Behind the White Coat

Post Partying Grub

New York City is the greatest place to go out at night, but the real problem is deciding where to go and grab a drink, go dancing, or party all night. Just as difficult a decision to make is where to go eat when you got those late night post-drinking munchies. You just gotta find the place that is closest to where you party. Well I came up with a bunch of the places I have been known to go in the late night hours, and I think you'll find something that floats your boat and pleases the desire of any hungry night-owl.

Mamouns [west village]
The original all-time classic late-night grub joint. If you haven't heard of Mamoun's, then you really need to get your ass down to McDougal Street to this tiny hole in the wall. Cheap, open till 5am, if are sober enough to wait on the line that usually comes out the door, you won't be dissapointed. The best falafel and shwarma in the city as far as I'm concerned. The guys in the tiny area behind the counter work at super speed to get your freshly fried falafel, and freshly cut shwarma--rotating and sizzling in the back as you watch. Dont' be a hero with their hot sauce, it is viscious, but oh so good! Take it to go, eat it in the cab, or find an empty seat at one of the 6 tiny tables, and chow down.

L'Express [park ave south]
If you're feelin a sit-down trendy-diner mood, then l'express is the place to go. Open 24 hours, this always happening French bistro is as packed in the post-party hours as it is during Sunday brunch. If you're sick of the same ole diner food, l'express serves up diner food a' la francais. Superb fluffy eggs, tasty sandwhiches, fresh mussels, the tasty lamb sausage, other french delights, and oh of course, the famous lamb burger--spiced to perfection, and oh so tender. Along with your food, if you can still handle it, a great selection of beers--go for the Delerium Tremens, it my new favorite.

Gam Mee Ok [west 30s]
If you have any Korean friends, then they may have taken to you to this popular late-night joint in K-town (koreatown, 32nd street). Famous for serving up their bowls of Sul Long Tang, a milky white soup with noodles, beef, rice, cooked in a big stone vat, it is a good place to come with a group, for something hot, tasty and sobering. Add some sea salt, scallions, and slurp away. They also serve up other korean classics like bim bim bop and pajan, always tasty and satisfying.

Gray's Papaya [downtown 6th ave]
I'm sure you've heard of the famous Gray's Papaya (Chris Rock went there in Down to Earth). If not, they serve basically one thing--hot dogs! That's right, if you're on the go, and you're on the west side, this 24 hour hot dog joint will serve you up the best all-beef hot dogs in the city. Get a couple of dogs with one of the super fresh and thick fruit shakes to serve your satiety.

Chicken and Rice [midtown west]
This place has so many names--"Chicken and Rice", "Brother", "Platter", those are some of the names I've heard thrown around for this little mobile stand sitting on the corner of 52nd and 6th. Now I have been here a few times in the past couple of months, and each time I have waited on line for at least 30 min and up to an hour! Is it really worth it? Well an hour is pushin it, but if you're with some peeps and can hold up for 20 min, it is worth it. Servin up plates of chicken or lamb with rice, salad, pita, and the great white sauce and hot sauce. Now what I also found is that there is another guy down the street, on 51st and 6th, who I think is just as good, and the line is damn shorter. And when your that drunk, you can't even tell. But check these stands out, because they are killer.

Some other places I frequent in the late hours: Bereket's [east village], Crif Dogs [St. Mark's], Coffee Shop [union square]

Let the Games Begin

I am proud to say my application has been submitted!! That's right.... after pondering and revising my personal statements and the tidbits on my application for days and weeks over my intended deadline, I finally had myself a stiff drink, and hit the submit button just this Sunday night. It is now out of my hands, but what a load off my shoulders!!

Amazing.. As I type this, I have gotten my first interview request!! Surprisingly though, I didn't realize I even applied to this school - UC Irvine. I think I just hit a whole bunch of the west coast schools aside from just UCLA and UCSF... (If anyone know how UC Irvine is supposed to be for IM do tell) But wow, that is exciting. My first interview request!! And it is on the West Coast. Amazing.

