From Half-assed Medical Student To Worldclass Cardiologist

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened today:

• I ran!!  I was a little disappointed when I discovered that I had run only 4.51km but I'm just 500m far from finally finding a 5km itinerary!! 
• I studied!! It's really easy to focus on studying in a dorm managed by nuns, I'm grateful for that!! 
• I took a "10 min nap" from 8pm to 9pm, it was very restoring, I feel like I could go on studying all night long now!! 

Ways I could have made today even better:

• Not eating so much at lunch...

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• Studying!! I'm falling more and more in love with EKG!! 

What I learned:

• I have a wonderful life!! It's not literally something I learnt, it just came to my mind during the afternoon..  

Productivity score:

• 7/10.. I definitely overestimate what I can do in a day...

Edited November 6, 2016 by Diane

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened today:

• It was a perfect day: I woke up at 6am, did my morning routine, went to work, had lunch and then went to the library where I actually studied. After that I went at the university canteen where I had very very satisfying dinner: sausage, French fries and some salad!! I am definitely not becoming a vegetarian, let's say I just won't eat meat every day as I used to at home.. Anyway I really can't describe how I felt in front of that meal!! What astonished me most was noticing that no more than 2 weeks ago the same meal wouldn't have meant nothing to me, I would have criticized every single morsel of it... Have I already said that I love my new life?! Because I do, a lot!!  Oh, and the cherry on the top of this wonderful day was a drink with some of my colleagues, I really don't know what more I could ask from life!! 
• I bought an oximeter from Amazon!! 
• It took me less than 5 minutes to write in my gratitude journal, normally it takes me at least 19 minutes...

Ways I could have made today even better:

• Studying something Cardiology-related.

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• No one in particular..

What I learned:

• To be more flexible.

Productivity score:

• I'll eliminate this point.. In the end what counts is that I always do something that brings me closer to becoming a world-class Cardiologist.. 

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened today:

• Little by little I'm taking on more responsibilities at work.. 
• I didn't give in to coffee..
• I meditated!! Instead of doing it in the morning I had put it off to when I came home.. I got back home later than planned and tired, in the past I would have just skipped it entirely as I also had other things to do..

Ways I could have made today even better:

• Studying.

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• No one in particular, again.. 

What I learned:

• Reaching my goals is not going to be the cakewalk I thought it would have been.. Tomorrow I'll be working from 8 to 8.. There are people who do it every day and also have a family to take care about, I need to remember that, sometimes I get too comfortable.. The mystery now is: will I make it without becoming addicted to coffee again??? Time will tell!! Or better, I will tell, I was forgetting that I actually have the power to decide how my life unfolds...  It's time to change my profile picture!! 

Edited November 8, 2016 by Diane

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened today:

• Maybe it's the 11 in the month of November but I am so lucky and blessed that I can barely take it!! Really, on Tuesday the lady who cleaned my room left me a blanket that I'll be using to cover my always cold legs while studying  (shall we also take a moment to reflect on the fact that I don't even have to clean the room I live in?!?!). And many other little things like that.. And tomorrow is 11-11!!
• I still haven't taken the habit of drinking coffee again, it feels amazing when I wake up after a nap, even if I also feel some guilt about taking one..
• I hanged out the laundry today!!  I decided not to pay for the drying as I had in the past weeks.. I felt so "normal" while doing that!! After hanging the clothes I also stood there looking at them as if it was something incredibly wonderful!! Then I seized how culture can definitely trick you.. This was just a little and insignificant thing, but realizing that some parts of me crave for being "normal" was pretty significant.. And I didn't even want to answer to the questions in the worksheet of the video "A rant against culture" at first... This is exactly what I was referring to as the little things that happen and make me stunned by my life!!

Ways I could have made today even better:

• Being more productive during the afternoon..

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• Studying!!  

What I learned:

• Being "abnormal" is not necessarily a bad thing.. I already knew it in theory but never felt it so directly...

Edited November 10, 2016 by Diane

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened today:

• Today was a good day at work too, after all it couldn't otherwise being 11-11!! 
• I studied during all the afternoon.
• I ended the day going out for a drink with some colleagues. The music was fantastic there and I loved the prosecco, I'm finally a prosecco girl again!! 
• The moon was magically beautiful tonight!! 

Ways I could have made today even better:

• Working out/running.

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• Studying.

What I learned:

• To prioritize.

