CNM.

I've worked really hard for this. So. Excited. More to come.

Love,
Ashley CNM MSN

STEP 2 DEFEATED!

Scores are back for Step 2! Husband conquered!!!!! We are so pleased with his score - and what a load off!!!! All he has left for the entirety of med school is Step 2 clinical skills, which he isn't too concerned about. Then sub-Is of fun (including a sub-I in Ghana!), match, and graduation! I can't believe we're here....it felt so far away for so long. I know I say it every time but there is not one second of one day that I am not proud of my husband and all his hard work. Proud of both of us actually. Go us.

wahooooooooo!!!!!!

July 24th was a nutty day. It was the day that (by some serendipitous twist of fate) both Christian and I were both scheduled to take the biggest exams of our academic careers (second big exam for Christian after Step 1 last year). Christian had to pick a Step 2 date based on what was available at the closest testing centers and my comprehensive exam (passing is required to graduate) was prescheduled at the beginning of the semester...by some miracle they happened to fall on the same date. It had already been nice studying like crazy people together and now we would get to celebrate jumping these hurdles together! Yay!

Thank goodness I had finished season 3 before I started studying...GOT could've been my downfall...

We spent the week out of town where Chris had scheduled his exam (mine is online so I could take it anywhere). The days before the exam we dedicated to reviewing and re-reviewing anything and everything...I had a lot of freak-outs/breakdowns (per my usual) and Christian continually reminded me I'm a special midwife snowflake and the smartest lady and all that (per his usual). He kept his game face on - he worked SO hard to prepare for this, just like with Step 1. I am unbelievably proud of him if anyone hasn't noticed. 

Pre-exam cramming. Pun intended. 

Game day came and we busted out - five hours/176 questions for me and nine hours/~350 questions for him. I received my fate via email a few hours later....

At Georgetown we need an 83% to pass all our exams, including our comprehensive exam. I got my grade back later - 88%! It was a huge relief to know I didn't just barely pass (although passing is passing, don't get me wrong!) but that I worked hard on mastering the material and it was reflected in my score! Christian has to wait for scores back in September but we were just so relieved to both be done, at least for the moment. In the meantime he's busy being awesome and winning awards....

From the article his school wrote about him! That's my husband y'all!

So that leads to these big few weeks...my last weeks as a graduate student and Christian's first weeks of fourth year emergency medicine sub-Is! I have only a few assignments left and one presentation this week along with a few more days of clinical. Then at the end of this week my degree will be complete and I will be cleared to sign up for and take my board exams. And then I'll be super official!!! RN, BSN will be replaced by MSN, CNM, WHNP-BC (much more of a mouthful). In med school world Chris is absolutely loving his first sub-I and is really looking forward to fourth year as a whole. It's so great seeing his hard work pay off...the residents and attendings love him (what's not to love, right?) and he is doing work he enjoys. Win win.

You may be thinking, next step job hunt! Way ahead of you: I am employed! I had an interview last week with a great midwifery practice in our area and I was offered a position! The practice is within short driving distance from our house, as is the hospital I will be attending births at. I am thrilled to have a place to begin my career and am so grateful they wanted to take a chance on a new graduate midwife! I am equal parts excited and completely terrified. More on this transition as it's happening!

Me and mom celebrating over dinner with my family.

So, as you can see big things are happening around our house. To all of our cheerleaders reading this post, you are such a huge part of why we are where we are at this moment (and why we're both smiling). We love our jobs and are surrounded by the best people. What more could we ask for?!