Last Shift

It ended up being a quiet night, and the morning light brought with it no fanfare or fete. I climbed out of the bed and reached to switch off my pager, its tiny light still burning red from the last call, hours ago. The long list of scheduled crews that sat by the door no longer held my name within its pages.

With the final shaded Scantron last week came the effective end of second year. The collective sigh as the time ran out was tempered by the threat of USMLE and COMLEX looming on the horizon. Post-exam parties and weekend revelry seemed a perpetual Sunday--the calm before the storm to come, relaxation soured by anticipation.

The next three months stretch on with days full of studying, reviewing, and refreshing. My desk is piled high with books to read and notes to highlight, and the plan leaves little time for hours on the ambulance or in the Emergency Department. I'm disappointed. The people that I meet through EMS provide the best incentive and encouragement to study each day--each dispatch another impetus to learn. However, the best way I can prepare to help patients in the future is to let others take my place for the present.