Catch up

Sam and I are home from our whirlwind trip to Boston. We had a wonderful time! We stayed with my college roommate, Rachel, and her husband, Eric. We were joined by my other college roommate, Teena, and her finance, Matt. In the space of two days, we celebrated Rachel's pregnancy and Teena and Matt's engagement. We shopped, cooked, took walks, hosted parties, and caught up on the happenings, big and small, in each other's lives. Weddings and babies are blessings under just about any circumstances, but this wedding and this baby could not be happening to lovlier people. I'm so happy for them!

In other news, yesterday was my first residency interview. I interviewed for a categorical spot in the internal medicine program at our county hospital. Definitely my lowest pressure interview ... the only non-academic program I have on my list. Despite that, the program impressed me. The people are smart and kind, the call schedule is sane and -- I hadn't considered this until yesterday -- the patient population is almost ideal for residency training. At a tertiary referral center like Stanford, most patients arrive at the hospital with a diagnosis. There's plenty of learning in caring for these patients, to be sure, but there often isn't much diagnostic mystery. At the county hospital, on the other hand, patients mostly come from vulnerable, underserved groups: immigrants, refugees, homeless, the poor. These folks have limited interaction with the health care system before getting sick and as a resident, I'd be the one puzzling out the diagnosis. And, on a personal level, I think I'd really enjoy caring for them. I wasn't strongly considering this program before yesterday, but my interview may have changed my mind. I could remain involved in the research I'm currently doing while receiving excellent clinical training AND sleep in my own bed seven out of eight nights during internship. Not bad at all.

I'll post pictures from my trip to Boston when I have a chance.

PS. Just for my own accountability: mama-mojo makeover is in progress and going very well:

1. Haircut
2. Brow wax and pedicure
3. Better skin care
4. New glasses
5. New make-up
6. A pretty new dress