Chief among them to my (now former) roommate Chris and his new wife Megan! They were married Saturday at Megan's church in Vermont and are currently honeymooning someplace a lot warmer than Buffalo. I wish them a long and blessed life together!
Ellen and I traveled to the outskirts of Boston last week to spend Thanksgiving with my father, brother and grandmother. While we were there, she competed in the annual Turkey Trot 5k in Braintree. Not only did she eclipse her goal of a sub-7:30 mile pace, but Ellen also blew away all the competition! She won her age group by a comfortable thirty second margin against a sizable field (there were 600 competitors across all age groups). Way to go Ellen! Complete results can be found here.
Moving into professional sports, Derek Jeter was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year today. A fitting cap to yet another distinguished season, and a far cry from the New Jersey Nets' newfound immortality. They are currently tied for the worst-ever start to an NBA season, and if they lose again on Wednesday, the record will be all theirs.
In other news, the first snowfall is being forecast for tonight into tomorrow. I'm curious to see the "Lake Effect" in action . . .
About Me
- Robert
- I'm a 2009 graduate of Dartmouth College who loves Jesus, my wife and all things Northeast.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
'Tis the season
Christmas seems to come earlier every year, or at least Christmas season does. It was not long ago that radio stations would mark the Thanksgiving holiday by pausing their regular programming and playing Christmas music 24/7 until December 26. But last Tuesday (November 17!), I noticed that several local radio stations had started the carol carousel. Amusingly, some competing radio stations began promoting themselves with slogans like, "Think it's too early for Christmas music? So do we . . ." It's not that I dislike Christmas music; on the contrary, I adore it. I look forward to when radio stations begin playing it. The trouble, though, is that there's a big risk of becoming desensitized by the time the big day arrives. Five weeks of nonstop Christmas carols will transform anticipation and novelty into oversaturation, and what could be worse than being sick of Christmas carols on Christmas??
On a more positive note, this is a good time to be a chess fan (as if there were ever a bad time). The New York Knights upset the New Jersey Knockouts last week, catapulting themselves into the championship match for the second time in franchise history. Their first finals appearance came in 2006, when they lost to the San Francisco Mechanics in a tiebreaker. This year they're poised to win it all, with only the dangerous Miami Sharks standing between the Knights and chess glory. The championship match will be played on Monday, December 7 at 7 pm.
To tide you over between now and then, the chess world has offered the World Blitz Championship, which ended Wednesday, and the World Cup, which began on Saturday. Ten Americans embarked for Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia, to play in the World Cup, although only four of them advanced past the first round. Grandmasters Gata Kamsky, Alexander Onischuk, Alexander Shabalov and Varuzhan Akobian will all do battle tomorrow in Round 2. Good luck to them, and congratulations to all who competed! As for the World Blitz, it was won by 18-year old Magnus Carlsen of Norway, who has unofficially taken over the number-one world ranking. I thought I was a big deal for holding the #13 spot in the USA for my age group when I was 18; Carlsen's accomplishments put mine in perspective, to state it mildly.
Paramedic school continues to go well; I completed Stage I of my clinicals yesterday with another shift in the Emergency Department. There are five stages of clinical in all, with each one built around time in the ED but including various other, unique locations. Clinical I had the operating room and morgue, for example, while Clinical IV will rotate us through the psych center and burn unit. In the classroom, we began Pulmonology/Cardiology today, which includes EKG monitoring and Advanced Cardiac Life Support and will take us through the end of 2009. After that will come EMS Operations, Medical Emergencies II (we do Medical Emergencies I later in the year for some reason), Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Trauma.
Happy Thanksgiving!
On a more positive note, this is a good time to be a chess fan (as if there were ever a bad time). The New York Knights upset the New Jersey Knockouts last week, catapulting themselves into the championship match for the second time in franchise history. Their first finals appearance came in 2006, when they lost to the San Francisco Mechanics in a tiebreaker. This year they're poised to win it all, with only the dangerous Miami Sharks standing between the Knights and chess glory. The championship match will be played on Monday, December 7 at 7 pm.
