
• I found kale pesto hummus at whole foods yesterday and have eaten almost the whole container in 24 hours... this is dangerous

Loving from Around the Internet 

Since I've been so obsessed with make ahead meals the last two weeks, I've been thinking about trying this Blueberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal for a quick breakfast! Anyone tried baked oatmeal before? 

Weekly Update May 29 - June 4

The Week in Review 

Where do we start? This time last week I was in Europe and now I am sitting in a completely unpacked apartment in new ResidencyCity. It's hard to wrap my mind around all the things that happened in the last week from a trans-atlantic flight, to a two day car trip, to unpacking a thousand boxes and moving dozens of pieces of furniture.

And now, it's just me. Just me alone in this new and strange city with only two days left until I'm supposed to go be a resident. I thought that orientation was supposed to start tomorrow, but luckily realized that I had misread the calendar and I actually start on Wednesday, so I had a couple of extra days to get used to being here.

Sweetheart and I have managed the first couple weeks of this new long distance thing, but it's hard when I wake up in the morning and want to roll over to see him or fall asleep at night and miss snuggling. Skype and cell phones can replace a lot, but they can't replace just being in the same room as someone. I used to be really good at living alone, the silence didn't bother me, but I've become much less used to the quiet and the loneliness.

The new apartment is absolutely beautiful and came together so well. I'm so happy to feel like it's an excellent, comfortable, and functional space that will serve me well in the next year. It would be nice if it would stay as clean and organized as it is now through all of intern year -- but I know that will never happen! Ha.

I'm planning on doing a video or photo walk through when I get the chance -- but since everything really JUST finished getting unpacked it might take me a day or two. But I'd love to show you all around while it's still beautiful!

The Week in Photos

cute little duck not too far from the hospital / brand new apartment kitchen / bed in progress / amazing granola from a new favorite brunch place / heartland sky

Reading 
I just finished reading Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald which was a really interesting semi-historical piece! I fell in love with Great Gatsby in high school and this was an excellent piece about the lives of the Fitzgeralds, the prohibition era, and dysfunctional relationships.

Listening 
Everyone needs some upbeat music when they're moving and unpacking and working, and I found myself again and again flipping through to listen to this incredibly old album by Regina Specktor that I hadn't heard since college

3 Things

• I really like IKEA but I am also really glad that I won't have to go back to it for a long time (I hope). 
• I am not handy the way the love of my life is, when I had a fuse blow the other day I had to have Sweetheart walk me through how to fix it on the phone. Good to make him feel needed. (I did get it fixed though with direction!)
• I cooked the first meal in the new apartment today (red lentil dal with cilantro brown basmati rice) -- then I had a glass of wine with dinner to celebrate. All about the small things. 

Loving from Around the Internet 

I am completely loving this recipe I made for dinner tonight from Oh She Glows -- a super healthy and delicious meal you can make in a huge batch and have plenty leftover for later in the week! My new favorite recipes will all make extra so I can cook once and eat three or four times! 

Weekly Update May 22 - 28

The Week in Review 

Everything I own is currently sitting on a truck headed to my new home for the next seven years. Meanwhile, I'm sitting on a train streaking through the English countryside. The entire experience of coming to Europe is always a bit surreal for me, but never as surreal as being in the UK. Everyone here speaks the same language and walking down the street I can spot many of the same chains I'm accustomed to at home, but there are constant reminders that this is the world I'm used to only turned slightly sideways. My accent, foreign, my proclivity to always look the wrong direction first when checking which way to cross the road, stupid, and my requirement to always take a second longer to count unfamiliar change out to a cashier, silly.

London has changed a lot in the ten years since I was last here. No offense, Londoners, but the entire town is much more reminiscent of New York City than it was before. Although, my ability to get a decent cup of tea at any restaurant I walk into definitely means it edges out NYC in my list of favorite places. My idea of travel involves lots of wandering, I manage to do a lot of the touristy destinations when I go somewhere (Buckingham palace, Westminister, etc) but always try to do them at off hours and leave the rest of the day for simply wandering. I, however, will happily spend hours instead of any history or science museum in existence. Probably my favorite part of travel is spending time in the climate controlled halls of museums filled with pieces of a place I will never visit. Just my own strange fascination with museums -- probably makes me a less than exciting travel companion. To be honest though, I think anyone who thinks they couldn't spend three days inside the British Museum alone is a complete liar. We also made our way down to see a play at the Globe Theater -- a moment that satisfied the theater nerd still living inside of me.

