Pockets

Congratulations all around, I am looking forward to working with you guys. My wife and I are psyched to be moving Midwest.
This is going to sound silly...
Since we have to wear suits to work (something I am not used to at all), where to we keep our cheat-sheets, books (on call, etc.) and PDAs? How often do we get to wear labcoats?
Art

Buying a house

Hello everyone! I'm on spring break and headed up to Rochester to go house hunting. I used Therese Dutton (as mentioned in a previous post) as my realtor through Edina Realty and was very pleased. She's very knowledgable about the area and has dealt with many residents in home buying. She walked us through every step of the process making us confident in our decision of buying a home. As for the mortgage, I priced out a couple of lenders and ended up going with Eagle Crest Med City Loan. Their program was the best for my situation. Therese can be reached at (507)529-6156 and Bob Baudhuin, VP @ Eagle Crest can be reached at (507)280-7254. I can't wait to move in.

Rocking out to 'aortic regurgitation'

Sometimes what I think should be really cool news stories just serve to disappoint me. Case in point: doctors at Temple are using MP3s to teach cardiac auscultation. I'm disappointed that this has taken so long to happen (I ripped and encoded my cardiac auscultation CD from 3M that came with my Littmann stethoscope sometime around 2004, and I'm guessing students were doing this as early as ~1996, a few years after the public release of the MP3 format and relatively wide availability of encoders and players), or rather, how long it took faculty to adapt to this new technology. I suppose it makes for an interesting news story, but this really shouldn't be news.

OK, I'm off my soap box for now. Let me know if you think I should keep such blabber off our blog.

Favorite blogs, websites, etc

I'm curious what your favorite blogs and websites are. I was motivated to ask this since I recently stumbled across the wonderful blog of Paul Levy, CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Mr. Levy is extremely open in discussing all sorts of issues, including how much he gets paid and how his hospital handles various measures of clinical quality (including posting actual rates of IHI VAP measures and central line infection rates). And he has openly asked students to post him questions, which I encourage you all to do.

In case you really want to know the answers: about a million dollars per year, around 90%, and about 3 per thousand catheter-days. To figure out which is which, you'll have to read the blog!

Know of a great blog or website? Share them with the "comments" link below!

Good gigs.

I've only been to a concert or two in the Cities, but online, it seems like there is fair amount of live music. First Avenue seems to have a lot of up and coming indie acts. Any favorite venues to recommend? (Of course all this will be prior to July 1 eh).

Moving! Need help!

I assume others are moving their belongings to Rochester. I have been calling around to move my one bedroom apartment from Manhattan to Rochester and I am getting estimates over $3,000 bucks! Seems really high. When I moved from Los Angeles to New York, it was only $1,500 (found a place that let you pack it all up yourself and then just took the cubic feet when it was packed into the truck). Paying double for the same amount of goods seems ridiculous.

Does anyone have recommendations for moving companies? Every company I've talked to so far seems like a total rip-off/scam.

Short term health insurance

Not sure if everyone will have this issue or not, but I know that our family is faced with a small period of time with no health insurance coverage before residency starts. While COBRA coverage is an option, it's very expensive. Here's some info from our local private insurer (State Farm) that may be of value.

This coverage is designed specifically for the situation that we're dealing with (i.e. a gap in medical coverage due to employment status).

Coverage Information:
---Short Term Medical Insurance is written by Assurant Health Insurance Company.
---Coverage is available for between 30 and 180 days.
---Up to $ 2 Million in Coverage
---Prescription Drug Coverage
---Visit any doctor & any hospital
---Plan is designed to give coverage for unexpected illnesses and accidents; Pre-Existing medical conditions are not covered

Premiums/Payment Options:
---Premiums can be paid on a monthly basis (good option if planning to keep plan for several months)
---Premiums can also be paid in a Single Payment (Nice option if person knows the exact number of days that they need the coverage)
---My premium (myself, spouse, and child) is $98.28/month, as an example (There is a one time $20.00 administrative fee that is added to that amount) (That $98.28/month is for a $2,500 deductible; $2,000,000 Coverage Maximum; 50%/50% Co-Pay; $5,000 Max. Out of Pocket)
---This coverage is designed to provide protection for an unforeseen situation that could occur when an individual is between coverages with groups, etc. A major surgery could be absolutely devastating. This plan gives the peace of mind that the most an individual would pay is $5,000 in a case like that.

