Pre-Game: Step 2 CS

Since I don't drink, I've granted myself the liberty to change the meaning of "pre-game" to mean something entirely different.

Pre-game in this context means going out to eat before med school "game time." Aka before Step 2 CS. Remember that monster exam that Ross took last summer after studying non-stop? This exam is the first part of the second set of licensing board exams and focuses on Clinical Skills. The exam is series of mock appointments with patients presenting with different symptoms. Ross has about 10-15 minutes to talk to the patient, take notes, and do a physical exam. Then he has to type it up, determine what tests he would order, and write a diagnosis. It all goes really fast. Ross has been studying really hard and I've been able to help him. I had maybe a little too much fun pretending to be patients with different symptoms.

But soon I developed a very real and life-threatening symptom- my chronic disease of hanger. We decided it was time for lunch. We both had the day off, so I figured it was the perfect time to try this German food place in San Bernardino. I've had my eye on it for months, but it has horrible hours and is never open when we are around. I kind of explained it, but Ross is so used to me dragging him to random (awesome) places that he just went with it.



And I'm glad we did! We have kinda been hooked on German food ever since Schnitzel Haus. So we were excited to give this place a try. I love their line, "Best of the Wurst." Get it?! 

We were the only ones around and it didn't take us long to order. Part hanger, part being able to navigate a German food menu. Turns out all that humiliation at awful pronunciation at Schnitzel Haus paid off. 

I've realized that I kinda really hate taking pictures with or of my food. Like I'm some social media celebrity. But then again, I can't seem to stop myself. 

Maybe because a smile doesn't get more forced than the minutes between when your food arrives and when you scarf it down. I got the wienerschnitzel and Ross got a sausage sampler plate. The warm potato salad was to die for and even the red cabbage wasn't too bad. They also had warm rye bread and butter while we waited. 

We pre-game pretty serious so we saved room for dessert, which was black forest cake. I guess the baked goods actually come from a German bakery elsewhere. But when it tastes that amazing, I don't really care where it comes from! 

Later that evening Ross was to head out to a motel room he booked in LA for the evening. I was bored and doing nothing so I tagged along. Again we learned the valuable lesson "location, location, location." The Travelodge room was the tiniest thing ever. It was kinda dingy but is right next to LAX (and the testing center) so it cost about $120/ night. Wowzers! 

The thing with this exam, is that it is held in very select locations. We are lucky enough to live close to LA, but people fly to the United States from around the globe to take this exam. Even friends from Northern California had to drive down to take it here. 

And I always tell Ross that when it comes to medical school stuff we "spare no expense." I'll eat ramen for the next month if it means he can save himself the headache of a two and a half hour drive in traffic at 5am before his big exam. Of course, the funny part is that after all that ramen, I'll probably need a doctor to help pump my stomach or cure cancer or revive me from sodium poisoning. Cheers!