Monday Catch Up With Me!

Good morning my readers! Happy Monday! Have some coffee or tea with me and let’s catch up! 🙂 I have a day off, so here I am writing a post on everything that has been going on since September!

Food

Anyone every tried Cartem’s Donuts from Vancouver?? Hubby surprised me with these vegan donuts one day and I loved it! My favourite had to be the nutty one! I believe they sell both vegan and non-vegan donuts there. Check it out!!

Recently I found out through my Facebook Vancouver Vegans group that a new vegan pizza shop opened up in Surrey! WHAAAT? I was so excited that I had to try it out!! The place is called Vegan Pizza House. Their primary location was downtown but now they are open closer to home, I may be ordering pizza every week! 🙂 You can order pizza by the slice and they had vegan parmesan. YAY!

I ordered a simple mushroom pizza and give it a 4/5 on the tasty scale. I loved the cheese, they didn’t use Daiya like all the other pizza shops here. Points deducted because the crust was not crispy enough and the tomato sauce was quite tangy. Overall I loved it though. Then again, I had come back from a whole day of hospital & clinic and was STARVING. I inhaled that beast 🙂

Exams

—> I took my NAC exam back in September. Got the results last month and I am reasonably happy with my score. Honestly, I was expecting something higher but I am not disappointed with what I got. In medicine why we are always so hard on ourselves?? I gave it my all before and during the exam. That’s all I could have done!

I took a course through Medical Training Express to prepare for the NAC and it helped me focus on where I would gain my points for the exam. The only drawback to the course was that it was conducted online. You get to practice timed history taking with the instructor and you get feedback, but you need to practice physical exams with study partners! I had amazing study partners and we practiced our H&Ps (which was almost everyday for 1 month). We timed everything and repeated all the cases we felt weak in. It was exhausting but worth it!

Family & Travel

—> A day after I took my NAC my in-laws flew in from India. So Hubby & I have been spending time with them, taking them around Vancouver and other places in Canada. We visited Banff in Alberta, visited Lake Louise and drove through Ice Fields Parkway. It was coooold but beautiful!

After spending a few days in Alberta, we flew to Toronto to spend time with my family!

We have a new addition to our family named Pan! How sweet is he?? He was adopted at 4 months and he is 5 months now!

My brother adopted him from a rescue shelter called Rat Terrier Rescue. When he was just a few weeks old someone had cruelly dumped him and his brother (Peter) outside a shopping mall in Texas. They were found and brought to Ontario and kept in foster homes until adopted 🙂 Peter was adopted before our sweet Pan here. It was so much fun playing with him!! He’s soooo hyper that he tires himself out and sleeps like a baby. I love to cuddle him a lot when he’s sleeping. ❤

Guys please support adoption! There are so many dogs, cats and other animals in need of rescue ❤

I used this time to chill out at my Toronto home while everyone else traveled to Niagara Falls and other places 🙂 I missed my Mom’s food and just lazing at home  with her was nice. I needed this a lot. ❤

—> Preparing for an India trip in December!! We have weddings to attend – my best friend and another family member! I am excited about being in India, not so excited about the 14-hour plane ride. I get very antsy sitting for long periods of time!

It has been a few years since we returned to India….actually the last time Hubby and I were in India was for OUR wedding! 🙂 Lots of catching up to do with family there!

Work

—> In between all the studying and the family time I began a research project at BC Cancer where I work with newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. In addition to this I started a clinical traineeship in refugee medicine. I am learning so much! Working with vulnerable populations is definitely an eye opener.

–> I bought this cross body bag to wear when I am running around at the hospital or clinic. Very light and small, 18 x 23 cm.

It holds my cell phone, car keys, credit card, ID card, cash, small pen, note pad, alcohol swabs and measuring tape. It is very convenient to have this on me and not hold things in my hand! Bought it from Winners for $25!

CaRMS

It’s that time again!

—> I am preparing for my CaRMS application. Going into CaRMS this year, I believe I have done what I can to improve on it from last season. I will give it my all and that’s all I can do. Right? 🙂 Like I’ve said people, I will not quit this journey until I have turned over every rock and used every opportunity available to me!. This Post!

Phew that was a lot!! Tell me what you have been up to? Anything fun and exciting? Do share!

Peace, Love & Happiness always!!