Hello, 11th Quarter!

Here it is . . . 11th quarter. All we have to study for are national boards. No clinic entrance nor exit exams to worry about. This is the cruise control quarter where we can fine tune our skills and focus our schedules. It's rather painful to creep back into yet another quarter after taking a fabulous 3 week vacation. Although I've been able to schedule most patients for their regular appointments, there are always alterations to the plans. After an F2 tornado ravaged our South Daytona Outreach Clinic which provides free services to underprivileged people, it was relocated within the walls of our Outpatient clinic. It's fantastic that we don't have to commute back and forth between the 2 clinics, but now our Pettibon rehab room has been displaced due to the Outreach clinic.

Temporarily, my patients can't utilize the cervical traction units prior to their adjustments. . . although the wobble chairs are still available. As a result, I've noticed that the patients who don't regularly rehab at home are much tighter before I adjust them.

I also came back to learn that I had lost 2 patients who decided to remain with the intern who had temporarily served them while I was out of town. But, I also gained a new patient (adolescent athlete with extremity pain after exercise) AND his mom who has scoliosis. I got another new patient this week, too. So, net gain = 1 patient. Ultimately, I get the opportunity to work with 3 new cases, and I'm excited about it.

I'm progressing with graduation requirements ahead of schedule, and I hope to get everything completed by March so that I can start working on my Chinese skills. I'm particularly scheduling all my patients within Tues & Wed with a few appointment times available Mon afternoon and Fri morning. Ultimately, this buys me an extra day in the weekend - - and I have built in time for working out and studying for boards. Last quarter, I was at the mercy of the schedule of the interns who transferred patients to me. Now that my academic schedule has changed, I have the opportunity to build the schedule the way I want it. Most patients seem to be able to get their appointments within the days and times I've specified. So, now I have no excuse to not get in my runs, swims, and other workouts!

Speaking of new workouts, tomorrow I'm going to check out the Flow Yoga class at the YMCA, and Heather (a 4-year member of the Ohio State women's rowing team) is going to help me with skills and techniques on the stationary rowing machine. Soon enough, she'll take me out on the Halifax River!!