Hi.... ( 1

[Amiens]

I am so glad I found this forum! It is nice to know that I am not alone.

Anyway, a bit about me and the doc....

My name is Crystal, and my hubby (Matt) is a 1st year resident (intern) at the University of CO-Internal Medicine Program (just started June 23!). He is categorical, and will be going on to do anesthesia at Univ. of Washington-Seattle. As for me, I work for a molecular biologist doing consulting on reference management, grants, etc. (would be in the lab if it wasn't for a future addition), have a BS in Biology and a BA in French from Univ. of CO. I thought I wanted to go to medical school until I met Matt. As he likes to tell his attendings and collegues- "She is the smarter one out of the two of us."



Matt and I have been married for 3 years (together for 4). So I was with Matt through all 4 years of medical school. We are expecting our first child in January 2002.



I look forward to being able to talk to people who understand q4, q5, drug dinners, etc. =-)



Crystal

Crystal,



Welcome to the group....I hope that as people get back from vacation and get settled back in that they will find their way up to the intro forum to say their hellos....



My husband just finished his fellowship in Infectious Diseases and we started a "real" job about 2 weeks ago (stand up and cheer! ) It has been a long, hard road and there were times that I thought we wouldn't make it...but we have emerged!



I am finishing the revisions on my thesis for my MS in mol. bio...I did my research on Carbonic Anhydrase II....I have three children ages 6 1/2, 5 1/2 and 2 1/2. Since we moved, I am no longer in school or working and am planning on staying home until my children are older.....



It is great to have you here, and congrats on the impending birth of baby #1! (Any idea of the sex? )



Kris

Welcome, Crystal! And congrats on expecting baby #1!



Janet

[Amiens]

We don't know yet. My ultrasound is scheduled on 8/20 Unfortunately Matt is going to have a hectic month of Pulmonary Ward, so he probably won't be there, but hey thank goodness for video tapes.



Thank you! It is so nice to have found people who are going through the same thing. I wish all of the residency programs gave out resources to help the spouses.



Crystal

[DCJenn]

Hi Crystal-



Welcome to the group. You'll find that someone here has been through exactly whatever it is that you're experiencing at the time.



I have to get to work- but suffice it to say, my last science class was 11th grade except for ecology in undergrad- wading through streams and picking through owl pellets- fun and important. But no cellular or molecular or microscopic anythings!



Jenn

Hey Crystal--I remember Intern year like it was just last year--oh wait it was last year.



You are finding us right about the time I found this site. You have hit the right spot--With all of its madness it is nice to see the ones we love really taking that first step.



Welcome to the group--we are glad you found us

Hi there Crystal! We've met at Heartchoice. I usually just read here, but I wanted to welcome you to this group. They are very helpful and supportive! I was an Intern's wife last year and it is still fresh in my mind. I know everyone will be of great support to you! Best wishes!



Sincerely,

Christy

[houseelf]

Crystal,



Welcome and congrats on your little one! Besides being the best experience in life, kids somehow lend much needed perspective to the medical profession!



Colorado sounds beautiful! Is it your home or are you exploring what will be your new home? I'd be an out of control hiker if I lived there.



Anyway, welcome and enjoy!



Kelly

Hey Crystal! Small world....



My wife went to CU-Denver for undergrad (Biology) and then med school at UCHSC (to the rest of you, that's Univ. of Colorado Health Sciences Center), and I went to CU-Boulder for undergrad (Theatre) and then worked at CU for five years. We both grew up in CO. So, you are in our old stomping grounds! Now we live in Portland, Oregon... not far from where you'll end up in Seattle. Lisa just finished her three-year peds residency here.



Are you from Colorado originally, or are you both just there for school/residency? I hear they moved much of the med school to the old Fitzsimmons buildings. How is your husband liking it there? Forgive me if I'm overwhelming you with info and questions, but you're the first person I've run into on this board who's in a place I know about.