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened today:

• One of the senior doctors I'm with described me as very prepared and tidy while talking to another doctor... 
• I'm literally living my dreamlife or at least the kind of life I imagined I would have as a doctor.. Today I came back home at 6.30pm even if normally I should finish at 2pm and tomorrow I'll be working from 8 to 8.. The great thing is that I'm not sorry about that at all!! As odd as it might sound I'm grateful for not having kids or pets to take care of.
• I've just had a beautiful chat with one of the girls here at the dorm while having lunch&dinner.. I'm very grateful for that too!! 

Ways I could have made today even better:

• Working out.

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• Giving my best at work.

What I learned:

• To believe in my deepest intuitions.

Edited November 12, 2016 by Diane

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened today:

• My first Sunday of work went very well! I'm no longer part of the caffeine free party though... Life is better with coffee, I can't deny it and I also have a lot to study... The surgeon I followed during the bar exam was totally right: you start studying seriously only after university...
• This video:

• My mum told me that it's not so important for her that I go back home for Christmas.. I definitely should do the exercises of the video "A rant against culture": I feel like I need to apologize/give an explanation for the fact that I'm not in such a hurry to go back home for Christmas and therefore being happy for the fact that I won't be hurting her if I don't go.. I'm perfectly fine where I am!! Bye bye "I should stay with my family on Christmas" statement!! 

Ways I could have made today even better:

• Working out.

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• Re-integrating coffee in my life.. At least now I am more conscious about my anxiety and I know how to "deal" with it..

What I learned:

• To compromise..

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened in the last two days today:

• I have the best tutor ever!! She's super nice with patients and to us residents too and she's very prepared!!!
• I'm finally beginning to feel more like a doctor than an illegitimately payed intern at the hospital..
• I love being a doctor!! Even if it's hard, and people suffer.

Ways I could have made these two days even better:

• Working out/running.

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• Studying.

What I learned:

• Not to complain about the life I've freely chosen.

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened today:

• I ran!!!  Apparenlty 8.77 I'm in 26 minutes.. 

 

Ways I could have made today even better:

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:
What I learned:

[askdfjnak]

22 hours ago, Diane said:

I ran!!!  Apparenlty 8.77 I'm in 26 minutes.. 

Did you mean 8.77 km in 26 minutes?

Jesus.

[Diane]

@Marc Schinkel I was half asleep while writing... I didn't even know I had posted it but yes, according to runtastic I did, we'll see if it's true on Sunday!! 

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened today:

• I've just read a wonderful phrase while browsing on Facebook, for once it sounds better in Italian than in English but I'll write it in English: the only thing between said and done is you!!
• I'm writing here, which is already a great thing!!
• The weather is wonderful in Sardinia!! It's almost December and I can sleep leaving the windows open...
• I worked out!!  It was a 5 min workout but still, I prevented my arms from wasting!! 

Ways I could have made today even better:

• Studying.

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• No one in particular.. 

What I learned:

• To dare to be different.

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened today:

• Today I went to a convention of the Italian Society of Internal Medicine. It's always good to breathe the air of a Congress, I definitely see myself talking at lots of them in the future!! 
• I finally started seriously re-reading Mastery by George Leonard. There's so many things I had overlooked the first time!! I think that in the end every single word of the book will be underscored/highlighted!! 
• I had the chance to wear my graduation's outfit again, lovely!! 

Ways I could have made today even better:

• Working out.

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• Learning something new about the "new" oral anticoagulants.

What I learned:

• To stay on my path. I'm starting to get comfortable here in Sardinia, there are many pros to staying here: the people, the weather and also the actual possibility to find a job rather easily as a specialist in Internal Medicine..

I had this song on my mind all day long, at first it was referred to literally staying here or going in Switzerland as planned, now I also viewed it as if it was Cardiology asking me this question, a silly question as it won't actually go away and if it does it will be only because I'll have gone so far away from it that I won't be hearing it calling me any more.. So the only thing to do now is to be grateful for the luck of being in a good place right now, as I am (grateful) and continue on my path. Good night!!

[askdfjnak]

On 18/11/2016 at 8:18 AM, Diane said:

@Marc Schinkel I was half asleep while writing... I didn't even know I had posted it but yes, according to runtastic I did, we'll see if it's true on Sunday!! 

No wonder you were tired lol, that's unbelievably fast.
Who was chasing you?

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened today:

• I ran!!  @Marc Schinkel I think there was something strange in my coffee that day, or runtastic was very generous in its estimates: today I ran 7.7 km in 40 minutes.. The great thing is that I know I could have done better, I'm sure I'll repeat/get to that time very soon!! If there was someone chasing me it would be the person I want to become, sometimes I really would like to go back in time and lit a fire under my past self!!
• I studied!! 
• It was a wonderful sunny day also today!! I don't know if I'll ever get used to it, neither why it moves me so much but it's indescribable opening the window and being hit with so much sunlight!! 

