Is There Anything Else?

Phew, I am now home, after a lot of shopping, I mean, studying, at the Mile High City for the ABPN oral boards.

Leaving the family behind was the hardest part of the trip, however, I was not about to bring them with me. There was just no way I would pay for three other plane tickets, and to plan everyone's entertainment, nonetheless, I missed them terribly. I talked to the kids before bedtime for both evenings, and discovered a few things about my kids. First of all, Aidan is one mushy child. As much as he loves to play roughly and shoot everything down, he consistently told me much he missed me, how much he wanted me to be with him, and how much he loved me. He was also very intrigued what I would bring home with me. As for Zoe, she thought she was a a video conference, and would consistently point to various things in the house while we were talking. She also had made tremendously leaps in her speech, and could tell me that the choo choo went very fast. Hubby did a fantastic job, holding down the fort, working, and attending a wedding rehearsal. Our dear friends, A&S, were so kind to offer themselves as sacrifice, I mean, babysitters on Saturday morning. Apparently, Aidan even drew them a map and convinced them to take him to Baskin Robins.

While I left home on Thursday, I really didn't need to be there until Friday at 1 pm. However, to leave on Friday morning for the 1:00 pm registration time would require a wake up time at 4 am, and there was just no way I could do that. Therefore, I had a lot of time on my hands while in Denver. This much became clear: When I am nervous/anxious/stressed, I shop. There was a lot of shopping to be had in Denver. I came home with 2 pairs of shoes for me, a dress and a pair of pants for me, 1 pair of shoes for Aidan, a book for Aidan, a book for Zoe, a stuffed animal for Aidan, a necklace for Zoe, a game for Hubby, an umbrella, a History Channel DVD about the WWII in the Pacific, and some chocolates. Hubby wondered if I actually took my test.

As for the test, I have to say that the ABPN was quite organized, it was an impressive logistical feat. My assigned exam time was 11:10 for my patient interview, lunch at 12:10, and then at 1:10, the four vignettes. Fittingly, I listened to a sermon by Tim Keller on "Work" based on 1 Thessalonians. Minutes before I was called, the sermon ended with the reference to Chariots of Fire: Indeed, when I interview, I can feel God's joy! (And if you don't know what I am talking about, either watch the movie, or find this sermon via iTune.) Overall, I thought I did ok. The patient I had was very cooperative, and I had a working diagnosis, since, well, he told me his diagnosis. I did have to blame my anxiety for not being able to recall the full diagnostic criteria of his diagnosis: Thus, I am counting on my supervisor who told me that they cannot fail me because I don't know what is in the books. As for the vignettes, the format was really odd. I was presented a very brief case, and for about 10 minutes, the examiner would ask me questions. They never confirmed or denied anything I said, but they would then say, "Is there anything else?" I would talk some more, then, "Is there anything else?" Eventually, I wanted to yell: "FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, I HAVE NO IDEA IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE!!!!"

Alas, the exam is over, and now, I just have to wait for a very long time. Please God, let me pass, because I cannot possibly leave A&Z, and Hubby for another trip.