To the student at un-named medical institution who gave me the best advice for medical school,

I will forget a lot of things in my life, but what you said on my interview day will stay with me longer than most of what I'm currently learning. You were a first-year at the time, having lunch with the interviewees, there to answer "any and all questions, without bias." One eager girl asked what one piece of advice you would give to incoming medical students. The other first-year gave some BS, mediocore response about not getting behind (gee...thanks captain obvious, you barely deserve the free chicken Caesar wrap you are eating).

But not you. You answered, "Don't hook up with your classmates"

Obviously some shit went down in your love life to make you say this. Was it an anatomy lab partner? Did you screw a girl over and now she won't give you her study guides or notes? Was there a class whore who everyone, including yourself, slept with and now there is a raging STD outbreak?

Regardless, you were spot on. Yes, we do have a few class couples who have worked out - they are amazingly perfect, the story will make a great toast at their wedding, blah, blah, blah. For the rest of us, it's a shit show. Forget relishing in the fact that you'll never have to see the person again as you sober up from a moral hangover after an awkward hook-up. You have to sit in a classroom for 40hrs every week with this person. It's like constantly getting slapped in the face. Then you have to worry about the other 123 people in the class and what rumors are starting on g-chat/facebook messaging/text messages because god-forbid anyone actually pay attention during said 40hrs of class time. Whoever invented the game telephone was sitting in a medical school class.

Let's say things get really crazy and you actually pursue a relationship with a fellow-classmate. Not only do you get to obsess about the normal relationship stuff, but now you can worry about who's in his/her study room. Is he/she ignoring you on g-chat? Did he/she linger on his/her partner's pubic symphysis during OPP? And like I mentioned above, there are 123 other people with nothing to do but notice these things too. Let's say it doesn't end well. Good luck getting over the person, you now have to spend 40+hrs a week with him or her. Obviously you wouldn't make the same mistake twice and start a relationship with another classmate, but let's say your ex does. Now you get to watch their love blossom in front of you. It's about as fun as a dry wedding.

So I am taking your advice. From now on, you can find me studying at the law school library. I think I was meant to marry a lawyer anyway.

xoxo,
Kate

I'm no Martha Stewart

I love cakes. Wedding cakes, birthday cakes, six-figure Bar Mitzvah/Sweet-16/Quinceanera cakes. I can sit and watch Ace of Cakes and Cake Boss for hours. When Sandra Lee creates a cake that serves as the center piece for her tablescape I am on cloud 9. I love to read blogs about cakes and day dream about the cakes I'll make for my children - while I'm serving their 4 layer Lego themed masterpiece and another mom asks me where I bought it, I will casually say "Oh, I made it."

Now to the point of my blog post (and it has nothing to do in medical school). Yesterday was L's birthday. And naturally, I was beyond excited to create a masterpiece.

I went to 3 different stores to get the appropriate supplies. Icing, tubes of decorative icing, sprinkles, candles, etc. L's favorite is the "white" cakes mix and it really does make a nice cake - it looks very clean. You use 1 1/4 cups water, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, and 3 egg whites. After 30 minutes and 6 broken eggs, I had my egg whites ready to go. Add the water, plug in the electric mixer and my two 8 inch round cakes were in the oven.

Fast forward an hour to allow for appropriate cooling time. After stacking the cakes (the top of the bottom cake sliced to create an even surface - the hours I've spent watching Food Network finally paid off), it was my time to shine. I had the "white confetti icing" and I took my time creating the perfect lines and swirls in the icing. Only to get half way done and run out of icing. Crap. Had to go to Harris Teeter and of course they didn't have the same icing. I purchased the "white, whipped and fluffy HT Traders special." Back at home I discover I have white and off-white icing. Crap. Now my cake is two-toned. Nothing decorations can't hide, right? So I go to use my decorative icing in a tube much like tooth paste for "easy decorating." As I'm reading the decorations I discover you need to purchase the decorative tips. Of course I didn't buy them. So now I am forced to decorate with a cylinder tube of hot pink icing. It resembles a turd. So I throw on copious amount of confetti and sprinkles and take a step back. I have been working on this cake for 4 hrs now.

Instead of looking like a masterpiece it looks like a clown threw up on it. The Gosselin kids could have done better. It might as well have been decorated by Helen Keller (too far?). Tears are welling up in my eyes

But, the party must go on. I transport the disaster over to L's, blasting the AC on high to prevent melting. Like it would have mattered. I walk into L's only to discover her friends have purchased a HT red velvet cake. Great. Now my disaster has to sit next to a professional cake for the evening. I'm sure my cake felt like it was being judged Mean Girls style. I tried to create a birthday cake throw down Bobby Flay style, but no one was interested. I think they didn't want to hurt my feelings.

I came home holding on to the fact that at least L had a good time. As I walked in the kitchen my mom asked my why 1/2 cup of vegetable oil was sitting on the counter. Oh, that's easy - I forgot one of the 3 ingredients. I thought it tasted different. FML.

So I will apologize to my kids now. You will be eating Shitty Kitty (that's Food Lion) sheet cakes for every birthday.