To tide you over between now and then, the chess world has offered the World Blitz Championship, which ended Wednesday, and the World Cup, which began on Saturday. Ten Americans embarked for Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia, to play in the World Cup, although only four of them advanced past the first round. Grandmasters Gata Kamsky, Alexander Onischuk, Alexander Shabalov and Varuzhan Akobian will all do battle tomorrow in Round 2. Good luck to them, and congratulations to all who competed! As for the World Blitz, it was won by 18-year old Magnus Carlsen of Norway, who has unofficially taken over the number-one world ranking. I thought I was a big deal for holding the #13 spot in the USA for my age group when I was 18; Carlsen's accomplishments put mine in perspective, to state it mildly.
Paramedic school continues to go well; I completed Stage I of my clinicals yesterday with another shift in the Emergency Department. There are five stages of clinical in all, with each one built around time in the ED but including various other, unique locations. Clinical I had the operating room and morgue, for example, while Clinical IV will rotate us through the psych center and burn unit. In the classroom, we began Pulmonology/Cardiology today, which includes EKG monitoring and Advanced Cardiac Life Support and will take us through the end of 2009. After that will come EMS Operations, Medical Emergencies II (we do Medical Emergencies I later in the year for some reason), Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Trauma.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Knights victorious
The New York Knights upset the Boston Blitz in the U.S. Chess League quarterfinals last week by a score of 2.5-1.5. Grandmasters Giorgi Kacheishvili and Pascal Charbonneau defeated Boston GMs Larry Christiansen and Eugene Perelshteyn, respectively, while Yaacov Norowitz drew with Ilya Krasik and Matt Herman (whom I defeated in the 2005 World Open) was the lone Knight to fall, losing a endgame against Vadim Matirosov. The Knights face an even bigger hurdle this week in the form of the top-seeded New Jersey Knockouts. I hope they wear their upset caps on Wednesday, because the championship game is just one victory away!
I had my first Emergency Department rotation on Saturday, and it was a terrific experience. My preceptor was extremely friendly, and I spent the bulk of my eight-hour rotation following her around as she moved from patient to patient. She was great about letting me perform procedures; I spoke to a paramedic student from the night class who said his preceptor didn't let him do anything until almost halfway through the shift. For me, though, all of the nurses got in on the act: Whenever there was blood to draw, medicine to give or an IV to start, someone would always come looking for me (they liked having someone so eager to do their work for them!).
One of the highlights of my ED rotation was the patient who somehow came under the impression that I was a physician (my clinical uniform says STUDENT in two different locations). Every time I talked to him, he would answer with, "Yes, doc" or "No, doc." I thought little of it--"Doc" is a fairly generic moniker, after all--until he was discharged near the end of my shift. He made a point of coming over to me, shaking my hand and somberly intoning, "Thank you again for everything, Doctor." As I shook his hand and watched him walk away, too surprised to reply, I heard a soft thud behind me as my preceptor hit the floor, rolling with laughter.
In other news, the college basketball season is starting to get underway. Go Big Green!
I had my first Emergency Department rotation on Saturday, and it was a terrific experience. My preceptor was extremely friendly, and I spent the bulk of my eight-hour rotation following her around as she moved from patient to patient. She was great about letting me perform procedures; I spoke to a paramedic student from the night class who said his preceptor didn't let him do anything until almost halfway through the shift. For me, though, all of the nurses got in on the act: Whenever there was blood to draw, medicine to give or an IV to start, someone would always come looking for me (they liked having someone so eager to do their work for them!).
One of the highlights of my ED rotation was the patient who somehow came under the impression that I was a physician (my clinical uniform says STUDENT in two different locations). Every time I talked to him, he would answer with, "Yes, doc" or "No, doc." I thought little of it--"Doc" is a fairly generic moniker, after all--until he was discharged near the end of my shift. He made a point of coming over to me, shaking my hand and somberly intoning, "Thank you again for everything, Doctor." As I shook his hand and watched him walk away, too surprised to reply, I heard a soft thud behind me as my preceptor hit the floor, rolling with laughter.
In other news, the college basketball season is starting to get underway. Go Big Green!
