Friday, April 13, 2012

Exams, white coat, spring semester, Boston, and our upcoming vacation!

First of all, I would like to apologize for my lack of blogging.  We've been pretty busy around here lately.

In my last post, I talked about how I've been exercising and eating right.  I'm happy to say I've lost 11 pounds in the last 2 months.   I've noticed a huge change in my body.  I have more energy and I'm genuinely happier.  I feel great!

The spring semester is coming to a close which means several things:
1.  I need to get started on writing my business plan for my practice management class.
2.  I only have 2 weeks left of clinic.  Usually, this makes me happy to get a break, but I'm really sad to be leaving this site.  I've really enjoyed being in private practice and I definitely have changed my mindset about working in private practice.  This is a definite possibility for me in the near future.
3.  I start my one year externship in June.  I'm working on applying for my Audiology Intern license and ABA (American Board of Audiology) provisional certification so that when I obtain enough hours, I can become a Board Certified Audiologist.

In March, all of my classmates and myself took the Praxis exam.  It's a comprehensive exam in Audiology that we all have to pass in order to receive our state license when we graduate and our certificate of clinical competence in Audiology (CCC-A).  I'm happy to say that I passed! I'm so thrilled.  That was possibly the worst test I've ever had to take in my life and I refused to take it again.  So I'm happy I passed!

Two weeks ago, almost the entire Lamar Audiology program traveled to Boston, Massachusetts for our annual audiology convention.  We got there a day early and used it to explore Boston!

Airplane ride to Boston.  It was like 7am.  Don't judge us.  

We went to MIT so that we could become smarter through diffusion.

Beautiful Boston!

Au.D. Class of 2013!

We had a great time, learned a lot, partied hard, got temporary threshold shifts (& tinnitus!) from the ReSound party, and saw a lot of history.  We didn't have time to see everything, but I think we got a good overview of Boston.

Today, several of my family members from Louisiana are driving to Texas to come support me at my white coat ceremony.  What's that?  I'm glad you asked!  It's a ceremony that is given by our student organization to honor the 3rd year students who are about to embark on their 4th year externships.  It's a night of celebration and I'm so happy that many of my family and friends are choosing to come support me tonight.  I don't graduate for another year, and when I do graduate it will be with the entire graduating class of Lamar University.  This is a more intimate ceremony just for audiology students and our family and friends where we can celebrate each other's accomplishments!  I'm so excited!

I'm also terribly sad.

Class of 2013.  AKA - The Best Class Ever.

I've been with these guys and gals for 3 years now.  We've become a family.  Our class has been extremely close since day one and it's going to be weird not being able to see them every week.  We've all accepted awesome externships, but we're no longer near each other.  5 of us are in Texas (3 in Houston, 1 in Amarillo, 1 in Beaumont), 1 is in Miami, and 1 is in Arkansas.  Needless to say, we won't be together anymore.  I can't promise that there won't be tears tonight.  But I know that I will see them again May 18, 2013 when we all walk across the stage and receive our diplomas as Doctors of Audiology!

Last week, Sam and I booked our vacation:

Carnival Conquest
We're going on a 7-day cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman Islands, and Cozumel! We leave May 20!      I'm super excited to be going because:
1. It's the week after my birthday.  So it's like a late birthday party.  That lasts an entire week.   It's also just a few weeks before our 4th wedding anniversary.
2. This will most likely be our last big vacation before we have a baby :)
      2a.  I'm not pregnant yet.  So chill out y'all.  But let's just say we're trying to strategically     plan it so that I'm very, very pregnant when I graduate next year.  So I'll be the one happily wobbling across the stage to get my diploma! 

This June, Sam will graduate from the Beaumont Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Commission (BEJATC) school.  He's been a licensed journeyman for about a year now, but he chose to follow through and complete his 5 year program through the IBEW Local 479.  I'm so proud of him - what he's accomplished and who he's become.  I couldn't have asked for a better life partner.  He accepted a position at Valero last October as an electrician and he will be there for as long as he wants.  He's happy and we're taken care of, thanks to Sam's hard work and Valero's awesome benefits.

So with that, I'll leave you to muse the greatness that's been going on in our lives.  As for me, I need to go work out, grab a few things at the mall, and get ready for a weekend of awesomeness!

God is great.  All the time.  Without Him, none of the aforementioned goodness would have happened.

-Rae-