and the winner is....

...the school in Philly!



Those are pictures I took at the Museum of Art when I visited. It is at the top of the steps that Rocky ran up. :) I think it's an appropriate metaphor for the battle it takes to get into PA school. But maybe I should hold my breath and say that AFTER I finish school.

It came down to two things. First off, the education at this school is phenomenal. All the students love the program, and I've done a lot of reading on SDN (studentdoctornetwork) where they all love the school as well. Secondly, as much as I would love to get away from everyone and everything, I need the peace of mind of being closer to home in the event that something happens to any of my family members. It's horrible to think about the amount of debt I am going to end up in, but I can really see myself working in a rural area, and getting loan repayment that way. I figure that by the age of 30 I'll be debt free and making $75,000 a year, so that's not a bad predicament to be in. Besides, where else in life do you make a $120,000 investment that ends up being worth $2 million by the time you're done?

Goodness, that is quite a statement. Say that aloud. "When I'm 30..."

Oh, and the school also participates in the Medical School Basketball League in Philly. Enough said. :)!

The toughest part I think will be getting adjusted to being in the city. I would have much rather lived in the location of the other school because I truly appreciate fresh air and open spaces. As soon as I stepped into Philly I could already tell the difference in the air quality. I think it will be a good experience though, and challenging. Thankfully the school is pretty concerned about keeping students safe (although the school is in a good area to begin with), so that is comforting. I'm also very lucky in that I have a potential living situation already set up that eases any concerns of having to find a roommate and a good place to live.

Yeah. Living in the city is what I am probably the most concerned about.

Actually my acceptance is conditional on me passing the math class I am taking (which shouldn't be a problem, ha). I also figure I'll have more than enough time to go over basic anatomy before classes start. The biggest piece of advice that everyone gives is to enjoy non-school life as much as possible before school starts, because once it does you're sucked into the black hole of academia. However, gross anatomy is also the hardest (and first) class you take, so if you are going to study, get familiar with that. Thankfully I have the Netter's Anatomy Flashcards, and all my texts from undergrad. Origins, insertions, actions, and innervations...it is a great thing I learned all this once so it's not going to be so bad by the time school starts.

This weekend I'm heading to the Cape for some quiet time, and I am planning on detailing all my goals for the time between now and school starting. I want to make sure that I am entering the program with good habits all around--studying, exercise, and devotional. Quite honestly I'm not "in shape" in all those areas right now, and I want to make sure I can hit the ground running.





I'm already having doubts about my choice.

But I think that is to be expected?