Grown-Up Job

I've been seeing my own patients starting yesterday. It's great because I get to do what I've been working so hard to get to do. But, I doubt myself too much. I see a patient with an upper respiratory infection, a simple cold, and I send them home and wonder... "Did I miss something? Are they going to come back here more sick in 2 days? What if I dosed that medication wrong (even though I calculated it twice) and the kid gets too much medication (even though the pharmacy typically catches those things)?" Sigh... I can't leave it at work. I need to read more so it dosen't take me so long to come to a conclusion. I need to fast forward 6 months to a time when I might feel more confident with my abilities.

Another thing... having a grown-up job is exhausting.

I'm driving an hour each way to work, and overall, I don't mind it. It's a BEAUTIFUL drive. The only day I minded was yesterday night when I had been at work 10.5 hours, then it snowed. The road wasn't slippery, but the visability sucked. So, it took forever to get home. That's the only time I've minded.

First grown-up paycheck comes tomorrow. It's only a partial paycheck becuase I haven't worked a full half month yet... but it's a real paycheck. Yay! :)