Too Cool for School

so the last few days have been my last in the PA program. i'm now a graduated physician assistant and am one boards exam away from being licensed. all year i've been saying that i'm "practically a doctor, practically"....very soon (and for the rest of my days) i will simply be "practically a doctor." i'm good with that.

thursday night we had a party at a fun sports bar with all the students and our spouses and all the professors and theirs. it was nice to celebrate with everyone. emotional, thinking that these are the last occasions we'll ever have to all be together. i have a lot of great memories from working with and learning from my peers, and of course, my professors. but we ate and drank a lot and were generally very merry.

friday night was graduation. it was really nice. the speakers said many kind words about our class and were optimistic about our expected success as PA's. they're already begging money from us, since we're now alumni....which was mostly more funny than annoying....you'd think they would wait until we actually started paying off our debt we accrued from their exorbitant academic costs before hitting us up for cash, but alas.....i learned that we are the 800th graduates from our prestigious program (i wonder if all those alum are donating to the school?)...so there's an army of us out there- look out.

i got my official long white coat meaning that i'm not a student goofus anymore but a full grown real deal goofus. that's a major relief. i've been waiting a long time to have the backs of my knees covered. it's a nice coat, too. many pockets and a waist cinch thing. very high class. but it's a whole lot of blank white canvas... so i'm thinking about airbrushing a unicorn or something on the back. good idea? i thought so. and have i mentioned yet that i get to wear scrubs everyday in my new job?? i will only actually wear said coat when i'm rounding on patients on the floor, so most of my days it will be hanging in the PA surgical office fraternizing with the other coats.

my whole huge family and a bunch of friends came over/down/up from where they live to see me graduate-we had a little pre-grad party at the house with appetizers and my special super secret famous drink , then cake and champagne following the ceremony at school- then came back to my house for pizza after all that. so we did not starve. i have a wonderful family- both mine i was born to, and my husband's who adopted me. very supportive and loving, and generous. i got some amazing gifts- lots of financial assistance, but also chocolates-to-die-for, champagne, PA paraphernalia, beautiful jewelery...all kinds of good stuff. i told them i will just keep getting more degrees if this is the kind of loot i'm going to pull when i graduate. my husband did not find that amusing. i think he's really ready for me to have a normal schedule, normal routine, and a PAYCHECK. i couldn't agree more. he's been really gracious about me being a crabby, busy, ungrateful mooch- but i'm ready to be a little more functional member of our family.

so then all weekend i partied with friends who stayed in town following graduation....and today i hit the books. i have 4 days this week to study for the boards before my parents, my husband, and i leave for san fransisco and nappa valley next weekend. woo!! we'll be gone for 10 full days. so excited. then when i get back, i'll have 4 more days to study then i take the exam. it will be fine and i'll have plenty of time to get in all the review i plan on doing, but it's feeling a little closer and scarier now.

i think i'm going to try to blog while on vacation- so if you're interested in all the awesome wines and foods and beautiful destinations that san fran/napa has to offer, stay tuned.