When we last left off, I was at the tail end of my third year of medical school. It’s amazing how a switch seems to activate at the transition from third year to the fourth and final year of medical school. A switch that is triggered by the realization of how much has changed. Where confusion once resided about where to go, how to get things done, I now find familiarity. I know the shortcuts through the hospital’s twists and turns. I know where to find free food. Where nerves once were of how to present complex pieces from a patient’s history, I now find a welcome challenge in refining that story.

I’m one week away from starting my sub-internship in pediatrics. A sub-internship is like a trial run for residency when for the first time, I’ll have the responsibility of fully being someone’s doctor. Having just gotten my schedule where “short” days are 10-hours and “long” days are 12-hours, 6 days a week, I’m bracing myself for a whirlwind. A whirlwind where time may be finite but energy is indefinite. A whirlwind where I can learn to harness energy from the fulfilling moments of each day to come home good tired and well-nourished.

So while the days are long and the years are short, here’s a recipe to get me going.

Blueberry Morning Muffins

Makes 11 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup (112 g) almond flour
• 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup dried blueberries
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, maple syrup, and vegetable oil. Pour this wet mixture into the flour mixture and stir till just combined.
4. Divide the batter evenly into 11 lined cupcake wells. Top with dried blueberries and sliced almonds. Bake for 20 minutes or till a toothpick comes out cleanly.