Welcome to the group, and congrats on the forthcoming baby!

-Chris

[Amiens]

Matt is originally from Wyoming, and he did his undergrad at Utah State. As for myself, I am a retired Marine Corp Officer's brat, so I have lived all over. My father retired from the military about 10 years ago in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. I met Matt here in Denver (2 wks into his 1st yr of med school). So Denver-Highlands Ranch has become home.



Matt matched at CU for internal med, although he kind of wanted to get away from where he went to med school (UCHSC) because he knows alot of the attendings and residents, and wanted to "spread his wings and fly." But we will be doing that next year when we move to Seattle for anesthesia. OHSC (Oregon Health Sciences Center) was actually Matt's choice after Univ of Wash because of the lifestyle was really similar to Colorado.

However we are at where we wanted to be if he matched at UW for anesthesia. (Supplemental lists can be a pain sometimes.)

Matt is enjoying the program, although they do work him to the bone. He averaged 100+ hours a week his first month into his internship, but he survived his first month. He rotates every month to a new hospital. He just started a pulmonary month at UH, and his first day they had an orientation which he thought was a waste of time and "stupid," because he and the other intern both graduated from UCHSC, and knew the hospital, etc. Anyway he got over it. For the most part he likes it.

The medical school is still at the Health Sciences Center at 9th and Colorado. The only thing that has moved out to Fitzsimmons is a few of the outpatient clinics- the Eye Institute, Women's Health (OB/GYN), and one or two other things. The medical school won't move to Fitz for another 4 or 5 years. The plan is to have everything out there before 2010. As far as liking med school, Matt liked everything except having to do a Family Medicine month, and wished the school would reinstitute the exam skills courses. He knows that Preceptoring was to replace that but he didn't think it did a good enough job of teaching physical exam skills.



Has it been 3 years since you and your wife have been back to Colorado? The new Bronco stadium is pretty much completed and will be inaugurated sometime in August. Be grateful you live in Oregon. In Denver there is a new construction project that will start next summer named T-Rex (transportation expansion project). I-25 is going to be expanded to have more lanes, and a light rail system will run between north bound and south bound from Lincoln Blvd. to Downtown. A bunch of overpasses (Washington, Downing, etc.) are going to be replaced In other words it is going to be one big huge mess.



Sorry to ramble on.

Crystal

Welcome to the list Crystal! We're glad to have you! My husband visited Colorado last summer as a possible place to do his 3rd and 4th years of medical school. He came home absolutely drooling over how beautiful it is there & can't wait to take me out there.



I think I'd be a hiking fool out there, as well Kelly!



Wendy

[Amiens]

It has been home for me for 10 years and 4 years for Matt. We used to be out of control hikers, but since I have gotten pregnant I put up a stink about hiking. We did a 1/2 mile hike a couple of weeks ago (granted it was 95 degrees outside), and all I could say was "Are we there yet?" Matt wants to do more hiking, so he has been trying to get together with some of the other residents and interns on days off to go and do harder strenuous hikes (he hiked two 14ners last winter!).



Colorado is absolutely beautiful! I don't think there isn't a day that goes by that I don't see the sun shine, even when it starts out cloudy in the morning.



Crystal

Crystal, you mentioned OHSC. Did you mean OHSU - Oregon Health Sciences University? That's where we are! It's a great program for peds... very laid back, but (as Lisa says) there are not too many fellows, so the residents get to do a lot more. In any case, when you get to Seattle, we should look each other up -- it's only 3 hours from here.



Yes, I grew up in Denver and lived in Boulder for a few years, too. Lisa and I have been back a few times in the last three years, because both our immediate families live there. We have gotten a few small tastes of how much things are exploding there, and I must say that, even though I am a Colorado native and miss the constant sunshine, I really don't miss Denver. Every time we visit, we are frustrated by the traffic and smog, corporate takeover of downtown, endless suburban sprawl, etc. We love Portland, which has similar attitudes but is more laid back, like Denver used to be many years ago. I can go on an on about how much I love it here, but I'd bore you all to tears.