Monday, November 9, 2009
News from around the league
A big congratulations to the Dartmouth football team for its second victory in three weeks, a 20-17 double-overtime thriller against Cornell. Freshman Greg Patton rushed for 243 yards, breaking the all-time Dartmouth rushing record in the process. This win provided a much-needed boost to the Big Green (and its fans), and although Brown and No. 16 Princeton will be formidable opponents in the final two games, I'm optimistic that this will energize Dartmouth and propel them to a strong finish to the season.
The U.S. Chess League playoffs are currently underway, with the New York Knights facing off against the Boston Blitz and the New Jersey Knockouts taking on the Baltimore Kingfishers. On the opposite coast, Arizona-San Francisco and Miami-Seattle will be battled out on Wednesday. (If anyone can tell me why Miami is in the Western Division, I would love to know.) I am half-seriously thinking about attempting to form a New Hampshire expansion team in 2011. New Hampshire doesn't sport the glut of titled players that you'll find in Manhattan, San Francisco or a similar chess metropolis, but if we fielded players from western Massachusetts as well, a competitive team just might materialize. Stay tuned!
I heard on the radio today that Sesame Street turns 40 this week. "Big Bird Visits the Firehouse" was one of my all-time favorite movies as a child, and Count Von Count taught me just how scary math really is (a lesson reaffirmed by my multivariable calculus professor at college, who sadly sported neither purple skin nor a cape). Congratulations and many happy returns!
In other news, The Dartmouth Apologia, the journal of Christian thought I helped found in the fall of 2006, has just came out with its fifth issue. I haven't had a chance to savor it at length, but early signs are pointing to an excellent issue. The journal can be read at http://www.dartmouthapologia.org/ ; there is also a fascinating and vibrant blog at blog.dartmouthapologia.org which features brief, weekly entries about topics in Christianity. I strongly encourage you to check out both sites!
The U.S. Chess League playoffs are currently underway, with the New York Knights facing off against the Boston Blitz and the New Jersey Knockouts taking on the Baltimore Kingfishers. On the opposite coast, Arizona-San Francisco and Miami-Seattle will be battled out on Wednesday. (If anyone can tell me why Miami is in the Western Division, I would love to know.) I am half-seriously thinking about attempting to form a New Hampshire expansion team in 2011. New Hampshire doesn't sport the glut of titled players that you'll find in Manhattan, San Francisco or a similar chess metropolis, but if we fielded players from western Massachusetts as well, a competitive team just might materialize. Stay tuned!
I heard on the radio today that Sesame Street turns 40 this week. "Big Bird Visits the Firehouse" was one of my all-time favorite movies as a child, and Count Von Count taught me just how scary math really is (a lesson reaffirmed by my multivariable calculus professor at college, who sadly sported neither purple skin nor a cape). Congratulations and many happy returns!
In other news, The Dartmouth Apologia, the journal of Christian thought I helped found in the fall of 2006, has just came out with its fifth issue. I haven't had a chance to savor it at length, but early signs are pointing to an excellent issue. The journal can be read at http://www.dartmouthapologia.org/ ; there is also a fascinating and vibrant blog at blog.dartmouthapologia.org which features brief, weekly entries about topics in Christianity. I strongly encourage you to check out both sites!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Live sticks and hockey players
I finished my intubation clinicals last week. While it was exciting to be in the OR and perform intubations, I'm glad to get it out of the way before Emergency Department clinicals begin in earnest next week. My ED rotations are scheduled for the Erie County Medical Center, which is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the area. Hopefully I'll be exposed to a wider variety of patients at ECMC than at one of the smaller hospitals. The Veterans' Administration medical center is another popular clinical location among paramedic students, so perhaps I will do future ED rotations there as well.
Before being allowed to sign up for ED clinicals, though, we each had to leap the "live stick" hurdle. After practicing starting IVs on the mannikins, we got to partner up and perform the skill on a real person. To the lab instructors' great disappointment, none of the patients passed out while having IVs started on them. Although I don't particularly relish being unnecessarily perforated, I apparently have "interstates" for veins (according to the lab instructors), which made my partner's task quite easy.
