Sunday, July 23, 2006

happiness is....

- 45 weeks
- being thisclose to the end of my third year of school
- a break in the heat
- finding time to knit, every now and then

This is my last week of family practice, and the last official week of my third year of med school. (Some people at this point in the year are considered fourth years due to different core rotation schedules) I have truely enjoyed this rotation and will be sad to see it end, but I am ready for my fourth year to start. (the sooner it starts, the sooner it ends....)

I have been lucky in that I've been in 1-2 hospital systems this year, and even though I've moved all over the place, I now know my way around, know the electronic medical record system, am comfortable with the attending physicians (both in family practice and various specialties) and residents (and nurses and janitors, etc) and that aspect is going to be hard to leave. Starting in August I'll be a different place every four weeks - places I choose (based on housing availabilty, what I want to do and where I want to travel to) but I forsee it having a very different feel overall.

I've started to think about where I want to apply for residency, and the spot I'm in now is (still) my number one choice. I have many thoughts on this that may trickle out over the next few days (or weeks) and am curious what your thoughts are on returning to the area where you grew up (assuming you left, at some point) vs. starting "over" or "fresh" somewhere new.

There has been knitting, and at some point I'll share pictures. This week brought some bizzare weather that included hail, high (and hard) winds (that knocked out power to both the hospital and clinic I'm working at, as well to all of the houses I currently have keys for) and soaking rains that started when the sky literally opened up. I used the dark powerless nights to work on my "easy" knitting projects and haven't had a chance to pick up my lace work. Everything from the current move/reorganization should be packed/repacked within the next few days - I'm looking forward to having time to knit again.

at some point tonight I realized that I could put my hand on no less than 20 darning needles, but couldn't (for the life of me) find my socks-in-progress. I can't wait to live in one place for more than a year....

(to those who left comments re: the yarn below - please email me at medstudentwhoknits removeAT yahoo RemoveDotRemoveCom. Between the power going out and the dial up connection I'm using, searching for ways to get in touch with you is easier said than done! I will have pictures and details on the yarn if you are still interested)

6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I came back to my hometown 11 years ago. It's better than it was growing up but it still isn't a great place for me. I think one of the most important fundamentals of daily life is how you feel about where you live. Loving where you live is an amazing feeling and just enriches life in so many ways. I moved back here from Toronto which I utterly love. Having just come back from a brief and wonderful vacation there with my friends, the whole issue of where to live has been much on my mind. I'll be curious to hear what your other readers say. good luck where ever you land.

6:19 AM  
Blogger Pumpkinmama said...

While I didn't settle back in my hometown, I still feel I did something similar in terms of staying where I feel I fit. I never left my undergrad university once I graduated. I got a secretarial job there (in the office I work-studied in) and have moved both laterally and upwards over the past 12 years through the univ. to the position I am in now (8 years running on this one).

I sometime feel very lame for never having tried work life outside the womb of this place, but then, it has been what has made me feel happy and challenged and fulfilled, as well as allowed me to find a great work/family balance. Not quite the same, but I mentally often equate it to the "moving back home" idea.

Do what feels right to you, there is no one right way to live your life, and you can only go on your best instincts.

6:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's an issue I've been thinking about as well. I'm graduating in May and will have to decide where to apply for jobs. At this point, I'm thinking that I wouldn't want to live RIGHT near my parents, but I wouldn't mind being 30-45 min away or so. And I might apply for jobs in their town, because they have a great little library, but not live right there. If that makes sense.

I think you got my address for the yarn but I'll resend it just in case.

7:50 AM  
Blogger Liz said...

James & I spent our first five married years in the town I grew up in. My parents were a 10 minute walk away, and James' were a 10 minute car ride. We survived just fine, in fact, we still might be there if the area hadn't gotten so out of control (I can only take so many McMansions, Walmarts and traffic jams, you know). If where you are *feels* right, then it's probably where you should be.

Now that we live 500 miles away from the parents, it is much more difficult to arrange visits. It's pretty far to drive in a day, and expensive any other way. I didn't consider how my move up north would really change things.

1:27 PM  
Blogger LadyLungDoc said...

Sometimes residency is a good opportunity for "trying a place on for size". That being said, I lived in the same city all my life up until 6 months before I finished my clinical training. Then I left, and I never plan to move back.

10:43 PM  
Blogger Theresa said...

As you know, I moved clear across the country for residency and it's one of the best things I've ever done. Especially after doing undergrad and med school at the same school, a change to start off my first year as a doctor was definitely in order. Feel free to call or email if you want more thoughts on that. And, if you want to do a rotation in SD, I have 2 bedrooms and live walking distance to 2 hospitals. Whatever you're thinking, I'm around. Call whenever.

9:39 PM  

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