Friday, October 31, 2014

Day 3103: Happy Halloween!

From Tetris, Reverse Superman, and Jess the disgruntled Bob's Pretzel's employee!


Monday, October 27, 2014

Day 3099: My second and third interviews

Numero 2:
I love this place. It's got a ton of residents, a ton of great fellowship placement, a ton of fringe benefits (like free health/dental/vision insurance), and one of my most darling friends lives here. I can't be too specific because I want to maintain the anonymity of this place, but boy was it grand! The facilites are beautiful, the program director is a boss, and so on. More reasons why this is so: there is strong support from the categorical programs (which, as previously mentioned, is important to me). I realized on this interview that program director support is also important to me and this director has gobs of support to give. Everyone did a good job of assuaging my concerns about the fine balance between resident autonomy and resident support (support = super sick patients trying to die on me in the middle of the night and knowing I have a senior resident/fellow/attending I can call without fear of retribution). All in all, number 2 is topping number 1.


Number 3:
This was one of my less desirable programs. Less desirable meaning not in the specialty of my choice, but in a specialty that provides Danny and I more chances of ending up in the same city. So, this place didn't blow me out of the water, but what was surprising was how I liked the applicants more than my desired specialty. Maybe it's due to the number of applicants interviewed, or maybe I came in on a good day, but I was quite saddened to learn I liked these people more than I liked the people in the profession I hope to enter. Nevertheless, it is a categorical program so I suppose I do have the chance of working with them at some point. I guess there is a silver lining to everything. All in all, I wouldn't mind matching here but there are other places I would rather be.


Another interview this week team! I will keep you updated!

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Day 3088: My first interview

I had my first interview for residency this week. It was wonderful! It is a program in the South, not as prestigious as others, but the residents seemed really happy and they liked each other. The program has good working and social relationships with the categoricals (aka only internal medicine or pediatrics), which is important to me. The intern/first year schedule seemed a little babying. They only rotate once in 16 months through an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of some sort (pediatric, neonatal, or medical). On one hand, it's nice to get a handle of being doctor those first sixteen months. On the other hand, it's nice to get thrown in to the thick of it -- "welcome to being a doctor! May the odds forever be in your favor." All in all, this program set the bar high for what I am looking for in future colleagues and a future curriculum.

I hope to blog after each interview in hopes of fathoming a must-have list for my ultimate program (and it guarantees blog posts which keeps people *coughJesscough* happy ;P) and figuring out which program is the best fit for me.

Blog soon! xx

Friday, October 10, 2014

Day 3082: Interview offers & a rejection

Hey all!

My schedule of "self-study" on my new rotation has me lacking in things to tell you. Oh, I mean, I guess I have interviews, but school-wise, nothing to report.

So. INTERVIEWS. I got my first one September 19th and I nearly collapsed from joy. As an extremely average test-taker, I was worried as all get out that I would not get a single interview. Never mind my excellent clinical grades and my advisor telling me I am "such a strong candidate." Never mind all those things. I am clearly too in my head to believe what anyone else tells me and I was deathly afraid I was going to be one of the sad few who did not match come March and had to participate in the ever unwanted Scramble (now called SOAP). FYI, the Scramble occurs the week of the Match. You are informed Monday of that week that you did not match at a residency program and your week is comprised of scrambling (hence the name) for a program with an open spot who will accept you for the year while you figure your ish out. Anyway, back to my inner dialogue. So, since September 19th, I have had a steady roll of interview offers and I could not be more thrilled/overjoyed/shocked.

Today, October 10th, I have had 17 interview offers. I am happy with the mix of programs I have so far, and all I can say is, keep 'em coming! I want to see as many places as financially and temporally possible. It is amazing how quickly November and December (my vacation months aka interview months) fill up when you take in to consideration no one interviews applicants the week of Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's. I am interviewing all over -- lots of Midwest programs, a couple on the East Coast, a couple in the South and a couple on the West Coast. I can't name names to protect myself and the programs, but I will be so very happy to share with you all where I end up come March 20, 2015!

Last but not least, I received an interview from a program this evening telling me I was rejected. You know what program? I don't want to go to your program anyway. Hmph! Surprise, I am smart enough to figure out that if you do not contact me, you do not want to interview me and I am therefore rejected. You don't need to get my hopes up with an email, only to have them doused in a torrential downpour of rejection. K? THX...NOT.

Ha, bitterness is not a quality I like to demonstrate, and truthfully, I'm not all that bitter. This is my first rejection of the season and it wasn't pleasant. I wasn't dying to go to this program anyway, but I did not appreciate being told that I am not "worthy" of your program. On to next week where more programs will hopefully be sending me offers and I can start to pick and choose! :)

Friday, October 3, 2014

Day 3075: Thank You

While looking for my passport today, I came across all these cards you all have sent me over the years. I can't thank each of you enough for all the support and love you have given me, but I'm sure going to try in the coming months. Here is just a tiny sample of all the love I have received in my 3+ years in Wisconsin.