The weather in London held out for us, allowing us to do lots of walking and wandering, easily hoping on and off the Underground. We scored some perfect afternoon tea and scones in a small cafe and managed to get a couple of excellent beers in dark, crowded pubs. I feel like we definitely had the London experience.

We picked up a train at King's Cross, snagging photos at Platform 9 3/4 before heading to Edinburgh. Edinburgh, being the original place where my mother's side of the family hails from, felt strangely familiar though I'd never been there before. It was raining and rather cold when we arrived, and hauling luggage to the hotel was quite an ordeal. I wouldn't recommend anyone come to Edinburgh who is not in good enough shape to carry their bag up hundreds of stairs. The next morning offered us more rain, which allowed us to see Edinburgh Castle in an entirely Scottish experience. Luckily, the next day, the sun managed to escape for a bit to demonstrate Scotland in all its glory. We sampled the local delicacy (scotch of course!) and made more time for tea and scones (what else). Only a few days there afforded us not enough time to really see everything we would have liked, but I think we could have found months worth of amusement in the city.

We've returned to London, though only for a few hours before we'll be back at Heathrow and headed back stateside. I'll be arriving there, only to leave in a matter of hours on a long, long, long road trip to my new residency home. Only one more of these weekly updates left before I'll be writing them from in the middle of residency.

Cheers from the UK my dears

The Week in Snapshots 

British museum / the globe / the queen?? (Jk) / platform 9 3/4 / proper tea and scones / sunny Edinburgh

Reading
I had a lovely read of Nick Hornby's About a Boy on the train to and from Edinburgh. I'm firmly of the opinion that Hornby's books should only be consumed on planes, trains, or in the backs of cars on long road trips. Anytime I come across a new one in a used bookshop, I pick it up and set it aside for just this reason.

Listening
I have to confess to you all that I haven't really listened to much music on this trip, walking around so much with my brother means I haven't been sitting around working and listening to anything. So no new recommendations for the week -- though I was able to hear some impressively loud music from the bar near our hotel last night -- who knew you could play traditionally Scottish music with a dub step beat.

3 Things
> I've decided that it's entirely unreasonable that I can't have cookies and tea every day at 3 o'clock. Once I start residency I'm going to file an official petition for mandatory resident tea time.
> Sweetheart and I are officially through the first week of the start of our year of long distance relationship. Luckily, we'll be seeing each other again in only three weeks. I miss him already. <3 I know so many people who do at least a year of long distance in medical relationships -- but just because it's the norm doesn't make it easier to miss someone!
> I am not in the least bit excited for the next week of unpacking, trying to go to the DMV,  doing residency paperwork, figuring out a new city, and being slightly jet lagged on top of all of it. If you have the means to mail me a cup of coffee -- please do so now!!!!

Loving from Around the Internet
Spotty wifi and limited cellular data means I've been quite behind on my internet reading as well. So I'll spare you all from reading something else this week.

Weekly Update April 24 - 30th

The Week in Review

I spent most of the week avoiding studying for ACLS. But the good news is that I am officially ACLS certified. I am not convinced that I will ever be comfortable running a code by myself. I guess that's why residency is 5 years, right? I'm trying to get a thousand little projects done before I have to leave, everything from making decorations and save the dates for our wedding to to packing up boxes of stuff for the new apartment. Some of you have probably figured out that we're not getting married till May of NEXT year. So why am I doing all this work so early?? Two words: SURGICAL RESIDENCY. There is no way I will have time to cut wine bottles down to vases and individually make dozens and dozens of save the dates after June.

Sweetheart's had quite a cold for the last couple of days -- but being his normal self he's been completely unwilling to take time off or relax or sleep -- you know the things that will help you get over a cold. I love him, even for all his stubbornness. But send some well wishes that he'll feel better in spite of himself.

The Week in Snapshots

Working on Save the Dates / Cut wine bottles for some vases for our wedding table decorations / healthy oatmeal breakfasts to get through these long days / Cute boxes to propose to my bridesmaids!


