Shoes and other adventures

The last couple of days this week were also really good--after Wednesday afternoon's experience doing things on my own, I basically just stepped up to do everything the third years were doing on Thursday and Friday.  And overall, things went really, really well.  I feel like I'm getting the hang of things and it all just comes relatively naturally.  I don't even get nervous walking in to visit the patients like I anticipated--everything just flows and I feel (again) like this is just my place in life.  

The only frustrating thing comes from the fact that the third years I'm working with are somewhat...well, just not very fun.  None of them want to do pediatrics (in fact, I'm pretty sure both of the guys are heading to ortho, and if you've ever heard of stereotypes in medicine, that should tell you something), and while I understand that it's probably been a long year for them and they're tired and all, they just seem so bored and out of it all the time.  It makes me hope I don't become jaded by the end of my clinical years and can actually still enjoy medicine as much then as I do now.  

Highlights of the past couple of days:

• I diagnosed a kid with strep throat!  Finally, a sick kid and a diagnosis that was overall pretty darn easy, since I've had it myself so many times.  
• Mostly saw a lot of well-baby checkups, but several were very, very cute.  
• Learned (and did) a couple of teenager check-ups and sports physical, including how to do the "turn your head and cough" and "safe sex/don't do drugs/don't be an idiot" discussion. 
• Saw a 16 month old baby who weighed upwards of 30 pounds and whose guardians informed me that feeding him a jug of juice every day was not the cause of his weight gain and diarrhea, and also that the idea that sleeping in the same bed with a small baby can kill them was "an old wives' tale."  *Bangs head against table.*  Even the doctor had trouble with that one. 
• Had the director of the clinic inform me that I was doing a really good job, especially for being only a second year (which she didn't realize prior to going over my note with me).  

Finally, the absolute highlight of the weekend was these:

which were originally $275 at the department store, where I have coveted them for a long, long time.  I had promised myself quite a while ago that once I graduated from med school and became a resident, upon receiving my very first pay check (the majority of which will all be spent entirely on paying off my inordinate student loans) I would head straight to the store and splurge, because they are not only lovely, but also the single most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever tried on.  Cole Haan got together with Nike to make a pair of pumps that feels like you're wearing tennis shoes, or perhaps walking on air.  Seriously, I have lusted after them.  So today, when I found them at TJ Maxx for a mere $50 (!!!!), I immediately purchased them.  And now, they sit in my closet, making me an incredibly happy camper.