Boondoggle

[DCJenn]

What the heck is boondoggle?

It's awesome! All of the peds staff agree to cover the hospital from Friday at 5pm to Sunday at 5pm. All of the interns and residents (and spouses and children) go away to the beach! It's so much fun. As third years we get the suite with the jacuzzi overlooking the ocean. We're sharing with two other couples, one couple went to med school with my husband and the other couple are our wino friends!

The choices are Boondoggle or work. Our internship year one guy (a real social putz) decided he'd rather work. Needless to say the sucking up did not work in his favor!

So, I'm excited. Do any of you guys have an opportunity to do stuff like this? Maybe you guys with staff spouses can suggest that they do this for their interns/residents. I tell you its a great team-building experience and a huge morale booster as well.

Jenn

[PrincessFiona]

no fair!

You are sooooooooooo lucky! We never had anything like that....what a great memory...I hope that someone is keeping a boondoggle scrapbook ...wouldn't it be neat to be able to look back through the years of boondoggling!

Kris

[DCJenn]

I'm Back!

Well, it was fabulous to get away! the weather was great- 90's during the day and low 80's at night. The first night we hung out poolside and had a good time. It was mostly the thrid years who hung out, I think the interns were too intimidated and most of the second years have kids and went to bed early!

Saturday morning I took a long walk on the beach and then a group of us went out for lunch. Saturday night all three years gathered for appetizers, pizza and desserts. Most of the talk centered around where everyone wants to go, who is applying for fellowship, who needs to try to stay in San Antonio, etc. It's absolutely bizarre to me to think that this time next year we'll be someplace else!

Some of my husband's co-workers have very scary situations approaching- civilian spouses with fellowships here- civilian spouses with jobs they cannot leave here, military spouses starting residencies or finishing residencies here- and there are very few slots for general pediatricians other than Chief Resident. I'm so glad that it really doesn't matter where we go!! We go where the Army sends us- if he doesn't get the fellowship!

Anyway- it was great. I think all programs should do it!

Jenn

[houseelf]

Jennifer--

How awesome for you that you had this getaway. (Completely jealous of the weather, btw.) It definitely helps to hear others' stories and realize that as hard as you have it, someone else may just have it worse.

BTW, Can you believe that you are almost finished with the San Antonio chapter of your life? Life goes too way too fast. When will you find out your next assignment?

Kelly

[PrincessFiona]

Awesome....

It sounds like you had a blast!!!!

I don't envy the civilian spouses who have to face giving up their career to move on for fellowship, job, etc...Are they all planning on moving with their doctor spouses?

Congrats on having a great weekend...it sounds like so much FUN!

Kris

[DCJenn]

Here's our schedule (as much as we know):

The application for fellowship is in- the head honchos meet the first week of December to decide who gets what. We find out by the 20th of December if he was accepted or not.

Around Thanksgiving, we have to put in our list of places that we'd like to be sent- but, it's relatively meaningless- Uncle Sam sends you where he needs you- and hopefully it's where you want to go but if not- oh, well. (but, the up side is that there aren't any real worries about finding a job!)

If he doesn't get the fellowship, we will find out in March where we'll be going and then leave once the orders are written. Usually everyone heads out at the end of June but some people left pretty early last year.

As for the civilian spouses, most of us will be able to transfer our careers along with the spouses. We have one civilian spouse who was just offered a HUGE deal job, so her husband is going to request the Army base not too far from here and commute on weekends. It sucks but there's really not much they can do about it- this job is absolutely the most amazing thing (it's a news anchor position) so he makes the sacrifice this time, just like she did to come here.

The people who have really big complications are those who are in Dr-Dr relationships. It's just down right ugly.

Jenn