Svikki MD
I officially wrapped up my first assignment as a locum physician! It was a great experience and I am glad I headed out to South Dakota for 6 months. Sure, it would’ve been even nicer in a non-pandemic world but even with a raging pandemic, I had a really good time.
Each assignment I do will teach me new things about life, medicine, travel, people, and so much more. Even though it was only my first assignment, I’ve learned a few things for future assignments.
- Luggage: I arrived at the airport in Rapid City back in October with a full suitcase, a full weekender bag, a full carry-on suitcase, and my purse. I left with the same amount of luggage. However, I shipped three medium-sized boxes of stuff to my dad’s and mom’s places. I really didn’t buy much on my own (except several books) but with Christmas and my birthday occurring during my assignment, a few extra items accumulated. Lesson learned: leave some breathing room in your luggage on the way there to allow for room for items that will accumulate.
- Wardrobe: I packed about two weeks’ worth of business casual clothing. Only a few items were for casual wear. I really should’ve asked what the dress code was, especially during a pandemic. I ended up wearing scrubs to work every day! At some point, I stopped wearing my fancy Fig scrubs because I didn’t want to have to run to the laundromat and do laundry constantly. So I wore hospital scrubs daily. I could’ve left all those business casual clothes at home which were most of the contents of my large suitcase. Lesson learned: inquire about dress code. If business casual is required, curate a week’s worth of wardrobe that mixes and matches to minimize items packed.
- Textbooks: I packed about 6 medical textbooks with the intention of working through them during the 6 months. I at least opened each book, some more than others. It was too many options though. I also packed several reference books. As you can imagine, this led to a pretty heavy weekender bag. Lesson learned: focus on 1 or 2 books to work through so it’s more realistic it’ll be done. I found that many of my reference books come with online access, so I activated them all and can access them through an app on my phone or computer in the future instead of schlepping them with me! Also, UpToDate is usually my first stop anyways… if you know, you know.
- Hobbies: similar to my textbook situation…I packed too many different art supplies: acrylic paints, watercolors, India ink pens, pastels. When faced with too many options, it felt intimidating to start anything legitimate. I did use some of the items for Christmas and Birthday cards but not enough to justify packing all those things. Lesson learned: limit art medium to 1 or 2 options and focus on improving those skills during the assignment.
Family Time
Due to the pandemic, friends and family weren’t as free to come to visit me in South Dakota as they otherwise may have been. Two friends did make it out and I am grateful for that. It was fun showing them the area. Now, I’m happy to have some time with my family before my next assignment starts.
Dairyland
I flew to Wisconsin from South Dakota to visit my father and his wife. It also happened to be Easter weekend so my father’s wife’s children plus partners came to visit. It was a great feeling being surrounded by a fully vaccinated crew of people (except the two small children… but children probably won’t have to wait too much longer to get vaccinated hopefully). The weather was gorgeous and we even went on a boat ride on the lake. I stepped into my role as Easter bunny once again (it has been a while) and hid the eggs for the kiddos. Being able to sit around a table and have conversations with people was so lovely.
After that weekend, I headed towards Ohio. I made a pitstop for the night at my friend/co-resident’s home about halfway along the route. She has an adorable golden retriever that loves to cuddle… bliss!
Buckeye State
Now, I’m spending time at my mom’s place in Ohio. We’ve had a couple of days of really nice weather. I’ve already visited my peeps at my residency. It in no way feels like I graduated 8 months ago. Talking with the other residents about their clinic schedules, I can still very viscerally feel the anxiety associated with 15-minute appointments, precepting, and trying to stay sane. It gets better, my friends!
My mother and I did a little Goodwill run yesterday. I’ve mentioned before how much I love thrift stores. The environmental benefit of reusing clothing, the wallet-friendly prices, and supporting local organizations are just a few of the perks. It’s also so fun not knowing what you’ll find! I found a viscose H&M dress that still had the original tag. The original cost of that dress was more than I spent on my whole purchase. The other purchases were a beautiful rayon jumpsuit from Lucky Brand, two super soft cotton tank tops from Old Navy, and a cotton pajama set from Victoria’s Secret. At retail prices, that would all cost at least $190 (estimated from a quick online search of comparable products on the company websites). I paid $27 for everything. Each piece fits perfectly into my existing wardrobe and fills a void.
I would rather go thrift shopping than go to a mall any day! Macklemore, hit me up!
mfg
