If you are just joining, please read part 1 of this horrifying tale from yesterday.

Picking up where we left off, I arrived at the evil empire ready to face my fears. (examiners)

For those that don’t know, the exam takes place at a hotel where you move from hotel room to hotel room of 8 examiners. Yes, these are the actual rooms they sleep in. You have 25 minutes to convince each person that you aren’t a complete moron, and at the end of 25 minutes, a woman walks down the hallway with a xylophone telling you time is up. Yes, this is all true. So weird. So archaic. But it’s history and kinda fun to be part of such a strange tradition.

You go to a room full of nervous looking people in dark suits. They give you an orientation to the exam and then your list of examiners.

I cannot tell you how happy I was to not see some certain names on my list. Those people are legendary and I didn’t want to become part of the lore.

Standing in front of my first room, I felt surprisingly calm, mostly amused at how crazy and surreal it was. It was nice to see so many familiar faces in the hall with me. Many of the same faces I have seen since interviewing for residency. We all gave each other a silent nod of understanding and encouragement and the first bell rang.

My first examiner asked me how it felt to be in Louisville. I said “Oh this is absolutely delightful.” We both laughed.

Then the laughter stopped.

The 8 sections go quickly. It is really amazing.

And in the blink of an eye, the last section was over and my last examiner said ,”I thank you for coming in today.” I did not know how to respond. I mean, as if I had a choice. I think I mumbled, No, thank you!”

I took the elevator down, and sat in a chair in the lobby for 5 minutes alone in silence staring into space in a daze.

I then returned to my hotel room, changed, and made my way to the airport.

Win or lose, I knew I had to celebrate that process being over.

And so we made our way to the airport Chili’s and made it rain.

I was pretty drunk by the time I got on my plane.

Fun fact: 2 of my examiners were on my flight.

Fun fact #2: They did not acknowledge me or choose to sit with me despite it being an open seating policy on Southwest.

#awkwardturtle

The following couple days were excruciating.

Could barely sleep.

Today, I logged on as directed to try to get my scores.

I saw this.

Then over the next excruciating hour, this.

But finally this.

I’m on my way to a fancy dinner with champagne and oysters.

Toodles.