Eligibility for Coverage:
There are 3 questions on the short-form application and they are quite liberal. It is rare that individuals are not eligible for this coverage based on medical background. They would want to visit with the individuals to complete the application and to discuss everything in more detail.

I talked with our agent and he said he would be more than happy to speak with anyone to review and discuss individual situations. Our agent's info is:

Loren R. Wendroth, Agent
State Farm Insurance Companies
(507) 529-2992
loren.wendroth.nxod@statefarm.com

ACP 2007

I know I sent an email, but I thought I would throw it on here too. My husband, Scott and I, will be in San Diego for the ACP meeting next month. I've heard a few of you will be there as well. We can either coordinate via blog or email to try to get together while we are there. Hope you all are enjoying a lazy last few months.

Texts, Handbook, Journals, etc

Anybody else wondering about what to do for books? Do we (or should we) pick a standard IM textbook to go through like Harrion's, Cecil's, or ACP Medicine? What about a board review book like MKSAP or MedStudy? And what books should we use on the wards for day-to-day stuff (Ferri's Guide, PocketMedicine, Washington Manual, Sanford Guide etc)? Are we provided with any journal subscription (JAMA, NEJM) and is any particular journal recommended or used for a journal club series? What exactly is provided online through the Mayo library (MD Consult, Stat!Ref, Lange Series, etc)? Do any of the resident work rooms come stocked with some books? Does Mayo provide or recommend any of these? I know I'll be needing a Sanford Guide and I know we can get a group discount - anybody else interested?

Please post comments, questions, and answers under the "comments"
link below.

Help from a Mayo student

Howdy from Rochester everyone!
I know that I've already talked with some of you over e-mail but since Andrew Calvin has made us a great blog I figured that I'd post it here as well.
First off, a little background. I'm from Minneapolis orginally and am just finishing medical school here at Mayo. We bought a home when we moved here for medical school and sold it last week. We've now purchased another home here in Rochester. Since we've been through the process twice, hopefully I can at least help with home buying questions.

HOUSING
As per the post below, check out Mayo's resident housing website at http://mayoresidenthousing.org/
Probably the best MLS search engine for Rochester is found at http://www.edinarealty.com/
Keep in mind, though, that there are a good deal of For Sale By Owner (FSBO) homes around (thus it may be helpful to drive around on your own).
Our first Realtor experience was lackluster. Our second one with Therese Dutton (507.529.5165 ThereseDutton@edinarealty.com) was much better and we'd recommend her. We've used the same loan officer for both homes and he is a godsend. His name is Bill Kenny (763.560.0334 mailto:prim-mtg@attbi.com) - he's based out of Minneapolis but is very easy to work with over the phone and e-mail.
The layout of Rochester is in quadrants. In general, SW has the older, nicer homes. NE and NW have lots of new homes and growth. SE is not the nicest neighborhood but is cheaper and OK as you get farther away from "downtown".
"Rochester Towers" is a great set of condos downtown. "Avalon Cove" is a nice set of townhomes near downtown.

TRANSPORTATION
If you're looking at cars, 4 wheel drive is nice, but definitely not a "must". Front wheel drive is something to look for. City bus passes are free for Mayo employees, but public transportation is not the greatest. There is, of course, a free shuttle every 5 minutes that runs between St Mary's hospital and downtown. More below on winter driving. Parking in downtown garages is free on nights (after 5 pm) and weekends. If you want to get a Minnesota driver's license you will need to take a written test at the driving center (507.285.7412).

