Just found you - and really need it!

Hi all -

My husband is FINALLY finishing his training. He's PGY 6 in Pathology, doing a fellowship in Transfusion Medicine. I know we're finally seeing the proverbial light at the end .... but I'm truly at MY end as well. We have 2 toddlers (boys, 3 and 2 - duh, you can AND WILL get pregnant while nursing), and I'm home with them so we're BROKE. I feel like we've taken the hardest possible path through this jungle (I mean - he did his INTERN year in General Surgery only to go on to Pathology). We've gone through some nasty political battles over the past year and now while the job hunting is slow I cannot help but be stressed. When he chose Transfusion Medicine he said it was a great field b/c most Pathologists don't like doing it (you actually deal with LIVE patients), but what he failed to mention (or possibly realize himself) is that TM is something done by 1 or 2 people per facility - and not at all facilities. This means the job market is pretty tight, and we'll probably have to move when we really don't want to.

Boy - I can whine! What a way to introduce myself! I'm sorry - I'm really fun when my life is in some kind of order. Anyway - I was thrilled to find this forum, and hope meet some people in the same boat. After all - misery loves company!

[spotty_dog]

Re: Just found you - and really need it!

Boy - I can whine! What a way to introduce myself! I'm sorry - I'm really fun when my life is in some kind of order. Anyway - I was thrilled to find this forum, and hope meet some people in the same boat. After all - misery loves company!

Cleveland Heights! Welcome! Is he at UH or the Clinic? My DH is currently doing his Internal Medicine clerkship (he's a third year) at the Clinic. We enjoy life in the Heights but are ready to move somewhere where the winters aren't quite so trying. At least one "regular" here is in the area -- she lives in Chagrin Falls. She's got school age kids IIRC.

You've found a great resource, I hope it helps you!

-Alison

[houseelf]

Jenn,

Welcome! You will find that we have many spouses like you: 1) we have many named Jennifer ; and 2) we have many people struggling with training (myself included).

Welcome aboard.

Kelly

Alison -

Assuming your husband is at Case, my husband probably taught / tutored him in Pathology. His residency was at UH, his fellowship is at the American Red Cross & he spends 1/3 of the year each @ ARC, UH & CCF. He's been teaching Pathology at the medical school over the past 4 years, and has tutored a LOT over the past 2. He mostly deals with 2nd years.

Don't you love paying obscene tuition so that they can work like dogs for free??????? Good to know there are other Clevelanders here.

[spotty_dog]

Heheh, small world! Yep, he's at Case. Working his tail off and paying for the privilege.

[spotty_dog]

Jenn, what kind of stuff do you enjoy doing around here? We're at two and a half years and I'm finally getting a handle on recreational activities, which I hope will stand me in good stead when DH starts his surgery clerkship in another month or so!

[Phoebe]

Hello and Welcome, Jenn! I am Jenn, as well. I am happy to hear that you are nearing the end of the long road. My husband is 18 months out of training and we live in Indiana by way of Cleveland Heights ourselves. My husband did his fellowship at UH and I worked at Case until having our first child who is now nearing 3.5 years. It would have been nice to know you as I felt pretty isolated while there until the end. There is a nice medical spouse group at UH. I hope you have found Turtle Park for your little ones. I moved away not caring if I saw Cleveland again, but now I miss it.

Good luck with the job search and I hope to learn more about you.

Jennifer

[Vanquisher]

Hi Jenn! I hope that you can find that perfect job you are looking for. It stinks to face the prospect of uprooting. As soon as my dh finishes his residency, I'm sure we will be uprooted to do a fellowship and then uprooted for the final phase - the actual job. It definitely stinks. I think the first year you are somewhere new is the hardest. At least, that's what I am finding to be the case. Please tell me this year is the hardest!!! LOL I have two children as well (7 and almost a year), and the idea of pulling my oldest out of school, yet again, is hard enough, let alone going to a completely new city.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Thanks for all of the great responses.

We do know Turtle Park - my friend refers to it a Narnia. As far as fun activities, I don't have a whole lot of time / money for that. I sell Tastefully Simple to bring in some money during the pitiful training pay, so I'm out a lot of evenings when my husband is home. Coventry has some great restaurants, as does the warehouse district. We're kind of nerds, so we like to have friends over and play board games or cards. My good friend owns Studio You on Lee Road (across from the Cedar / Lee) and it's a lot of fun ( work there sometimes). It started as a paint-your-own-pottyer studio, but has expanded into this creative fun space for grown ups. She has pottery wheels, jewelry making classes, knitting classes --- lots of great stuff. I'll be there on 3/10 from 6 to 9 PM for an event we're planning. Life / grocery shopping has greatly improved since our Trader Joes opened --- I'm really worried that there won't be one where we move!

UH does have a good spouses group (HOWA). Were you in it? I was on the board for a couple years & did the newsletter. My husband is no longer a UH employee, and most of my friends had finished and moved, so I didn't join this year.

Thanks again. Glad to have found you.

[spotty_dog]

My good friend owns Studio You on Lee Road (across from the Cedar / Lee) and it's a lot of fun ( work there sometimes). It started as a paint-your-own-pottyer studio, but has expanded into this creative fun space for grown ups. She has pottery wheels, jewelry making classes, knitting classes --- lots of great stuff. I'll be there on 3/10 from 6 to 9 PM for an event we're planning.

I knew it was paint-your-own pottery, but I had no idea it'd branched into that other stuff! I'll have to swing by and find out more about classes, that all sounds so fun. (Considering it's about a block from my home, it's hardly a hardship to stop by, either. )

Life / grocery shopping has greatly improved since our Trader Joes opened --- I'm really worried that there won't be one where we move!

Same here! In fact, life Before TJ's and After TJ's might just explain the difference in attitude for us both!

[Phoebe]

Jenn- Been to Studio You! We loved that place. I miss the Cedar/Lee area and Coventry. I didn't actually join HOWA because I didn't find out about it until our last year, but I did attend many of their playgroups and the Halloween party. Really nice people!

Jennifer

[BonBon]

Hey, another Jenn! Welcome!

[twinsmom]

Jenn, welcome to the board from one of the other Jen's here! I don't know a thing about ohio, but know a ton about feeling isolated and alone during training! Come here often - we all understand completely!

Jen B.