Reading
This sequel to House of God has been sitting on my shelf for months. Now that I'm several pages into it, I can't believe I waited this long to pick it up!

Listening 
Hamilton. Just all the Hamilton all the time.

3 Things

• I know that all these little DIY touches to our wedding will turn out AMAZING but I'm definitely getting lost in all the little details of it. 
• Our dishwasher exploded, literally. We're hoping the new one gets delivered tomorrow. I'm tired of hand washing all our forks and coffee mugs. I'm realizing now how many mugs I use a day. 
• I certainly feel like I don't own that much stuff... but packing it up has been a proof of just HOW MUCH STUFF I OWN! 

Loving from Around the Internet 

I just picked up this amazing bath bomb from Lush and promptly used it the same day I bought it. I cannot recommend it enough. I felt like a freaking Midsummer Night's Dream fairy floating around in all the rose petals and pink. 

Weekly Update April 3 - 9

The Week in Review 
I can hardly believe that we're at the end of another week.

Med school (and residency I'm starting to see) is one long to do list that you never get to the bottom of. I remember in high school or college when I would make a to do list and even if spanned a whole page, somehow I could manage to get everything done and still have time to kick back at the end of the day and relax.

I NEVER get there anymore. Instead I work furiously trying to get to the end of the list, give up with a few things still on it, and kick back anyway. (Priorities, right?). Sometimes no matter how much you do, there will never be enough hours in the day.

I know that often do more by lunch than lots of people will do in their entire day. I'll get up, answer emails, study, workout, clean, get ready, run an errand, get some residency paperwork done, etc. But somehow I look up and it's 11:00 at night and my notebook is still filled with unfinished items.

If anyone has a time turner, consider this my formal request for one.

The Week in Snapshots

Cute new slippers courtesy of Sweetheart / Matcha pistachio ice cream / Climb days / Chicken pot pie / Sweetheart finding creepy stuffed animals while thrifting / Run days / Thrifting for days

So apparently the links don't show up for some of you for my book and music recs each week! I've formatted them differently this time, I hope it works now! :)

Reading
Okay, so this isn't fair because it isn't technically out yet...

BUT HAVE YOU GUYS PREORDERED THE NEW HARRY POTTER???

In case the time turner reference earlier wasn't enough of a cue for y'all, I am now, always have been, and always will be a huge Harry Potter fan.

Listening
I've been listening to this album by the Mountain Goats a lot the last couple days. I will sometimes go weeks without listening to a Mountain Goats song and then will binge on them for days and days. If you've never indulged in the beauty that is the lyrics written by John Darnielle... well... get on it.

3 Things

• I am so incredibly close to finally finishing this blanket that I've been kitting for the last month and a half. I'm getting ridiculously anxious to have it done. 
• I went for the most ridiculous climb today, by the end of it I could hardly lift my arms up to reach the last couple holds. I then made the mistake of coming home to make risotto -- too much stirring. 
• The #NoSleepTillResidency watch continues. Mostly I just lay awake and think about how close I am to being a real resident. Eek! 

Loving from Around the Internet

Last week I talked about these hoodies recommended to me. Well, I took the liberty of ordering myself one, guys. AND OH MY GOODNESS. I have not taken it off since I got it. I'm often not one to buy into the hype of things.... but this is SO WORTH THE HYPE. If you have any doubts about spending a bunch of money on a hoodie-- leave those doubts behind. I am convinced that I could wear this thing every single day and never again have to worry about it falling apart. I'll probably be living in it come residency.

The Week in Review 

We celebrated Sweetheart's birthday a few days early because he'll be working nights on his actual birthday. I took the chance to make him a birthday pie. I really appreciate that neither he or I are traditional birthday cake people. My mom has been making chocolate mousse for my birthday since I was a kid. I hated cake.

I've since recovered from my loathing of cake. But I'll still pick pie or cookies or most other desserts over cake any day.

I feel like I've been working through long lists of things to get done. I've run shopping errands getting more work clothes, looking at apartments online, sending off my licensing paperwork. But no matter how much work I seem to get done I feel like I'm not doing enough every day.

