FPGEE

We had a great piece of news delivered to us yesterday. No, the stork ain’t coming visiting again. And no, we didn’t win the Mega Million lottery ticket, although it certainly feels like it. My better half Seema passed the first out of many exams towards becoming a licensed Pharmacist in the US of A. This exam is the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Exam (FPGEE) which is conducted by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, bi-annually, across 3-4 centers in the country.

She had written the exam in Chicago on Dec 3^rd, 2005, and by all indications it seemed that she might not make it. So delirious was she after her exams that it was difficult for me and Sidharth to get her to shake off her blues. My suspicions were confirmed when I received her call last evening at work and she was sobbing uncontrollably over the phone. Putting my best benevolent spouse voice, I was getting ready to console her when she cries out “I’ve passed, I’ve passed”. For a second I misunderstood think she was going to pass out or something, not to mean that I have no confidence in my wife’s academic abilities, its just that she had led me to believe all along that she had fared terribly in her exams. So in a cautious tone I ask her again “What did you just say, you passed???”. She exults “Yes, yes, yes, I’ve really really passed the FPGEE with 83% marks”. Mind you, this is the only time I’ve got her to exult “Yes, yes, yes”. Ever!!!I nearly fell off my chair.

Thus ends an ordeal that we have jointly undergone for the past year or so, with a surprise happy ending that all of us didn’t quite anticipate. In fact, we were getting ready to send Sidharth back to day-care so that she could reinitiate her studies for the exams that take place in June. In Chicago. Well, I wouldn’t mind Chicago in the spring/summer. Lake Shore drive, Rush Street, Navy Pier, Soldier Field, much to do, much to see. It’s the winter that makes the windy City unbearable. But that’s not meant to be. La Dee Dum.....

She starts her internship now with a hospital or a local pharmacy like Walgreen or Rite Aid. The downside is that I have to be careful about picking my arguments with her, else I could find my dinners laced with laxatives, or worse!!! The upside is, free condoms. Oh yeah baby. Shagadellic!!!

So as Seema is giddy with happiness, happiness that has been accentuated by the fact that she was dreading repeating this dastardly exam all over again, happiness over the fact that she will get to spend more time with us without the constant worry of an exam looming on her mind, happiness that her 12-14 hours of studying every day, all the parties that she missed and the time that she couldn’t spend with her sonny boy have finally borne fruit (well, at least partially), happiness that in pursuit of the American dream this exam provides us additional financial security for our future and the future of our child. I’m just happy at the prospect of early retirement J)).

I’m so terribly proud of my wife.

Congratulations on your terrific achievement Mrs. Rao.