Post Interview 1

My first interview went well, alhamdulillah. I think I mentioned earlier about the dinner the night before the interview…...it being right after thanksgiving only two candidates showed up(me and this one other guy) and it was just us and the chief resident. In a way it was good because it gave us a chance to get to know each other and for the chief resident to tell us about the program and answer our questions. The interview day itself started at seven and ended at one. I was the only international medical graduate amongst the 6 people interviewing that day…the rest were students from local universities in Michigan….a little intimidating as a couple of them had actually done a few rotations at this hospital and well, they seemed to know every one around. Anyways, two of them were really nice and it was fun talking to them as we awaited our turns for our respective interviews. I was interviewed by three people one of them was the chief resident ( yay ! Because he just told me he had gauged what he wanted to the night before and asked if I had any questions) The biggest selling point for this program would have to be the program director himself who went to great lengths to make one feel comfortable. I had liked this program instantly as I went through its website when I chose to apply to it. They are big on teaching, all the residents seemed happy, more than half their graduates go onto fellowship training and research is compulsory which helps a lot in fellowship placements down the line. The day ended with lunch with the residents. They also gave us these goody bags to take home..…brownie points there because they had a chocolate bar in them too! All in all, I must say it was a great experience…..I would probably have a better frame of reference as I interview at more places…but I did like what I saw at this particular program and for a community program it had some really impressive credentials. I am going to be in Detroit in January for another interview and I think I will probably go and visit this program again inshaAllah. I head out to Kentucky next….I am scheduled to interview at University of Kentucky on December 1st. It probably won’t be as laid back as my previous interview what with it being a university program(for the non medics…university programs are generally considered better than community programs and so their interviews are said to be more high profile too….I have my own reservations about this but I shall talk about that some other day). Its going to be quite a road trip as D and a cousin have decided to accompany me…..we’ll be driving down and it’ll be fun! After this I’ll have a week before my next interview which is just perfect timing because Maa is flying down from England to visit for exactly one week! I am very excited as this would be one time in the past two years when I’d be able to spend time with her without having to worry about some crappy exam! Thank you all for checking in on me…keep praying…Aya still has a long way to go! :)

Ever wonder how defence mechanisms come into play time and again....well,I have and it has always fascinated me.There is suppression,denial,projection,dissociation etc etc...all(apparent)unconscious props to reduce inner conflict.I was thinking the other day about how there are times when one just thinks...."what will be will be" or the entire kismet and karma rigamarole and of course (my favourite) God's will.It just occured to me that perhaps all the aforementioned were all defence mechanisms after all....not a happy thought this...because it made me realise that often I have resorted to the God's will stance without truly believing in it.Anyways,enough moroseness....current defence mechanism in play = compartmentalisation....putting all this in a seperate box and moving on.
I have my first interview scheduled for the 27th of November in Michigan.There is an informal dinner with the residents the night before....something to worry about a little because Aya's scoial skills may just have atrophied somewhat what with being the home bound creature that I have been of late.I had been erratcially scanning through potential interview questions, trying to brain storm answers and the sheer dumbness of some(ok most!)of the questions amazes me but oh well....lets see what comes of this.The only thing I am sure is good with all this is the suit that I got.I had initially just randomly picked one up because I got frustrated with having to shop(I hate shopping!) and in the days to follow I realised I didn't like it one bit.So, I returned it and found a much nicer one...alhamdulillah.Anyways,thats all the excitement(not!)that there is....you all pray(extra hard if you will) for me and I shall keep updating on how the interview trail treats me....hmm...how about I be a little optimistic here...make that... how I treat the interview trail? :)

p.s: Just realised...need to get shoes..ughh!

The Fall

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Scene: Aya goes to pick Saad up from Sunday school at the mosque a little later than usual on account of the pizza party organised after school.

Conversation between Aya and six/seven year old kid(holding a slice of pizza...tomato sauce dripping down) at the mosque entrance.

Aya: Assalamoalikum!Are you guys done with the pizza party?

Kid(gives a blank stare...hides Pizza behind back): uhhh...yeah,its over.If you run you might just be able to get a couple of slices....they have some left inside.

Aya: errr...thanks.

Aya gets Saad and wonders about why in the world would "Kid" fear Aya to be a "pizza snatcher"!

Tagged(again) by Sohnii

I am thinking about...how evil sohnii is to have tagged me...again!....but seriously...I was just thinking about how its November already and how this year has literally flown by.

I said..."Figure out where exactly you are taking the darn exam,woman!" to my best friend about five minutes ago.She takes an exam tomorrow morning and apparently has no clue where she needs to show up. (yes,I attribute part of my OCD to her nonchalance)

I should...go for a run soon.

I want to...get over being this lazy, good for nothing, jelly fish like creature that I've become of late!...hehe...ok, its not all THAT bad. Actually, I want to be able to teach at a medical school back home one day,inshaAllah.

I wish...my faith wasn't all that pendulumish and that I was more proactive in trying to make sure it remained at a more or less continous high ebb.

I miss...my dadi(gandmother),my sister Maa,my best friend,talking to this one other friend,Lahore...heck, I think I even miss my college!

I hear...chirping of the birds outside right now.

I wonder...if S(ok Saad) would ever love me as much as he loves D....hehe..(I know for a fact that he won't and yet I still wonder!)

I regret...hmmm...nothing as of now...alhamdulillah.

I am...me? ;)

I dance...umm..not.

I sing...I can't sing...and well...I don't!

I cry...quite easily,I think.

I am not always...optimistic.

I write...long e-mails filled with random ramblings.

I confuse...my spellings...is it recieve....or recEIve?hehe...also...people or pOEple?

I need...to have more confidence in myself.Oh and according to D I also need to be able to decipher if and when I am being taken for granted!

I should try...to be nicer to S and win him over!

I finish...what I start...most of the times.I don't like letting things hang in the middle.

Ok, this was hard!I tag anyone who wants to be tagged!...hehe..no pressure people!