Additionally, the preparation for residency has lead to me to develop severe insomnia. I completely fail to sleep at night these days. I just lie there and think about the fact that I'm supposed to start residency in two months!! It's awful. Then I stress out about not sleeping because of how sleep deprived I'll be in a few months.

On nights when I do sleep, I have extraordinarily strange dreams. Last night I had a dream I was hiding dogs from Batman, had a dream I was pregnant and trying to get my OB to explain how that could have happened, and had a dream people I knew were telling me what day they would die. I won't belabor this point because there's nothing as boring as other people's dreams -- but either I don't sleep or I just wake up really confused! 


The Week in Snapshots 

Muffins / Happy birthday / Birthday Pie / Wedding DIY

Reading

I'm still working on this book -- it's really excellent I just need time to finish it off!

Listening 

Guess who has a new EP -- my favorite!!

3 Things

• I love the birthdays of people I love -- but I hate my own birthday. I spend hours picking out gifts for other people. I love trying to come up with or make a perfect gift. But I hate when people make a fuss about my birthday -- I mean I didn't do anything! 
• I have to retake BLS this week so I can then go get my ACLS certification. Aye. All the pre-residency things to do. 
• I have finally finished half of my knitting project. It only took me a month to get this far, but I'm getting faster and faster. Hoping to have it done in two and a half more weeks. 

Loving from Around the Internet 

I had these hoodies recommended to me by a friend -- while they run a little on the pricey side I've been told they're worth EVERY penny. I just ordered one for myself -- review in the coming weeks. (P.S. Click through and I think it should give you $15 off!)

The Week in Review

Thursday was the last day I would ever go to class as a fourth year medical student! Don't worry, my duties as a medical student are far from over and include several teaching engagements in the next month to keep me busy. It's hard to believe that four years and suddenly it's all over.

I'm starting to realize how many things I have to do before residency. From finding an apartment in my new city to working on invitations for our wedding to going on a trip with my brother, I am going to have FAR from a restful two months before I am set to start residency.

I've got to fit some downtime in somewhere. I'm hoping to get lots of running in, get through all the books I own before I have no time to read next year, and maybe even do some "studying" about surgery issues so I don't completely forget everything I know. (We'll see about that last one).

The Week in Snapshots

Wedding crafting / Sweetheart rocking those pancake skills / Our last day of med school ever / Celebratory gelato / Awesome vegetable lasagna / Breakfast of champions

Reading

Listening 
My listening recommendation this week is not a song, but instead a podcast. If you all have never heard the hilarity that is Dear John and Hank, a podcast by the Green brothers, I highly recommend it. You can find it a million places, including on iTunes podcasts or here on Soundcloud.

3 Things

• I purchased a plane ticket for after graduation and realized I could put "Dr" in the box where I usually put "Ms". 
• I've officially knitted about 60 rows of this project I've been working on. I've also realized I have about 50 more hours of work on this project before it's done. 
• I recently read a study that showed that surgeons who play video games have fewer complications in laparoscopic surgery than those who don't -- considering using this as an excuse to play Sweetheart's XBOX. 

Loving from Around the Internet 
This really fancy coffee maker I want to buy for myself... except I don't have $200 to spend on a coffee maker right now.

The Week in Review

On Friday I opened an amazing envelope.

That envelope told me that not only was I going to be a doctor with a job next year -- I was going to get to be a doctor with a job at my #1 pick. I matched at my top choice for residency!!

The unfinished sentence I told you about on Friday has suddenly come to a period and now a thousand new sentences have started up. I have a million things to do. I have a new apartment to find, I have paperwork to do, I have a whole new life to start in only a few weeks. It's really hard to believe. I am really excited to be sharing this journey with you all as we go along.

The Week in Snapshots

I matched / chocolate bailey's cupcakes / I tried on my wedding dress!! / surgery studying

Reading 

Favorite Song

3 Things

• I'm trying for the first time to knit a blanket. I bought a TON of yarn on Amazon and have started the process. Send me good wishes. We'll see how this goes. I am by no means a champion knitter. 
• We cleaned our whole house in an hour this morning. It was such a nice thing to do on a Sunday morning (after pancakes of course!). Maybe we'll keep doing it?
• I already have a to-do list a mile long for this week, but I'm hoping to swing a recipe and maybe even a vlog somewhere in there. 

