Done.. in Tucson

Eight of my twelve interviews are done! Yay! I am in the hotel in Tucson right now. I'm about ready to check out and walk to the airport to catch my flight to Seattle. Then, I am free for two weeks before the craziness begins again! I can't believe it is eight days until Christmas! Time has flown by... I have been so busy traveling that my sense of time has gone wacko...

Tucson was good- it is very warm down here. I definitely didn't pack appropriately! I brought my sweaters with me. But, it was cold and windy in Seattle when I left! I think the interview went well. I met a couple of other medical students who were interviewing the same day, and it was fun to hang out with them. We went and saw the desert and downtown Tucson a little bit.

Anyway, I am still processing all of these interviews trying to figure out which residency program will be the best fit... then I have to think about doing "second looks" and writing follow-up letters in January to let programs know I am still interested. Ugghhh... it never stops!

Wichita

I'm sitting in the hospital cafeteria in Wichita while Naomi is upstairs working hard on her family medicine rotation. With the time change (2hours) it is really early...but I got some Starbucks and I am slowly recovering!

We are staying at the house of some family medicine residents. They are super-nice people, we went caroling last night at a nursing home and then spent some time hanging out with other residents at their house. Now, with the free wireless internet, I think I'll take some time to learn about the program in Wichita and relax/try to work on my perspective so I am not anxious and can enjoy my fourth year knowing that God is in control! Then, tonight I'll be hanging out with the surgery residents in Old Town Wichita...and I have a long day of interviewing tomorrow. Then, I will be over half-way done with the interviews! :)

Moving along

So, after four days of "rest" in Seattle, I am moving on to Kansas tomorrow to check out the program in Wichita. I have heard really good things about the program...so I am pretty sure it will be another one of my top choices. And, I get to see one of my best friends, Naomi!!! She is doing a rotation in family medicine in Wichita at the same time I am interviewing. I am excited to be able to see her and hang out a little bit, even though she will be working! I haven't seen any of my SC friends for 11 weeks. :( That's a really long time! I am still pretty worn out... I have spent the last few days getting stuff done... Thank you notes, travel arrangements, financial stuff, etc... Anyway, I also got to see ArtWalk in downtown Seattle and see the Bodies exhibit with my aunt and cousin! Ok, gotta get to bed so I can wake up at 4:15 to catch my early morning flight....

In the Middle

I'm in the exact middle of my interviews... 6 down, 6 to go. As I sit at my aunt and uncle's dining room table, I struggle to write thank-you notes for my last 2 interviews. This is an exhausting process (which is to be expected...since most of medical school has been draining!). And now, to add to the fun, I have a cold. Probably from all the flying, lack of sleep, and stress.

I am thankful that I got these interviews, and that the surgeons took time to interview me. But, gosh, it is super-painful to write these thank-yous. I mean, what am I supposed to say that doesn't sound cheesy, generic, or insincere? Thank-you... I really like your program...I enjoyed talking to you...I plan to rank your program highly...I was impressed by the residents. Are they even going to read it? Put it in my file and read it a month from now when are ranking their candidates? Or, put all the thank-you notes in one file and realize that they all say pretty much the same thing?

I just want to be a surgical resident and work hard to become a good surgeon.

People should respect doctors, if only for all the pain they had to go through to become one!