“Here’s a Pretty Mess”.

Kyle has asked me to “[blog] about [my] troubles….pour yourself a cup of tea and think about the bubbles…”. Before I get to my pretty mess I just wanted to put up something a bit lighter and less life changing (although it could be if I really thought hard about it but I don’t want to). I had a fun time at my bridal shower last Saturday. More people than I was expecting showed up and then I kept getting showered with gifts all this week. Last night I was told that I had more coming too. That makes me feel special and a little less nervous about getting married in three and a half months. Next week I’m headed to Alabama for the regional BBB Convention. I’m excited. I do still have to do a short write up as president on what our chapter has been doing this year and present it before committee (yikes). Ok. I’m sure this stuff is proly boring you so I’ll go ahead and talk about my pretty mess now.

Ok. As you know I’ve been applying to medschools this year. Back last April I took the MCAT, last June-July I filled out my primary application through the AMCAS and then the secondary applications and sent them off before December. I had originally applied to seven schools and now I’m down to three that are still currently reviewing my application. Here’s where it starts to get a bit anxious.

The deadlines for the applications were in January and the normal times when the schools invite students to come interview is between February and April (most ending in March). The deadline for holding your spot in a matriculating class is about mid-May. I started to get nervous about mid March and really nervous about the end of March. So I decided to email the schools and ask what my application status was. When I didn’t hear anything from the schools via email, I called the next Monday. Penn State and Drexel said they would be sending out more letters this month (April) and I still haven’t heard anything from Temple.

Then Kyle and I sat down for a discussion and planning stuff.
Plan A – I get into medschool, we move there and my school takes priority over Kyle’s.
Plan B – I don’t get in, we move to South Hamilton, MA where Kyle’s seminary is and his school takes priority over work and I reapply to school.

Then it started to get a bit messy.

Last Friday when I attended the GlaxoSmithKline Women in Science Scholars Meeting, the last speaker talked about Masters of Public Health Programs. I had never heard of these programs that work with the administrative aspects of medical health care as well as things like epidemiology and maternal and child health care. Here’s another layer. Yesterday, Wednesday, I received a letter from Drexel asking me to apply to their Masters of Public Health Program. From the letter it sounded like I would not be invited for an interview there (but I may be wrong) and I was a very strong and likely candidate for their MPH program. They sent me a release form for my medschool application and file to be reviewed by the MPH admissions office as well as the medschool admission office.

For those of you who know me, you know that I’m really good at administrating. I’m aslo good at teaching and making sense out of medical terms for the normal person. I think it would be a waste if I didn’t have some training in administration. Also, many people who either are physicians or want to be physicians are starting to get MPH degrees as well. In the letter, Drexel stressed that people with MPH degrees (which is a two year masters program) have a gone on to get their MD degree as well ( that is…if they don’t have it already). Kyle and I both agree that and MPH degree is a step in the right direction for me personally. I’ve been going towards the nebulous goal of “medicine”for so long that I haven’t sat down and clearly defined what it is that actually want to do as well as I should have. I know that I would like to be a primary care physician but I also would like to be involved with administration and possibly teaching normal people what different thing mean when their doctors talk to them in medical jargon.

Here’s the quandary: who’s school take’s priority? Mine or his?

We talked about it last night and I think we’ve come up with a solution. I’m applying to two different MPH programs. The first one is the one at Drexel, who asked me to apply, and the other is at The Boston University School of Medicine – Masters of Public Heath Department. If we can both be in school at the same time, we would be happier. If I get into Boston MPH, that would probably be ideal (unless I get into medschool), but getting in to Drexel would be all right as well since there is a local seminary that has promise…Kyle just needs to check out their stuff some more. If I get into medschool for this fall, I do think that I am still going to pursure an MPH as well. The degree seems to be well suited for who I am and what I would like to be involved.

Now all I have to do is finish the Boston application before the deadline next week. 😮 It’s due the 15th of April for starting this coming September. I did a lot of it last night but I still have to call them about recommendation letters, send my MCAT scores and official transcript, and finish my online application and personal statement. If you remember, I’m going out of town next week for the BBB Convention and will be in Alabama for the deadline. So, I’m trying to work quickly to get it all finished by Saturday.

We would both appreciate any prayers and advice you would send our way…

Peace and Blessings.

>

Think About Your Troubles

> – Harry Nilsson

> Sit beside the breakfast table
Think about your troubles
Pour yourself a cup of tea
And think about the bubbles
You can take your teardrops
And drop them in a teacup
Take them down to the riverside
And throw them over the side
To be swept up by a current
And taken to the ocean
To be eaten by some fishes
Who were eaten by some fishes
And swallowed by a whale
Who grew so old
He decomposed
He died and left his body
To the bottom of the ocean
Now everybody knows
That when a body decomposes
The basic elements
Are given back to the ocean
And the sea does what it oughta
And soon there’s salty water
*(That’s not too good for drinking)*
‘Cause it tastes just like a teardrop
*(So they run it through a filter)*
And it comes out from a faucet
*(And is poured into a teapot)*
Which is just about to bubble
Now think about your troubles

Author: KB French

Formerly many things, including theology student, mime, jr. high Latin teacher, and Army logistics officer. Currently in the National Guard, and employed as a civilian... somewhere View all posts by KB French