Thread Drift

[Dogmama]

Superbowl is a great time for a bike ride. The streets are empty.

[Fredwina]

Been a while since I've been here. Went to a new Grocery Store (Fresh and Easy) and liked it better than my old one

[Crankin]

I had a very interesting day today, traveling across half of the state for internship interviews. Of course, today is the coldest day of the year. It was 9 F. when I left my house for Boston this morning. This morning I went to the counseling center at MA College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. After a 20 minute drive, a train, and a trolley. I arrived half an hour early. I found a Starbucks and watched the millions of students milling around, since this school is in the Longwood medical area, by Harvard med and dental school and Brigham and Woman's hospital. Plus, there's 4 other colleges around there. The school is right next door to the hospital I was born in! It's now part of Brigham and Woman's, but it's a really old, historical looking building. Anyway, I had a very good interview and they made me feel very comfortable. Then, the same trip home, which took about an hour and fifteen minutes. I had about 45 minutes and then I had to leave to get to U Mass Medical School medical center in Worcester. It takes about forty minutes to get there, and thank goodness I allowed for some extra time, because the Google directions were wrong! I was in a panic and I finally stopped and asked directions at an Auto Zone store. Thankfully, I wasn't too far and got there just in time. It was overwhelming. It's a huge complex, especially since I had never been there. The woman interviewing me gave me very specific directions to her office, thank God.
So, now I have a dilemma. She offered me the position, which is in health psychology. I would be counseling in-patients, in all departments, ranging from cancer patients, cardiovascular, trauma, in the ER, maternity, plus some pallative care work. I would have to learn a whole bunch of things about lab values, and other medical stuff. There is an intern from my university there now, who is doing well, and also has no medical background. Even though this is sort of my dream placement, I am a little hesitant. What if I am too dense to learn this stuff? I mean, people's lives are at stake and there will be all kinds of doctors and med students around who don't exactly understand what psych interns do. And while I have a great interest in this field, I am pretty sure that you need a PhD to actually get a job in the field. It may or may not help me get a real job, although it would be very prestigious to have on my resume.
I have quite a few more interviews in the next few weeks, all at university counseling centers or community mental health centers. She is happy to wait for my decision, but it's going to be hard to make.

[Blueberry]

Crankin - I have no advice to offer, but did want to offer congratulations! It's wonderful to have the choice

[Selkie]

Crankin - First and foremost, you are very intelligent, so you would excel in the position. As Blueberry said, congratulations!! Trust your instincts, that's the only advice I will offer.

[Crankin]

Thanks, guys. My gut is giving me this little feeling that I would feel overwhelmed , at least at first, which is what the director "warned" me about. I know I could learn the stuff, but am not sure that I want more heavy duty learning, on top of my actual course work. She gave me three sources to use to study over the summer (I am also taking at least one summer course, too, probably two). I think some of my worry is that I feel comfortable, finally, in the role of a therapist and starting off in the fall at a university or community counseling center would not involve learning any new stuff, any more than would happen in any new job-- like how to do the paperwork, the computer, etc. I also felt really overwhelmed at the enormous size of the hospital. It was like a maze! And, she did say I would be "walking at least 2-4 miles a day," to go see patients in all the different departments. Some of that may be from the fact that I got lost getting there, as I was rather frazzled.
Well, I am looking forward to my interviews this week coming up. As I said, one is at the counseling center at my school and is also a "plum" internship site. Just the fact they called me made me feel good. The other one is at a small private college that mostly gives associate degrees and a couple of BA programs. It's an extremely diverse student population there. My school has a lot of ah, "creative types," as it has a large expressive therapy dept. and also has a whole art school they recently integrated into our university, as well as a huge school of education. Lots of people who seek out counseling.
OK, enough of me. I will keep you guys posted.

[crazycanuck]

Awwww...homeless doggies in Russia that understand how to catch the train..
awwww...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/bl...tch-the-trains

http://translate.google.co.nz/

http://www.metrodog.ru/

[snapdragen]

I am having a hard time getting back in the groove of life. I want to be back in Vegas where people offer me cocktails, and I eat dinner at wonderful restaurants....