Whew, finals time. The last couple weeks have been stressful checkouts and proficiencies -- proving to our instructors that we can perform all the tests and exams that we will be doing in clinic on real patients soon. (In two weeks! I'll be treating real patients in two weeks!) I had my huge horrible full exam check out last Friday -- it takes an 1 1/2 for all the tests. It's timed, with a professor literally leaning over your shoulder watching every single little thing you do, and documenting every mistake. Valerie can vouch for how long it is as she was kind enough to come out to school with me one day and let me practice on her. Good times, right Valerie? Anyway, I passed it ok even though I was unlucky and was assigned the second hardest patient in the pool. It was ugly, but I held it together and squeaked through. Fortunately my proctor was my favorite professor, so I think she was extra kind in her evaluation and felt bad for me with the difficult patient. :)

Today was another big hurdle, one that is notorious in our program. Today we had our lab where we learn ocular injections . That's needles in the eyes people. I had to both perform these tasks and sit as a patient for another nervous student. Ugh. No, actually it wasn't as bad as it sounds. But I'm glad it's done. And no black eye on me or my patient! Yay!

We had a saleswoman from CIBA vision come talk to us last week about colored contacts and she said their company has decided to let all of us students order a year's supply of free colored lenses. So I'm trying to pick some out. What color should I get? I'm thinking Pacific Blue or Jade Green. I want something dramatic enough that you can see a difference, but not too weirdly unnatural (like the purple?) Actually I really want a pair of the cat eye lenses. How cool are those? Can't say I'd be wearing them every day though. Would you go to an eye doctor with cat eyes? Heh heh!

Coming up in a couple weeks we have a "white coat ceremony" documenting our half-way point through the program and marking the transition from the classroom portion into the patient care portion of our education. We'll have some cheesey talks from our professors and be given our first professional white doctor's coat. I'll try to have Seth bring the camera so I can post a picture of me looking all smart-like. ;)

I'm also in the process of choosing my 4th year rotations which take place in 4 sites around the country. Or 3 sites actually, 1 is an interal rotation here within the optometry school that I have to do. My current top choices include a couple places in Arizona, one in Bend, Oregon, and one in Cheyenne, Wyoming. But I have no idea where I'll end up actually. It's all done by process of a lottery based on how many other students want to go to the same places I do. I'm trying to do sites that have a contact lens concentration, as I think that's going to be my focus.

Looking forward to my week break coming up here soon! I still have classes in the summer, but I think the stress will lift slightly. Until July or so anyway when I start freaking out over National Board Exams.

So that's about all from the land of eyeballs and spectacles.