Away rotation purgatory

Somehow it is May and I am in my last few weeks of my research year.  How did that happen?  Seriously, how? 

My last month here is overly scheduled: trip home for mother’s day, presenting preliminary research at a conference, charity 120 mile bike ride, finishing my public health thesis, and scheduling next year.  That last one is turning out to be a painful.  

I, like most medical students, am a type A planner – a control freak.  Scheduling away rotations leaves no room for control.  No transparency, no answering of emails or call, and no standardization of timelines.  Whoever thought of VSAS, and whoever decided aways are important for the residency application process, clearly finds pleasure in torturing medical students. 

So many moving pieces depend on if, when, etc. I schedule aways.  When do I leave the city I’m living in?  Do I drive, do I fly?  What happens to my car?  Where is all my stuff going?  Will I be able to keep the rest of the schedule I have booked with my home institution?  Or will everything need to be flipped around to make time later for aways… Ugh!  Uncertainty = anxiety. 

I’m just looking for 2 “yes”s.  July. August.  Two little away rotations at two different places.  Hopefully in ob/gyn.  So far I’ve been given “no”s from two places for July.  “Yes”s will come after “no”s, right?

UPDATE (5/20/13): July has been scheduled!  So, unbelievably, relieved.  Now I just need August to work out.