MKSAP

So MKSAP 17 has taken over my life for the last two months. In the end, I got through reading all the MKSAP 17 books and just finished all the print questions (about 6 months after Dr. Russell told us to be done). So 1200 questions done, and over a 1000 more in digital form. It's been a total grind, but I feel like I'm getting close. I just need to finish these last two weeks strong and I know I'll be ready. Considering how little effort I put into my in-service exam (showed up pissed on my day off, took it with the utmost speed, left at noon) and still managed a "board passing" score, I think I'll be alright. Then again, my new job sort of depends on me passing, so I shouldn't be too cocky.

I'm also trying to figure out how I stack up with my practice questions score in terms of the real thing. I've been told that 60-65% on MKSAP questions should be enough to comfortably pass the real thing. I'm at that point now and I'm starting to feel ready. And since I'm a stats geek, here is my breakdown:

	A	B	C	D
1	SUBJECT	TOTAL	WRONG	PERCENTAGE
2	GI/Hepatology	96	23	0.7604166667
3	Rheum	96	35	0.6354166667
4	Cardiovasc	120	29	0.7583333333
5	Neuro	96	35	0.6354166667
6	Heme	78	28	0.641025641
7	Onc	71	28	0.6056338028
8	Gen Med	168	49	0.7083333333
9	Pulm/CC	103	22	0.786407767
10	Derm	72	18	0.75
11	Nephro	108	23	0.787037037
12	ID	108	45	0.5833333333
13	Endo	84	32	0.619047619
14
15	TOTAL	1200	367	0.6941666667

So a few thoughts:

Rheum: never did a rotation, hate all rheum related stuff
Neuro: No complaints, only did neuro ICU and not a fan
Heme/Onc: Three rotations and this is what happens!?
Gen Med: Much improved from my in-service exams, but I hate memorizing vaccination schedules
Pulm/CC: I like it, so no surprise there
Nephro: I guess I still appreciate the physiology
Endo: Even with TWO years of secondary clinic, ouch!
Derm: If it's dry, make it wet; if it's wet, make it dry.

I still have a ton of digital questions to complete, but I think I'm close to getting to where I want to be and the overall right should be enough to push me through with ease.

Three more weeks. August 25th, I'm coming for you.

Sharks Eulogy 2016

Well, this was a strange year to be a Sharks fan. Another year of Marleau and Thornton with promises that this was a "different" team and to not let the past dictate the future. With Deboer at the helm and Martin in the net, I felt like I could buy into the idea.

Round 1 against the Kings. The same team that came back from an 0-3 deficit to beat the Sharks a year prior. Sharks win the first two games on the road, what a feeling! Were they truly different? Then the Kings win game 3 and I figure it's the same old team. The Sharks come back and win again, making the series 3-1. In game 5, they go up 3-0! But then the Kings come storming back to tie it 3-3 going into the third. Somehow, the Sharks prevail and demolish their nemesis 6-3 and win the series 4-1. This was a magnificent feeling.

Round 2 against the Preds. Sharks do well against them in the past, which I try not to think about. The series is back and forth, including two brutal OT losses on the road, which are usually back breakers. But the Sharks bounce back each time and win the next one, with Martin playing better each time.

Round 3 and the Blues are next, arguably the best team in the West, having just beaten the Stars. This series is a thriller, but thE sharks dominate and finish in 6. Is this happening, are they really going to the Cup!?

The reality sets in that the Sharks, who have been playing with house money, are going to the Stanley Cup Finals! They'll be playing the Pens, who defeated the Presidents-winning Caps on the way over. The experts predict the Sharks should win based on size and desire.

So I talk to Tim and we make the leap. Game 5 in Pittsburgh, we'll be there.

The series begins. The Pens are FAST! They capitalize on the rush and really keep the Sharks pinned in all game 1, taking a 2-0 lead, but the Sharks fight back and tie it 2-2. In the end, Ponino gets a late goal and the Pens get game 1 and then game 2 in OT. The Sharks need to come back strong at home. And they do, with a great OT winner. But the Pens get game 4 and go up 3-1 in the series.

We talked about it and sell the game 5 tickets for game 7. The G5 tickets go for a profit and end up trading equally for G7. We need the Sharks to get the series back. The Sharks prevail in G5 (now I wish I were there!) and send it back to San Jose. But the Pens are too much in G6 and win the Cup.

Heartbroken.

I wanted to write down my thoughts on their their miraculous run. And even though the exceeded expectations, I feel let down they didn't win the Cup. I've seen how hard it is for teams to make it that far, and they were so close. I agree that Crosby gets away with a lot, but he got it done. And the Pens were deep enough to make it happen. Martin was absolutely unreal and I'm glad we have such a fantastic goaltender for the future. Pavs, for his amazing playoff run, couldn't get it done in the finals. I'm convinced he was hurt, just based on his skating and shooting all series, but he was also too slow to keep up with the Pens. Couture looked amazing and I'm excited to watch him continue his success. I read about his DVT and thigh hemorrhage scare; he gone through a lot and persevered. Hertl going down also didn't help, since we lost a top winger. Thornton is still a world-class passer. And Burns should have won the Norris.

I hope they'll get there again. I believe they have the right pieces in place to make a run for a year ot two more. Thornton is still dominant, but Marleau has lost a step. If Marleau can accept a 3rd line position, I think they can do a lot.

So that ends the season. Is it October yet?

The VAG bug

I had my first VAG experience with a hand-me-down from my brother in the form of a 2000 Jetta 2.0. That car lasted me through most of my med school rotations. It was underpowered and didn't exactly have the best handling, but it drove well enough and my wife liked it. After I found out that I was moving from California, I handed it off to my wife's brother. Not sure what happened, but I guess it had transmission issues after I gave it to him. So he sold it and I took the cash.

I moved to Philly and decided that I needed something AWD for the winter, but I wanted another German sedan. I searched and searched, finally finding the perfect B5 A4. It was an 1.8T, single-owner, had just been traded in the night before. I saw it posted on CL and was the first person there that morning. I picked up it and immediately found a mechanic who did the timing belt, transmission service, and various other known issues. It was a great car and I had many plans for it. I even picked up a sweet pair of 16" BBS rims for it. I was going for tasteful mods, but keep it close to stock. At 105K, it decided to throw a piston through the oil pan. So I sold it a week later for parts, swearing I'd never buy another one of these God-awful, unreliable machines again. 

A year later, I picked up another car. This time, it was a Nissan Patherfinder. It has 200K miles on it, and was a complete tank. I knew there was nothing winter could throw at me. Once again, I let my mechanic do all the preventative work on it. In the mean time, he gave me one of his All-Roads to drive while he worked on it. And then it happened again, I wanted another Audi.

So more searching on CL and finally I found another one. This time it was a B6 with 140K, single-owner, had a little neglect, but had "good bones" to build on. We both went to go see it that morning, I made an offer, and drove it home that afternoon. I drove it straight to his shop, which is where it's been for the last two weeks. I haven't driven it more than 50 miles, and the mod bug has already kicked in. And the list grows:

1. Gates performance timing belt kit
2. DDMtuning 55W 4500K HID lights
3. Centric premium rotors and Powerstop Evolution Z17 ceramic pads (front and rear)
4. Nitto NT850+ 235/45/17 tires

So I'm happy to be back, looking forward to the future. The first order of business is a tune-up. Then Stage 1 or 1+