iBuenas Noticias!

The only times I ever wake up before my alarm clock goes off are the nights I am super stressed out. So when I woke up a full half hour early this Wednesday, I wasn’t surprised… it was possible I might find out where I would match!!

There are 2 air force med students here in Bolivia staying at the house who got an email Tuesday night announcing the list would be out at 5:30 AM CST. I didn’t get an email like this from the Navy, but had heard a rumor (through Facebook, no less) that we might find out at 9 or 10 AM. That morning, I sat at the kitchen table watching the other students nervously fidgeting and clicking “update” on their email every 4 seconds. Finally the list was up, they were on their feet scanning the pages, and “YESSSS!” they screamed in unison. But I had to wait until later…

As we had to work in a rural clinic that day, we drove out 2-3 hours into the Bolivian rainforest and saw patients who came in from the nearby pueblos. When clinic was over, a few of us drove an hour to the nearest internet cafe in Buena Vista, Bolivia. Just off the town square is this tiny, hot, steamy room filled with local boys playing video games. After getting a computer, opening my email, and initially missing the GME-1 email amidst the junk I received, the match list was slowly…slowly..slowly downloading. Then it aborted and an error message popped up in spanish.

With my heart pounding and hands shaking, I actually consider opening up Facebook to read the messages on my wall which may actually tell me where I’ll be next year. A little girl in the cafe tries to peer around at the screen as I’m unconsiously saying “Oh my gosh… oh my gosh…” as I’m wringing my hands with nervousness and sweat is dripping down my neck.

Deferring to Plan B, I log onto the Navy GME-1 site and enter the password. The page slowly begins to load…the circle at the right top hand of the screen swirling away… and just as someone behind me offers a suggestion, a list of names with locations pop up. I gasp and hear nothing else as I punch the down arrow quickly but scanning carefully so not to misread the “Crawford, Leslie….” that should scroll up any second. Before I have time to register that next to my name reads “… Transitional Year, San Diego” I am already out of my dirty red plastic chair, screaming and literally jumping up and down.

The other med students and doctors from the clinic high-five me, give me hugs, as I see the street vendors gaping at me through the open garage-type door. Later I was told that one of them asked our clinic coordinator

“What’s going on? I just about had a heart attack!”

“Good news from home.” she responded.

“Oh! Is she having a baby?”

I am totally oblivious to this as I’m grinning and still jumping up and down and realize that I’m so happy I can cry… and I did tear up a bit! I am soooooo sooooo lucky!!! Barely catching my breath, I compose myself enough to sit down and see where my friends matched, write off a few quick emails before my computer time runs out, and then call my parents with my phone card.

The rest of the day I spent glowing and squealing with disbelief about how awesome this is and how lucky I am that I actually matched in my first choice!!! Then the other med students and I toasted with some Cuban rum and coke (a.k.a. Cuba Libre) and watched telenovelas. Though I wish I could have spent it in the USA so as to be able to call friends and family and celebrate properly, the knowledge alone that I will be moving to San Diego next year made it one of the happiest days I have ever had in med school.