I am sitting here in the computer lab of Montefiore Medical Center, taking a break from sifting through the charts in the Heart Failure clinic here in efforts to finish my project. I am on the Ds right now, and lodr knows how many hudnreds of patients remain. Good news is, I have only 3 more days of research block!! Though my initial intentions of becoming famous probably won't happen, at least I may get my name on a few papers (despite the fact they are unrelated to my project).

Back to it.... Remember, I am still offering free medical advice!!!

Heart Transplants

During my last 2 months of my Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) research/clinical elective, I've followed a lot of sick patients with bad hearts, and a handful of these people are on various stages of the heart transplant program that we have at Albert Einstein/Montefiore Medical center. There are some interesting things I thought I'd blab about today....

Who:
To get on the list for a heart transplant, there are certain criteria you have to make. First of all, you have to be really sick. That is your heart failure has to be well advanced to the point where you have months to live. These patients have a very low ejection fraction (how much blood your heart can pump) and a very dialated heart. The etiologies are very varied--ischemia/heart attacks, congenital diseases, infiltrative diseases (such as amyloidosis and hemochromatosis), and some others. Also, you have to be pretty young--there is no point in putting someone 80 years old through such a complicated process for a new heart.

Who Not:
So to make the list, you have to undergo a comprehensive workup. Certain criteria must be met, such as non-elevated pulmonary pressures--so the right side of the new heart is able to pump blood to the lungs, otherwise it will fail. Also, the patients have to be screened for any type of cancer, any major vascular diseases, advanced diabetes, or other organ dysfunction that would end up kiling them despite a new heart. If something is there, it is a no go. Also, anybody with any substance abuse issues or alcoholism won't qualify. Also, psychiatric disorders are a contraindication, because you'll have to be on lifelong steroids which can cause a psychosis in themselves. Anyone who is suicidal and homicidal also won't make the list.

When:
When does someone get the operation? Well that depends on a few things. First of all your status. There are different levels of the list from Ia to IIb. This varies based on severity of disease, the type of medications required for support, and if the level of care they need (i.e. living at home vs. the ICU with tubes everywhere.) But more importantly, it really depends on when the next unfortunate healthy young person loses control at 100mph on the freeway, ending their life, but preserving their heart.

New Heart:
The donor heart has to be matched only by blood type, and not HLA types (which are immune markers) since you will be on lifelong immunosupppresion--aside from that, the heart just has to be the right size. Afterwards, patients must be on lifelong immunosuppression to prevent rejection. This will also put them at risk for infection, since the immune system is kept at bay to keep the new heart.

So it's no day in the park, but it is pretty amazing. Survival at 1 month is over 90%, and at one year is over 85%--numbers that aint too shabby, and will probably continue to improve. I was going to tell an interesting story about a patient we have currently on the list, but since this is already way too long, I'll save it for later....

Nothing Special

I'm too lazy to write about my weekend right now, so I'm just going to ramble about some random thoughts...

Tip of the Week: If you are sick with what would seem to be a mild cold/sore throat, don't go out all weekend, stay out late, and drink--Because man, you just won't get better. (Reassuring this is coming from a future doctor isn't it?) Stick to the OJ and the NyQuil.

Restaurant of the week: I went to have dinnner at this new place called Cuba in the west village. Fantastic authentic Cuban cuisine (reaffirmed by my Cuban friend mind you), with all the classic Cuban dishes, home-cooked flavor, and an intimate cozy Cubano ambience as well. Apprently they have live music on the weekends as well. Our waiter seemed to neglect us near the end of the night, but I'll give the rest of the staff the benefit of the doubt. The mojitos and Capirihinas were made with love, and it's bound to be a festive experience. I'll go again.

Procrastaination Tool of the Week: If you have not gotten into the poker craze as yet, try your luck at www.partypoker.com. You can play for real money, or if you're a wimp, go monopoly style.