The ambulance company I work for provides EMS coverage to Buffalo's HSBC Arena, which is home to the Buffalo Sabres, among others. As a new hire, I had to go to the semiannual "Arena training," which took place on Monday. This half-day training combined an overview of Arena policies and procedures with a tour of the facility and drills on its various levels. The nosebleed section, for example, poses considerable difficulties for spinal immobilization, so we spent some time learning how to overcome those challenges.
Another unique environment is the surface of the ice itself. Backboarding a professional hockey player and getting him safely to the ambulance--with the color commentators critiquing your every move on national television--leaves zero margin for error. To motivate us, we were shown this clip, which is the #3 Youtube hit for "Mike Modano dropped by paramedics" (start at the 1:11 mark).
On the plus side, I took $3 off of the company's CEO at dollar-a-question sports trivia, including this question: If the Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, how many total World Series championships will they have won?
Game Six is tonight; GO YANKEES!!
Before being allowed to sign up for ED clinicals, though, we each had to leap the "live stick" hurdle. After practicing starting IVs on the mannikins, we got to partner up and perform the skill on a real person. To the lab instructors' great disappointment, none of the patients passed out while having IVs started on them. Although I don't particularly relish being unnecessarily perforated, I apparently have "interstates" for veins (according to the lab instructors), which made my partner's task quite easy.
The ambulance company I work for provides EMS coverage to Buffalo's HSBC Arena, which is home to the Buffalo Sabres, among others. As a new hire, I had to go to the semiannual "Arena training," which took place on Monday. This half-day training combined an overview of Arena policies and procedures with a tour of the facility and drills on its various levels. The nosebleed section, for example, poses considerable difficulties for spinal immobilization, so we spent some time learning how to overcome those challenges.
Another unique environment is the surface of the ice itself. Backboarding a professional hockey player and getting him safely to the ambulance--with the color commentators critiquing your every move on national television--leaves zero margin for error. To motivate us, we were shown this clip, which is the #3 Youtube hit for "Mike Modano dropped by paramedics" (start at the 1:11 mark).
On the plus side, I took $3 off of the company's CEO at dollar-a-question sports trivia, including this question: If the Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, how many total World Series championships will they have won?
Game Six is tonight; GO YANKEES!!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Homecoming
I went back to New Hampshire for Dartmouth's Homecoming this past weekend. While making my way toward the Upper Valley, I found myself reflecting on the occasion, whose name seemed especially apt. As much as anywhere else, Hanover is home for me. I spent the four most formative years of my life there, during which time I met both my Savior and my future wife. What's more, I'm going back after paramedic school to get married and begin wedded life there.
But that lies ahead, and Homecoming is ultimately an occasion for looking nostalgically backward. As an undergrad I had never paid much attention to the visiting alumni, but then again, I could barely imagine life apart from Dartmouth, either. And whether it was the football team thinking wistfully about November 3, 2007 (the last time they had won a game before Saturday's impressive 28-6 victory over Columbia) or the numerous class mini-reunions around campus, The Past had a palpable physical presence throughout the weekend.
I got into the nostalgia act myself, coming out of retirement to take half a shift with Dartmouth EMS. It was a lot of fun to ride with them again, and encouraging besides. The unit has excellent student leadership this year and a small but committed cadre of supporters in the administration. They have made incredible strides over the past two and a half years, and I am eagerly looking forward to seeing where things go from here.
The highlight of the weekend, of course, was getting to see my beautiful fiancee. Below is a photo taken at the Dartmouth Night Bonfire. Just over ten months until the wedding!
In other news, the NBA regular season starts tonight. My Knicks haven't given me much to cheer about recently, but it's a brand new year and anything can happen!
But that lies ahead, and Homecoming is ultimately an occasion for looking nostalgically backward. As an undergrad I had never paid much attention to the visiting alumni, but then again, I could barely imagine life apart from Dartmouth, either. And whether it was the football team thinking wistfully about November 3, 2007 (the last time they had won a game before Saturday's impressive 28-6 victory over Columbia) or the numerous class mini-reunions around campus, The Past had a palpable physical presence throughout the weekend.