Ways I could have made today even better:

• Doing the few chores I have to do a little bit faster.

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• Studying!! And being ok with being different. I probably won't go home for Christmas, from society's point of view I should be sad for that, instead I'm totally ok with it, it's really a day like any other one..

What I learned:

• I can do more than I think!! 

Edited November 21, 2016 by Diane

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened today:

• I don't know where to begin.. If I was a song-writer I would write a love song to my life, something like this:

 

• I'm totally in love with my life!! Right now I'm listening to the song from this post, there must be something wrong with my internet connection or with my audio system that makes it go slower and it's even more lascivious!!! 
• Everything went well at work and I keep getting offered things, the colleague who paid the lunch for everyone didn't accept anything in return and after work another colleague paid my coffee.. I got the chance to do something similar for someone else though: a man I then found out was from Sudan tried to pay for me at the supermarket but I ended up paying for him, not because he didn't have the money of course!! Everything is circular, or better infinite.. I keep having this need to buy myself a ring with the symbol of the infinite upon it.. Until now I couldn't explain why in words, it was just a need. Now I have at least an image: things move on rails with an overall shape of the infinite.. What goes around comes around, even if this time the personal benefit came before the "investment".. But I'm getting off the point.. Long story short it was another great day: I woke up at 5:08 (), did my morning routine, worked out (it's already the third day in a row that I workout in the morning, bravo me!!!), went to work, had a coffee with a colleague after work and then went to the library where I didn't study..  I then had a super dinner to the university's cafeteria and now I'm finally writing here!! And it was yet another beautiful sunny day of course!!!  Ah, and Switzerland keeps calling me!! 
• I have the most loving mum ever!!!! 

Ways I could have made today even better:

• Studying.

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• Um, I'll be studying after I finish writing..

What I learned:

• Not to look for perfection, to be more accepting.

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened today:

• I was strange today, hormones I guess.. Sometimes you really can't do anything about it. I was anxious, energized and at times also depressed.. I had planned to run after work but in the end I came back home too late to do it and realizing it made me really frustrated, angry and sad at the same time.. The incredible thing was that during the afternoon I discovered I have to pay for the renewal of an insurance I don't need anymore and I accepted it without blinking an eye. So not being able to run pisses me off while having to pay for something I don't even know how I will able to afford has no effect on me. My priorities are definitely evolving, good!!  

 

• I materialize people!!  I was thinking about the guy I met the first time I went to the university cafeteria, looked up and there he was!! He was kind as the last time, he was even worried about my social life!! 
• This video:

•  I started using the app "Forest", it's like playing to one of those games I try to stay away from where you build cities and countries but with a benefit!! Yeah, one "shoud" be intrinsically motivated to do things but what about an extrinsic motivation I set up by myself?!  And there's also a timer for breaks on Forest!!

Ways I could have made today even better:

• Being more present.

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• 

What I learned:

• To be more open-minded.

[Diane]

(From yesterday night)

Amazing things that happened today:

• It was another great day!! I worked from 8 to 8.. I'm finally becoming a little bit useful at work.. I just have to pay attention to balance the rate between medicak and not medical things I do towards the medical side of the pendulum..
• I'll never be grateful enough for the great atmosphere I found at my workplace, it's amazing!!
• I trusted myself.

Ways I could have made today even better:

• Studying.

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• Confirming that Cardiologists are really VIPs!!! 

What I learned:

• To persist.

[Diane]

Amazing things that happened today:

• I discovered one new thing about myself: two myrtle drinks are too much for me!!  But the myrtle liqueur is so good!!! 
• I ran 8 km!! I'm still at 5 min per km but I also still feel that I can do better!! 
• I spent a great night out with two colleagues, soon to be friends: once you have booze with someone you can't but become friends!! 

Ways I could have made today even better:

• Studying and maybe not having a second drink.. 

Ways I got closer to becoming a wordclass Cardiologist:

• Becoming more aware of the fact that even if I'm not a specialist yet my opinions/intuitions in medical scenarios still matter and have value..

What learned:

• That I need to trust myself more and to stop acting like an intern/apprentice..

[Vercingetorix]

well shit, I was about to skip my run today but after seeing how much you accomplish every day I feel lazy and gonna run.

Anyway great journal with many interesting insights, very inspiring