So let's begin.
This semester of medical school has been a mixture of 80 hour weeks and entire months off. I spent July studying for the 2nd section (out of 3) of my licensing exam. August and September I was in the hospital almost constantly doing internship-level hours and work (loved it!). October... I can't even remember. I literally have no idea what I did for the entire month of October. Moving on.
November was a challenging month for me. I spent the month in the Intensive Care Unit and traveling for interviews. It was like going back and forth between seeing my entire life in front of me and watching other lives fade to a close. Actually fade makes it seem more sweet than it was. There were pages in the middle of the day, CPR administered, struggling to balance the intensity of the surroundings and the details of what's occurring, the delicate balance of giving information but not hope to the families. I lost two patients in my first 48 hours and I hadn't even had time to learn their names, meet their families. It makes every other patient's case that much more of a light in the day of a doctor bogged down by the realities of death and the understandable naivety of hopeful family members. All I can say is no one expects to die, so please get your affairs in order and talk to your family members about what you want, no matter how old you are.
Opposing that, interviews were amazing. The juxtaposition of these two times in my life was tangible, like a slap in the face. To go from the ICU to flying to NC/CO/WA for an interview... it was surreal. I flew all around the country to some of the best Family Medicine programs in the country [Update: I decided to go into family medicine!]. Choosing to do a lot of interviews was financially burdensome, yet ultimately the best choice. Not only do I feel more confident in my decision to stay in Amarillo [Update: I want to stay in Amarillo, it's my #1 ranked program], but it build my confidence in myself. Going to places like University of Washington and Oregon Health and Sciences University was amazing- I was literally interviewed by some of the best programs in the country, some of the smartest people, and some of the most progressive people in the field of Family Medicine... and they wanted me there. It's unbelievable to me- someone who BARELY got into medical school, who was scared I had forgotten how to study/learn, who was terrified that I was too old to go back to school. It made me feel (yet again) like this is where I belong, strengthened my resolve.
UW is my number two place, rank-wise. I loved Seattle. I loved the program and the people. And oh my God if the Pacific Northwest isn't the most beautiful place in the world, then I'm wrong about everything. But in the end, I grew up far away from family, and I just dont want to do that to myself. Mom is turning 68 this year and while she is healthy, I cannot stand the idea of being far away if the unexpected occurs. Another issue... once I started discussing political activism with the UW faculty, I had the sudden realization that I wouldn't be representing Texas anymore. And I definitely didn't like that feeling. So it turns out I am much more of a Texas girl than I ever would have believed.
Pictorial Interview Summary (the pictures are winding, like my life):
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| North Carolina was gorgeous. |
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| Ran into some friends on the interview trail... |
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| Ft Collins, CO was fun and festive. |
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| And I fell in love with the Seattle and Pacific Northwest again... |
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| Portland and OHSU were amazing as well... |
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| And I ate some of the most amazing food in the world. |
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| Multnomah Falls, OR... I'd go back a million times. |
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| Seriously Kim deserves an award for humor. And gift giving ;) |
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| Dawn - a new but permanent addition. |
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| Cole and Miranda... keeping it real. |
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| The boys love LOVE karaoke. |
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| John can't dance to country to save his life- but he makes me happy :) |
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| The residents in AMA will change your life. No really. |
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| This girl. I can't say enough. Catalina, my Colombian love! |
In December, I took the entire month off. Mom and I went to Japan to see my brother and his family during a time of celebration for them. My brother Scott has been in the Navy for more than 25 years and just finished an 18 month assignment as Commander of the USS Lassen. He's being promoted to the Afloat Training Commander in January and it's a good move for him; high level of responsibility, politically important position where he gets to work with the Japanese navy as well. Overall, it's a good move for him and something we're all excited about for him. AND we got to see Sonja, Stormie, AND Skye and Milissa... first time to meet Milissa despite them having been married almost two years. Seriously, it had been too long all around.
I want to do a separate post about Portland- I spent about 4 days there and it was amazing. I'll probably do one with more details about Japan, as well. Just trying to let everyone know that I love you all and I miss everyone. So much has happened, I don't mean to leave anyone out. Know that I love you and send me a photo of us if you have one.
As per usual, either respond to this or respond to my email and update me with what is going on in all of your lives. I know it's a corny way to keep up with everyone, but I LOVE hearing about your lives. And there have been some major changes for many people in my life- I can't wait to hear about it all!
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