WINTER SURVIVAL
While I'm used to the winter, here's some tips from some of my classmates.
Preparation
1. Buy all your winter clothes here in Minnesota, as there is no sales tax on clothing and better selection and quality.
2. Buy a decent winter coat. Brands like Columbia and The North Face are popular in the deep freeze, because they are WARM. Be prepared to spend $200, and be confident that it is money well spent. (Depending on your tastes, you may spend more or less than this, but do not sacrifice warmth for cost and end up with a coat that will leave you wet and cold.)
3. Buy something to keep your ears covered. Hats, headbands, earmuffs all work. Your ears will thank you.
4. Have something to cover your hands. Note that mittens are really the best in terms of warmth even though gloves seem more functional.
5. Have shoes that will keep your feet dry. Some wear big boots, but not many. Buy some socks if you are from a no-sock area of the world. I recommend wool socks (i.e. Smartwool) for the winter months.
6. Buy a big bottle of lotion as well as lotion-soap (Dove), because you will notice your skin is drier.
7. Have an ice scraper and brush in your car.
8. Make friends with people who own jumper cables.
9. Don’t be freaked out! The cold isn’t as bad as many thought it would be. With a little preparation, it’s fun to go out and enjoy the outdoors.
Survival
1. Wear your winter clothes, and pack shorts and skirts in a big box for the season. It is better to be warm than cold. Sacrifice fashion for function. Dress in layers so you can strip down in lecture in case the room is overheated.
2. Leave yourself a few extra minutes to get bundled up before you go out. If you need to drive somewhere, leave yourself a few extra minutes to get your car warmed up and scraped off. Drive slowly (ice is more slippery than you would think, and even 4x drive and snow tires won’t help that much). NOTE: Don’t leave your car warming up, unaccompanied with the keys in the ignition. Such cars tend to disappear.
3. FEAR NOT the cold! Get outside and ski, run, sled, fish, or whatever turns your crank. If you keep moving, you will stay pretty warm in your new winter coat! If you stay inside, you will get depressed and cranky.
4. Keep your gas tank more than ¼ full to prevent your gas line from freezing. Use HEET or high-grade gasoline in your gas tank. Winterize your car by getting an oil change and having them check your antifreeze (should be 100% and not dilute for winter). You can wait until you get to Minnesota to do this, as the garages here know how to do it. Finally, some parking lots have plug-ins on posts in front of the parking spaces, and some cars have cords sticking out of the grill so you can plug them in. These cars have block heaters which make your car easier to start and quicker to spit out warm air from the heater.
5. **Tell your landlord if you are going to be gone for an extended period of time.** Your return to your Rochester home will be a bust if you don’t keep a faucet dripping water, and this will make you pipin’ mad.
6. Driving may take some time to adjust - if you have a rear-wheel drive car, you'll likely need to throw some bags of sand in the trunk. Beware of bridges though - even if there's no ice anywhere else, the cold air currents under bridges make them freeze sooner!

LEISURE
Mayo provides discount tickets for a lot of stuff:
-Mall of American Discount Book
-Camp Snoopy
-Imation IMAX Theatre
-Minnesota Children’s Museum
-Minnesota Science Museum
-Minnesota Zoo
-Rochester Royals and Rochester Honkers (baseball teams)
-Simoniz Car Wash
-Six Flags
-ValleyFair Amusement Park
Mayo has it's own health club facilities, and the downtown one is nearly done with renovations. Hold off on joining a club until you decide if they're good enough for you (they're cheap...like ~$10 a month).
If you're a runner, check out http://www.rochestertrackclub.com/

CONTACT INFO
Feel free to contact me with questions about anything.

Jeff Geske

If you live near New York, wanna meet up?

Hey everyone,

Since we've got nothing but time right now, if anyone lives fairly close to New York City, would you want to meet up for dinner/drinks? Shoot me an email!

Online Rentals

Also check the post bulletin if you want to rent a duplex, twinplex, or older apartment:

http://classads.postbulletin.com/classifieds/

Snow: mother nature's way of saying "go play outside"

I saw this billboard today in Minneapolis, and it reminded me that some of us may not be used to Minnesota winters. I remember when I started med school it was a slight issue for some people. There was that girl from south Florida who we never saw after the first day when the high was less than 20 below....I wonder what happened to her? The good news for us is that the bitter cold usually doesn't start until at least November, so we'll have some time to get settled in.