Seattle is similar in many ways, but is MUCH more of a sprawling city, like Denver. And of course they get even less sunshine than we get here. But the Puget Sound makes it beautiful even on a cloudy day. I really like Seattle, too; I think you'll be very happy during your time there.



And by the way, I don't mean to talk down about Denver. After all, I was born and raised there! Colorado is a beautiful place, and there are certain parts of Denver that have a hip, urban, enlightened and yet still very old-fashioned lifestyle, which I always loved. One of those areas is the region around UCHSC, actually. It's a really cool little neighborhood with lots of nice parks, restaurants, not far from Cherry Creek, shopping, bike trails, etc. When we were dating, Lisa used to live at roughly 8th and Cherry (I'm sure you know exactly where that is), so that area has a lot of very good memories for me.



It's so cool talking to someone who's in a place I know so well! By the way, at which CU campus did you get your Biology degree, and what year did you graduate? If it was the Denver campus, you and Lisa undoubtedly know many of the same people.



-Chris

[Amiens]

OHSC- yeah I was talking about Oregon Health.

I did get my degree from the Denver campus! It was alot cheaper than going to Boulder, and I liked the program for the most part. So I am guessing that if Lisa just finished a 3yr peds residency then she graduated May 1998 (?) when Matt had just finished first year. I am not sure if she would have known some of the same professors that I did- I am a youngin'- I am only 24 (getting ready to celebrate #25 here in month and a wk). When I went through the Bio program at CU-Denver, I had Dr. Dixon (genetics), Dr. Ferguson (anatomy), Dr. Tyler (Physiology). She might recognize those names. I graduated May 2001. So Matt and I had a dual graduation celebration.

As far as the med school, you can tell her that Dr. Carry is still teaching anatomy for the med students. Dean Krugman and Nelson are still running the show.



We noticed that Seattle was very much like Denver, and to be honest we were trying to get away from that. Seattle was not his #1 pick- he liked the prestige of the program, that they were nationally recognized, and all that they had to offer , but hated the traffic and the fact it was so similar to Denver. He had wanted to go to Dartmouth mainly because of the size of the program was smaller, it was a new place, and the town was small. But obviously we were supposed to go to Seattle, because that is where he matched. I was excited to go to any of Matt's top 4 the other 4 well I was not as excited. But Matt is more excited to go to Seattle, and do and enjoy all that they have to offer- I think he is more excited about the cheap flights to Hawaii! That's our favorite vacation spot.



It is neat to run into someone else who knows Denver. I don't mind you talking down about Denver, I agree- the traffic has gotten out of hand, and it has gotten too big for my liking.



Have a good one

Crystal

Crystal,



You youngster, you! I mentioned those professors' names to Lisa, and she said she had Dr. Ferguson before he got his Ph.D. -- in fact, she calls him "Charlie." He was the one who hooded her at her med school commencement, at her request. I met him - seemed like a really nice guy. Small world!



From what you said, I think you'll like Seattle better than Denver in some ways, not as much in others. On the down side... it is big, maybe bigger than Denver, and not sunny nearly as often (duh). On the positive side, the attitude and personality of Seattle is really upbeat and friendly. It's just somehow more sophisticated than Denver. It's a huge focal point of arts, music and culture, and there are a million cool attractions. In a few years, when you get there, we should look each other up and meet at Ivar's for seafood!



By the way, about the infamous Pacific Northwest weater... in my opinion, it isn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be. Portland, for example, has a very long warm season that runs from March through October, during which it doesn't rain much at all. Seattle is a little more gray because of fog from off the Puget Sound, but the weather up there has actually been great just about every time we've visited. Plus, you almost never have to deal with snow and ice -- either driving or shovelling!



-Chris