Loving from Around the Internet 
This adorable ModCloth dress!!! Why does it have to be $100 more than I have right now??

Weekly Update March 13 (belatedly written on March 14)

The Week in Review
Last week I delayed on writing my weekly update post because I was sick and just wasn't feeling up to it. This week, however, I delayed writing until today because I wanted to have some real news to give you all.

Now I have that news.

I MATCHED!!! Today I found out that I had successfully matched. I will have a job next year. I don't know where that job will be quite yet (I'll find out on Friday), but I do know that after four years of acquiring this non-transferable skill set I will have a job as a surgeon next year.

It still feels surreal to me. Like there's no way that in a few short months I will go from being Lady Kay Almost MD to Lady Kay Actually MD. That people will actually have to call me doctor. It hasn't sunk in yet. I don't think it's going to sink in even on Friday morning when I open the envelope.

In other, less exciting news this week, Sweetheart has been quite sick the last couple days (today worse than previously). We think he may have picked up croup or walking pneumonia from working in clinic. Poor guy. :( The only upside was he was too sick to go into work today and got to be home when I opened the MATCH email. I keep trying to bully him into going in and getting seen at urgent care or student health (no luck so far, but I'm going to keep bullying). The key is to be more stubborn than your spouse to be.


The Week in Snapshots

Matched / Hiking adventures / Pi day quiche / Spring has sprung / More hiking adventures


Reading

I honestly haven't started a new book after finishing When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi-- I haven't been able to commit myself to anything after the world changing last few pages of that book. Give me a few days to recover.


Favorite Song of the Week

One of my good friends pointed out that this was the perfect song while waiting for Match results -- I haven't stopped listening to it since then.

To-Dos and Goals for the Week
- MATCH successfully -- check
- Figure out where I matched -- waiting till Friday

That's pretty much the only goals this whole week.

3 Things 
- I matched -- did I mention, I matched?!
- After growing up in the Southwest, I am firmly of the opinion that the consumption of huge amounts of spicy food is the cure for all URIs, so I made quite the spicy green chile bacon quiche for dinner tonight in hopes of making Sweetheart feel better.
- I bought a special bottle of wine when I was a first year medical student. I opened it tonight as celebration for getting a job for the next 5-7 years. It's as delicious as I thought. Four years of waiting tastes good.

Loving from Around the Internet 
These gorgeous (and fairly affordable) wedding dresses from BHLDN. Any other brides to be out there completely in love with these styles?

Migration Season

Photo: Snow geese in Boulder, CO


There are lot of changes coming in my life. Strange changes I'm not sure I'm entirely ready for like my rapidly approaching graduation day (less than three months away!) and transition from LadyKay (almost) MD to LadyKay (actually) MD and my move from girlfriend to fiancé and next year to wife.

But here's one change I'm really ready for: a whole blog upgrade.

A lot of you have probably noticed that I haven't been as active on tumblr over the last few months. Between interviews and traveling for the holidays, blogging, photographing, and vlogging have really fallen by the wayside.

NO LONGER!

I got asked frequently over on tumblr if I planned to continue blogging into the future as I started up residency -- the answer is of course, yes! But just as I change and grow, I think it's time for this blog to change a little bit as well. I can hardly believe it's been a 6 year journey over on tumblr, one I've been immensely thankful for, but one that I am ready to leave behind in favor of a more "blog" style blog.

Never fear, tumblies, you all will continue to receive updates both as I will link posts from this blog there on tumblr AND of course, how else could I follow and reblog from all my amazing #medblr friends?

The good news about this migration is I plan to do more real blogging over here than I did on tumblr. With an easier to use format, I'm hoping to have more structured posts about:

• Essays
• Recipes
• Advice about medicine/surgery
• Weekly updates 
• Photos
• Fashion in medicine
• Thoughts on balance in medicine 
• just... more... 

What my years on tumblr have been lacking is the discipline to sit down and blog in a way that functions more like my journaling does.

I'm excited for this next step as we go forward and hope that I can continue to do here what I've done for so long on tumblr: show the honest, human pieces of one journey through medicine.