Today was the first day of the clinical module of my 11-month Dietetic Internship. I'm doing my clinical rotations at New York-Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia and Cornell (NYP for short), and today was the first day of a full orientation week sometimes known as 'boot camp.'
Though, to me, it felt more like the first day of college. Most of the incoming interns in fact just graduated from college, and the majority of them still appeared to be ready vessels. During any of a number of repetitive introductions, I had the specific sense of being 'the interesting one', 'the older one', the only one with any kind of life before today. I don't reject all credit for an eventful life, but mostly I was the most interesting one of the lot by sheer virtue of earth years, and the inescapable accumulation of experiences.
The highlight of the day, perhaps, was the $6.25 daily meal allowance in the hospital cafeteria. And speaking of numbers, I also learned that the dormies are paying a whopping $230.00 in monthly rent ... on the upper east side, within one of the hospital buildings -- talk about a short commute.
To be honest, I am just glad to have crossed the threshhold of the heretofore apparition of the clinical module, and it's not so scary afterall. I was, even, slightly giddy on my way home. It didn't last long, though, and I was pooped by Jeopardy. I have about 3 books and 7 journal articles to review tonight on top of a heap of other work (including my thesis), but it's 1:30 AM, and there are but a handful of hours before I have to get up and head out the door in my white lab coat.