I think I'm almost done with my application. I had to rewrite my damned personal statement, but I think I'm almost ready to submit! Tomorrow or the day after may be the big day...

My ploy to increase user comments via giving out gmail accounts has clearly failed. Well at least I know I have three regular readers out there, all of whom I hung out with this weekend. Three is good enough to keep me going!

NFL Thursday

Today is Thursday night, the official premiere of the 2004-5 NFL Season! That's right folks, the Pats square off against the Colts. It is actually halftime at the moment, and it is quite a game I gotta say. Now at least the dead period of sports is broken, and Sundays are going to get a whole lot better!! (Especially the El Mirachi Brunch at Chango's --all you can drink till 4pm!!). We got the fantasy league back together, so let's see if my paltry tream goes anywhere this year....

I am almost done with my personal statement. Then I can submit this damn application, and hopefully wait for the interview offers to start coming. Wow, talk about scary, I feel like it was just yesterday I was standing infront of my anatomy cadaver, snipping away at the chest wall in my first few months of medical school. Now I am applying for my future career! Time really flies. Now my friend Charlie is at Columbia Dental cutting away at his cadaver, as I seek to finally finish my unending time in "school," (though hardly from learning--that has yet to begin...)

I learned today that the infamous jeoparday streak is over. Can you believe how much this fucker won? He still has like months of televised shows to go before he actually loses on TV.... the episodes are lagged, so he's only at 1.3 million as opposed to the 2.5... Nuts...

My friend sent me this link. Now that picture is just hysterical. You gotta love it!

I tried to offer free gmail accounts, but I have yet to get a response. Does nobody read this damn thing? Not even Charlie is out there? Show me some luv people...

A Long Week

Quote of the Day: “One must realize that all things done in one’s life is insignificant; however, it is significant that one does them.” –Mahatma Ghandi

Son of a bitch.. I wrote a whole post, and typepad gave me an error, and it was erased.... But shit what can you do? I got tons of work to do this week, and all I did in the weekend was stay in the city and party... Surprise surprise.. Despite the 4 workdays, its gona be a looooong week.

This is the quote I used for my personal statement's opener.. Actually my friend recommended it to me, but it seems to be quite applicabe to many things... I can certainly say it defines the life of a first year resident, so I should learn to love it...

I met with my dean's letter writer today, Dr. Stephen Baum, chief of medicine at Beth Israel NY. He was quite reassuring I must say, he told me not to worry and I would match at a good residency program. He said to "aim high," whatever that means. He did not specify, but just said don't apply to shitty programs, and keep a few safeties. Was he telling me I got a shot at Columbia, UCSF, and MGH??? Who knows.. I doubt it... But perhaps I have a fair shot at landing an interview, and a good chance at some of the tier 1 programs.. We'll see.. At least he made me feel a little less uneasy and more comfortable about my status.... Now if I could just finish my damned personal statement...

Aside from the ps, i got a shit load of work to do for my research.. It's gona be a long goddamned week I'll tell you that much... As a wise entertainer once said.... Booyaka-shah!!

oh.. i got 6 free gmail accts to give out.. If anyone wants them, post a comment (maybe this will get my comments to increase)

blah

Personal Statement = load of crap. Can I just tell you? I feel like I have been workin on this thing for a month (cuz i almost have) but have dedicated minimal minutes and hours to it. Thats cuz its all bullshit. We didnt come to med school to write crappy touchy essays.. gimme a break..
I gotta meet my letter writer tomorrow, so I best be getting somewhat of a draft done. I spent the whole weekend going out and partying, and didnt get shit done! (but I mean its labor day, and its the end of summer right?!)

On top of that, I have a million things to do for my research this week.. It never ends...

On another note, I started taking tabla lessons. That's right, tabla. Why you ask? Well why not? $20 a pop aint too shabby...

Back to the grind.. thats it for now... its gona be a long week.