I survived my first week at my new job and am gearing up for week two. So far so good. The worst part of the whole thing is the train schedule from my parents' house. It's almost like they (MBTA officials) brainstormed what the most inconvenient times would be to make sure that there is never a train that gets you there exactly when you need to be, and decided to go with that schedule. For the first four days of the week I was up at 6am to catch the 7:16 commuter rail, despite not needing to be at work until 9. This is for a few reasons: 1) the trains take longer than the schedule says because they're doing track work this summer. But rather than adjust the schedules to take that into account, they just let you figure it out on your own. So what should be a 35 minute trip is actually a 43 minute trip. And yes, those 8 minutes matter. 2) The next train after the 7:16 isn't until 8:13. Yup. During rush hour they apparently don't think it necessary to run trains more than once every 57 minutes. 3) I still have a 20 - 25 minute ride on the subway from where the commuter rail takes me, give or take a million minutes depending on how horrible the subway is deciding to run that day.
The 6am thing was ruining my life, though, since I am NOT a morning person. But I had to get the 7:16 train in order to be at work by 9, but still found myself having about 45 minutes to kill once I got to my office. Less than ideal. And then twice this week (luckily on the way home) I had major train issues (breakdowns, delays, etc). So finally on Friday I tried driving to the subway and parking and only needing to deal with one form of horrendous Boston public transportation. Although that has its own set of cons, I still think it's my best option. So I will attempt another version of it tomorrow and keep experimenting until I find something I like. Basically September 1st can't come soon enough when I can just walk to work.
Work itself has been going well. Monday and Tuesday were just general hospital orientation days, so those were really boring and mostly irrelevant to my job. Pretty sure I don't need to know how to put on masks and gloves properly. Wednesday - Friday I was actually with my group starting my training for my real job. It's all pretty overwhelming and is a lot to take in, but it's also really exciting. I'm so inspired just listening about the work the group does, because I think it's all so important and I think the group approaches it in such a responsible, neutral, no-outside-agenda way (like real scientists) that it makes me really excited to be part of such a group.
On Friday we just barely scratched the surface of looking at the mathematical model we use, and I found it fascinating. It's going to be very hard and my mind was already almost blown by one of the things they've put into the model that I'm trying to get my head around, but that's part of why I think it's so cool and so interesting, is because I know it's going to be so challenging. Hopefully that will mean keeping me interested and engaged for a long time.
Random observations/thoughts/facts about working for a LARGE hospital (over 24,000 employees):
-Trying to find my way around is like learning to navigate the huge college/university campus I never went to.
-On day 1 I had to have a TB test and have blood drawn. Did I mention I'm working in research? That was a first!
-I learned I have the option of taking place in a disaster simulation if I'd like. I'd get to wear my bathing suit to work (get?), get mocked up with some fake injuries, and then maybe get put through the weird tent-thingy outside with people in outbreak suits all around me and get "decontaminated."
-I have an important looking badge that, in an emergency, would let me get through locked doors (? I think).
-There are actually codes and I actually know what some of the mean, despite not working in the main hospital building.
-They have really great benefits. For instance, in September I'll be taking part in a fitness program as a team with other people on my floor. It's free to take part and we get a 10 week free membership to the gym, 3 personal training sessions, and 2 one on one meetings with a nutritionist.
Ok, this isn't an observation about working for the hospital, just one in general from my apartment search. People are sexist. Not a surprise, I know. But SO many realtors, when finding out I was going to be working at the hospital, asked if I was a nurse. Not a single person ever asked if I was a doctor. Interesting, I thought.
Anyway. I need to go to bed. After sleeping in today until 9:45, tomorrow morning is going to be rough all over again. Wish me luck on week 2!
The 6am thing was ruining my life, though, since I am NOT a morning person. But I had to get the 7:16 train in order to be at work by 9, but still found myself having about 45 minutes to kill once I got to my office. Less than ideal. And then twice this week (luckily on the way home) I had major train issues (breakdowns, delays, etc). So finally on Friday I tried driving to the subway and parking and only needing to deal with one form of horrendous Boston public transportation. Although that has its own set of cons, I still think it's my best option. So I will attempt another version of it tomorrow and keep experimenting until I find something I like. Basically September 1st can't come soon enough when I can just walk to work.
Work itself has been going well. Monday and Tuesday were just general hospital orientation days, so those were really boring and mostly irrelevant to my job. Pretty sure I don't need to know how to put on masks and gloves properly. Wednesday - Friday I was actually with my group starting my training for my real job. It's all pretty overwhelming and is a lot to take in, but it's also really exciting. I'm so inspired just listening about the work the group does, because I think it's all so important and I think the group approaches it in such a responsible, neutral, no-outside-agenda way (like real scientists) that it makes me really excited to be part of such a group.
On Friday we just barely scratched the surface of looking at the mathematical model we use, and I found it fascinating. It's going to be very hard and my mind was already almost blown by one of the things they've put into the model that I'm trying to get my head around, but that's part of why I think it's so cool and so interesting, is because I know it's going to be so challenging. Hopefully that will mean keeping me interested and engaged for a long time.
Random observations/thoughts/facts about working for a LARGE hospital (over 24,000 employees):
-Trying to find my way around is like learning to navigate the huge college/university campus I never went to.
-On day 1 I had to have a TB test and have blood drawn. Did I mention I'm working in research? That was a first!
-I learned I have the option of taking place in a disaster simulation if I'd like. I'd get to wear my bathing suit to work (get?), get mocked up with some fake injuries, and then maybe get put through the weird tent-thingy outside with people in outbreak suits all around me and get "decontaminated."
-I have an important looking badge that, in an emergency, would let me get through locked doors (? I think).
-There are actually codes and I actually know what some of the mean, despite not working in the main hospital building.
-They have really great benefits. For instance, in September I'll be taking part in a fitness program as a team with other people on my floor. It's free to take part and we get a 10 week free membership to the gym, 3 personal training sessions, and 2 one on one meetings with a nutritionist.
Ok, this isn't an observation about working for the hospital, just one in general from my apartment search. People are sexist. Not a surprise, I know. But SO many realtors, when finding out I was going to be working at the hospital, asked if I was a nurse. Not a single person ever asked if I was a doctor. Interesting, I thought.
Anyway. I need to go to bed. After sleeping in today until 9:45, tomorrow morning is going to be rough all over again. Wish me luck on week 2!
