.. and the rest of the hospital stay was unremarkable..

Finally, I can once and for all hang up the blasted clerkship uniform, after a long tiring year filled with aches, pains, and new experiences. :)

Yes ladies and gentlemen, my clerkship is officially over (although it's about 4 days late because I still had to finish my Pedia OPD teaching with Dr. Rabago, which I did about two hours ago..)

I know it sounds cliché, but I never thought I'd see the day that I'd reach this point. And to tell you frankly, it feels GREAT!!!

It feels so good to be finally rid of the hospital once and for all.. well, maybe for the next couple of weeks.. But at least I'll be having my internship at another institution for a fresh change. :)

Some people frown on those "renegades" who opt to have their internship outside the safety of UST, but I say Phooey on them! I've gotten so saturated with the system that I need a breath of fresh air!

There are a lot of different reasons that influence one's choice of hospital for internship. For some, closeness to home is a big factor, as they might be fed up with being stuck in a dorm and miss the time that could be spent with family if they just came home everyday. For others, the relatively lighter load that some hospitals promise is a big come-on. These poor souls have probably been so drained during clerkship that it wouldn't hurt to get a little R&R before the boards. Still, others opt for a lot of action and "hands-on" experience, thus they go for those more toxic institutions like JRRMMC or UP-PGH. There are people who crave more "learning" or are just reluctant to leave UST, so they just stay. Then there are those whh want to just get away from UST with all the associated heartacjes and disappointments that happened throughout the year.

Looking back, can I say that it's been a good year?.. Well, I guess so.. Despite all the exhaustion and humbling experiences that go with being the lowest animal in the hospital, I was able to pick up a few things that would hopefully prepare me for what lies ahead...

I know I have so much backlog with respect to my clerkship stories, so I'll be finishing them up one by one shortly..