Michael Chafetz A day in my life: 7 a.m. Struggle with the alarm on phone. Try to decide not to snooze for another 8 minutes. Do this quietly so as not to wake my wife, Elaine. 7:05-7:45/50 a.m. Some shaving involved first, but am doing yoga, Sun Salutations, bird dogs, push-ups, and using foam roller on legs/IT band. Has something to do with core strength. 8-8:30 a.m. Some dressing involved first, but go downstairs to let out our aging dog, feed her and give her Rx, and then play tug and chase around the hall and living room with her. Make coffee for myself and Elaine. Have quick breakfast and pack lunch. Office is not far away. 8:45 a.m. Arrive in office. Check office goings-on with Anika, who makes things run very smoothly. Make sure about upcoming neuropsychological assessment. Sometimes student sits in for interview. Must ask for client's permission for this, which is almost always granted. 9:00-9:15 a.m. Consenting for neuropsychological assessment. Making sure client understands all rights, privileges, and limitations. Insurance or other payment has been previewed, but we check over this as well. 9:15-10:45 a.m. (amount of time will vary depending on client's needs): The Interview: This is my second favorite part of the experience with the client. The feedback session is my favorite, because it is the moment of truth. I take my time with the interview, making sure not to pressure or rush the client, and allowing for the usual foibles that include misremembering and then getting it right upon realization. It is often important to have good collateral information from family who may be present. 10:45 a.m. to about 5 or 6 p.m. The Mental-Cognitive status examination starts off the testing interaction. Historically, this was the mental exam, but now it is only a small portion of the full neurocognitive work-up. Client snack and bathroom breaks occur throughout the testing day. If I have a testing assistant available, I will do some of the testing myself but often handle other practice and professional activities. For this particular day in my life, I am doing the testing myself. Performing the testing allows me a rich source of observations about the way the client handles her/himself when challenged. Efficiency: The client has to take paper and pencil tests that last about 30-40 minutes. During that time, I check on activities from my involvement in the State Association and the American Academy. 5 - 6 p.m. The client is usually gone. If I have been testing, the student has been scoring, and I will go over scoring issues and make sure I understand the findings 6:10-7 p.m. Meet Elaine at the gym for additional workout, sometimes combining treadmill work with reading a good novel. 7-7:45 p.m. Dinner at home with Elaine. 8-10 p.m. Toss-up. Sometimes finishing/working on writing projects; sometimes watching special shows/movies with Elaine. 10-11 p.m. Lot of yawning involved. Reading. Getting ready for bed. Hopefully lights out at 11 p.m.