Anyway, to help, I've got a few references:

What should I wear? A clothing layer guide for every outdoor activity

Wikipedia article on frostbite

National Weather Service page on wind chill and cold weather

CDC's Extreme Cold: a prevention guide to promote your personal health and safety

But, like the billboard implied, the best way to survive the cold and snow is to enjoy it.

During the summer months, at least, I enjoy spending time on Lake Pepin, located 35 miles north east of Rochester. My wife took this picture, and it's not too far from where I proposed to her on the water.

Home hunting

www.craigslist.com

Craigslist is another great place to check out for apartments, condos, and houses.

Do you have a really stupid question?

Yeah, me too. Lots of them. Use the "comments" link below to post your question, and when I get a bunch of them I'll see about forwarding them to the powers that be to get them answered. This way, Dr. Kolars et al. won't know that most of them are my really lame questions. And if you know an answer to a question, please let us know!

Does this blog look funny to you?

If so, especially the post "What can I do now to optimize my transition to internship", it might be because you're using Internet Explorer (at least version 7.0). If this is the case, I highly recommend Firefox, my favorite browser. Firefox is open source; free (as in beer) and free (as in speech), because given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow. Opera is also a nice and free (as in beer).

Anybody else going to be in Rochester on March 25th?

My wife and I will be house hunting in Rochester on March 25th. We will need to stop for food at some point. Is anybody else going to be around that day, and interested in doing lunch or dinner? Use the comments link below to let people know.

Otherwise, if anybody is planning a trip to Minneapolis, I'm happy to arrange something up here in "The Cities." It's good to be done with med school!

What can I do now to optimize my transition to internship

From the email sent out, posted here for convenience:

1. Get settled in Rochester before orientation week (remember, a social activity is being planned for Friday, June 15). Orientation weeks are exceptionally busy ones, packed with training sessions.

2. Become BLS & ACLS certified before orientation week. Keep Sharon informed of your BLS/ACLS certification status so we can clear you to start rotations on June 30.

3. Good typing/keyboarding skills will be a sure asset when using the electronic medical record. Consider a class or tutorial if your skills are in need of an upgrade.

4. A Social Security number is essential in order to be employed at Mayo and to receive a stipend. If you do not have one, take steps as soon as possible to obtain one; do not wait until June 18, as your stipend will likely be delayed if you do.

5. If you visit Rochester prior to June 18, please complete the following to make sure things go smoothly during orientation:

§ Photograph* – (professional attire required) for identification card

§ Physical examination* – required by MSGME

§ Drug testing* – required by MSGME

6. Schedule any appointments (i.e. housing loans, rental agreements, bank accounts, etc.) during the weeks before orientation.

7. Keep the Internal Medicine Residency Office (res-im@mayo.edu) informed of your email and address changes as they occur during this period of transition.

*Details on these requirements will be coming in a separate mailing from the MSGME office.

Mortgage info

When I was at Mayo, one of the interns suggested Eagle Crest Capital Bank as a local place that is resident friendly with mortgages. My Realtor also suggested Eagle Crest, and specifically Donna Brown at 507-280-7204, 507-421-0548, donna.brown@eccbank.com.

Note: I know nothing about mortgages, don't take my word for anything financially- or housing-related.

Housing info

For those like me who are looking for a home, may I suggest the Mayo Fellow's Association housing list.

Welcome!

Greetings all. My name is Andy Calvin, from the University of Minnesota. I'm one of your new internal medicine classmates at Mayo. I thought a blog would make it easier for us to communicate, share ideas, etc. I took the liberty of setting this up. In talking with one of our Chief Residents for next year, Mayo doesn't have something like this set up. I choose a name I thought would work; blame me if you hate it. I invited all of our class to be co-authors, since this will be best if we all can post. If anybody has suggestions, please let me know.