Externship Day One

After staying up late packing my things, I got up very early so that I could head to externship.

I was nervous as Adam, Tia and I drove to Pawtucket.

Adam's lovely girlfriend, willingly made sure Adam and I got out to our externship on time.

And despite the traffic, it really only took us like 45-50 minutes to get there.

Today was freaking boring.

Which I suppose is just the way things go sometimes.

Dr. B (our preceptor) talked for a really long time this morning.

And I tried very hard not to fall asleep.

Especially since she kept direct eye contact with me the entire time, like she was daring me to start to doze as she talked. But I fought hard to stay awake. I shifted my position, sat up really straight, tapped my foot, and anything else I thought that might keep me from nodding off. 

But as Dr. B talked about seeing patients, the anxiety I had been feeling started to wain.

Fillings? I feel pretty prepared for that. And a little excited. Sure I have lots to learn. But I feel capable.

Dr. B talks a lot though. But I'm gonna do my best to find her mannerisms quirky instead of annoying.

Dr. B had a meeting after lunch and told us to play with the charting programs. 

But you can only pretend chart for so long.

Then we met a few of the assistants.

I'm determined to remember their names in record time.

I wished that we could go back to our apartments.

But instead we spent the majority of the afternoon reading magazines.

It was insanely boring.

But I know that days like this will dwindle as externship continues.

When Dr. B finally let us go (and by that I mean, she pretty much forgot/ignored us all afternoon so the other doctors said we should say goodbye to her and get the heck out of dodge), we headed back to the apartments.

This is where we live.

Yup, we live in an old victorian house.

Of course the space is divided into smaller living quarters. And I have the small cozy apartment and Adam has the larger one down the hall from me. 

I'm not one to be creeped out, but Pawtucket is a little unnerving so far. 

Its so quiet. And there are loads of sketchy people around.

Even for me, with my diminished sense of fear, I feel a little uneasy being out, by myself, in the dark.

And I think as long as that feeling remains, I'll try to play it a little safe.

Its weird though. Because even though I'm technically alone in Boston, I feel even more secluded here in Pawtucket. And I know that the situation isn't all that different. Boston. Pawtucket. I'm on my own in both places. But right now it feels different. 

I guess its just the new-place jitters I have.