What's Hot and What's Not

What's Hotttt (sizzle sizzle)
- the amount of time I get to spend with L this month
- the average high temp of my current location
- thunderstorms
- my Pocahontas skin tone
- Real Housewives of NJ unseen footage airing tonight
- Texts from Last Night and Awkward Family Photos
- power walks
- my new apt
- spending time with peeps I don't get to see often
- Hoda and Kathie Lee
- recession gardens

What's Not (Brrr it's cold in here)
- that I can't find a headboard for my new apt
- my current state of insomnia
- the average high temp of the state I'm moving to
- cloudy weather preventing me from tanning
- preparing to move 800 miles away
- our society's obsession with MJ's death...can't we just limit playing his greatest hits on repeat to a late night dance party?
- orientation events that include a 2 day overnight camping and white water rafting trip
- squirrels that remove 20 green & growing tomatoes from one's recession garden, eat out the insides, and leave the skin

Thank you for being a friend

I came home last Friday to this...

An amazing arrangement of irises from two of my bf's from high school (B and B!) congratulating me on my med school decision. It was the sweetest thing and I honestly would not be where I am today without them. I have the best group of friends....friends from home, college, and post-college life. I treasure my friends and I can't imagine my life without them. And I will miss them terribly. Thank God for cell phones, email, text messages, and snail mail...and of course girlfriend weekends!

Now it's time to reward myself...

The last thing I need to be doing is shopping. I have a huge move coming up (800 miles if you failed to read below), no income for the next four years, and textbooks/stethoscopes/a computer/etc to buy. Not to mention paying the tuition for med school for the next four years. But of course, all I can think about is shopping. I need to reward myself, right?

Here are some items I've been eyeing:


I have been in the market for a huge cocktail ring and I think this would be perfect. And it will add some flare and compliment my basically all-black wardrobe.


L, I know you have them, but I honestly start to drool every time I see them. Probably not the most practical shoe purchase for school, but they are so me. And they go with the ring above! (side note - you know I'm going to wear driving mocs with my scrubs!)

After watching J copy and paste this morning, I'm pretty much sold. And I do love saying "I got an app for that."

Now that I think about it, all 3 look great together! Maybe I should get one last splurge in....

My new Alma Mater

You may find it odd that for a blog about my journey in medical school I have yet to mention the actual school I am attending. Well, the wait is over. Sorta. Actually, I'm not going to tell you. Since I am blogging on the interwire for anyone and everyone to read, I thought it would be best to keep that a secret. Of course, for the 4 people that actually read this blog, you know me and you know where I am going to school. Let's call it our dirty little secret.

What I can tell you is that I didn't know until this past Monday that I was attending said school. I was on the waitlist. I had been accepted and sent a deposit (which I now think of as a very generous donation) to another school, that lets just say, wasn't ideal. I know I shouldn't complain about being waitlisted, it is better than getting rejected, but its pretty terrible. It's amazing how many times you can refresh your email and check your phone in a day. You want to look for a roommate or a place to live? Well you can't, because your plans could change at any moment. It's also fun to explain to everyone, "well, I've been accepted at school X, but I'm waitlisted at school Y."

What I can tell you about my future Alma mater is that it's 800 miles from where I currently live. It's a 13 hour and 40 minute drive. The difference in the high temperature for today between where I currently live and where I'm going is 30 degrees. It's gonna be a bit of change, to say the least. It will be the farthest I have ever lived from home.

But, I am thrilled. And beyond excited. And kinda nervous. A little anxious. And sad to be so far from friends and family. But a new adventure awaits!

Sunday Funday

I hated Sundays in college. The alcohol, lack-of-sleep, and moral hangover from going out Thursday through Saturday would lure me into my bed or the tv room to watch endless hours of the food network or Love Actually. But instead, I forced myself to spend the day in the library. Quick break for dinner and on a good day I'd be home by 9pm for Desperate Housewives. There was always stress, sorority exec meetings, and planning the week ahead.

Fast forward to today. I've been out of college for 2 years and Sunday is now my second favorite day of the week (sorry Sunday, you're never touching Friday). I no longer have 10+ hours of school work, meetings, etc. On Sundays, I can do anything. Shopping, brunching, laying out, reading, napping. And this may sound odd, but I love Sunday laundry and grocery shopping. I would much rather plan out dinners and lunches than study schedules and meetings with professors. Today, was an ideal Sunday.

11:00am - woke up refreshed and well-rested
11:30am - short run
12:00pm - grocery store trip
12:30 - 3:00pm - Pool time
3:00 - 4:30pm - Saks Off Fifth Outlet with my aunt and cousin, S (sadly unsuccessful, but my bank account considered it a success)
4:30 - 6:00pm - Pool time II
6:00 - now - cooking curry and artichoke chicken salad, laundry (I love sleeping in fresh sheets!), catchin' up on blogs, watching tv, and an early evening to get my beauty rest for my 2nd to last week of work!

Sadly, I know its only a matter of time (try weeks) until I return to college style Sundays. I think as I typed this a part of me died on the inside.

Goodbye Sunday Funday, I'll miss you!