I got into the nostalgia act myself, coming out of retirement to take half a shift with Dartmouth EMS. It was a lot of fun to ride with them again, and encouraging besides. The unit has excellent student leadership this year and a small but committed cadre of supporters in the administration. They have made incredible strides over the past two and a half years, and I am eagerly looking forward to seeing where things go from here.
The highlight of the weekend, of course, was getting to see my beautiful fiancee. Below is a photo taken at the Dartmouth Night Bonfire. Just over ten months until the wedding!
In other news, the NBA regular season starts tonight. My Knicks haven't given me much to cheer about recently, but it's a brand new year and anything can happen!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Never a dull moment
It's been a frenetic two weeks (more to come soon on Dartmouth's Homecoming). Paramedic school has been a whirlwind of patient assessment lectures, labs and exams. Patient assessment is often referred to as the cornerstone of EMS care, because it is impossible to decide on a course of treatment without an accurate impression of the presenting condition. In addition to traditional, prehospital patient assessment, we also learned something called expanded scope assessment. This is a more detailed, physician-level set of assessment techniques that is intended for the clinical setting (i.e. a doctor's office).
Some states, such as North Carolina, have an "Advanced Practice" paramedic respond in lieu of an ambulance. He performs an extensive evaluation of the patient and determine if the emergency department is truly the most appropriate destination. If so, an ambulance is called and the patient is transported. If not, the paramedic calls the hospital and makes an appointment for the patient with the appropriate department. This prevents the waste of both ambulance and emergency department resources while simultaneously directing the patient to the most appropriate care. New York does not have such a system in place yet, but we're receiving the training now so that we'll be prepared when it does arrive.
Outside of class, my clinical rotations are continuing in earnest. I spent Wednesday morning in the Erie County morgue observing autopsies, which was a fascinating experience. It's not every day that you get to see a heart being prepared for transplant! Being able to actually see the internal organs instead of simply labeling them on a diagram makes a big difference. And the sound of the bone saw was a bit unsettling, but fortunately they weren't using it for long. This Wednesday I'm heading back to the operating room for more intubation clinical, which I'm looking forward to.
Updating a previous item, the NYS Health Commissioner has rescinded the mandate for all healthcare providers to receive the H1N1 vaccine because of an inadequate supply. This preceded President Obama's declaration that the swine flu outbreak is a national emergency, which has implications only for hospital treatment procedures and has no bearing on the vaccine. The seasonal flu vaccine, of which there is no reported shortage, is still a requirement for NYS healthcare providers.
In other news, the Yankees beat the Angels last night to advance to the World Series. This is the Bronx Bombers' fortieth pennant! The Yankees will host the Phillies on Wednesday night. You can bet I'll be watching.
Some states, such as North Carolina, have an "Advanced Practice" paramedic respond in lieu of an ambulance. He performs an extensive evaluation of the patient and determine if the emergency department is truly the most appropriate destination. If so, an ambulance is called and the patient is transported. If not, the paramedic calls the hospital and makes an appointment for the patient with the appropriate department. This prevents the waste of both ambulance and emergency department resources while simultaneously directing the patient to the most appropriate care. New York does not have such a system in place yet, but we're receiving the training now so that we'll be prepared when it does arrive.
Outside of class, my clinical rotations are continuing in earnest. I spent Wednesday morning in the Erie County morgue observing autopsies, which was a fascinating experience. It's not every day that you get to see a heart being prepared for transplant! Being able to actually see the internal organs instead of simply labeling them on a diagram makes a big difference. And the sound of the bone saw was a bit unsettling, but fortunately they weren't using it for long. This Wednesday I'm heading back to the operating room for more intubation clinical, which I'm looking forward to.
Updating a previous item, the NYS Health Commissioner has rescinded the mandate for all healthcare providers to receive the H1N1 vaccine because of an inadequate supply. This preceded President Obama's declaration that the swine flu outbreak is a national emergency, which has implications only for hospital treatment procedures and has no bearing on the vaccine. The seasonal flu vaccine, of which there is no reported shortage, is still a requirement for NYS healthcare providers.
In other news, the Yankees beat the Angels last night to advance to the World Series. This is the Bronx Bombers' fortieth pennant! The Yankees will host the Phillies on Wednesday night. You can bet I'll be watching.
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