Update on us: Family Medicine Job Opportunity

Well, who would think we ever get here to the end of residency???? Yikes!!! Kris, I got your email and I am having trouble with sending email, so it's best if I just post here...

Bob started interviewing since late October. Family Medicine job opportunities are plentiful which we are grateful for. I think he had 6 job interviews and we are down to two job offers he is mostly interested in; one of which is more than likely going to take; however, he is still in negotiations. He got an offer, he gave a counter-offer, got more in his contract, but still needs a little more assurances and adjustments before signing the dotted line.

The job opportunity that he is most interested in is a solo practice with an income guarantee and a signed contract for three years. Bob will get a brand new building in which the local hospital will build, and currently he is looking into electronic medical records. He will have much control in all facets of the medical practice which would work out better for him, due to the drawbacks of going in with a partner. Anyway, as time progresses I should be able to tell you more. There is a lot still needing negotiating, and I don't want to say too much yet because there is always another opportunity.

We are trying to hook up with the hospital to have another official visit for the family (Bob, me and the boys). Also, Bob has contacted the Real Estate agent. I want to see what's out there. I have never owned a home before and am so much looking forward to having our own home to decorate. I am wanting a Victorian home, but we'll see...

Best wishes for a Happy & Blessed New Year...

I hope everyone is well!

Sincerely,
Christy

[Meenah]

Congratulations Christy,
What part of the country are you looking at? My husband has been in solo practice for 15 years. It has it's advantages and drawbacks. Good luck.
Luanne

[houseelf]

Christy,

This is so exciting! Even though we complain about the drudgery of residency, it does go fast doesn't it? Good luck in your negotiating and decision making.

By the way, how are your boys?

Kelly

[PrincessFiona]

WOW!

Oh WOW, Christy!!! I'm so excited for you and Bob. That proverbial light at the end of the tunnel is within reach! You must be so thrilled to finally be moving closer to home! Once he decides on the position, will you go househunting together? I hope that you all will end up being close to your family...I know how much family means to you.

I'm so excited for you about all of this. I remember when you guys were just getting ready to start residency...it really flies by, doesn't it!!

Congratulations to you both on surviving!

Kris

Luanne & Kelly

Hi there Luanne!!! I had no idea that your husband was in solo practice... You would be a great mentor for me!!! We are trying so hard to make the right & fair decision for all of our family. I would love to correspond with you, if you wouldn't mind. We are definitely going back to West Virginia. That is where our roots are and we love it there. "Take me home, Country Roads!" haha! Also, it helps that Bob will get some of his school loans forgiven when he practices in WV. Wow, what a blessing that will be!!

Kelly, yeah Residency is somewhat of a downer. I was just talking to my Mother about this, but Bob & I have grown so much during these years. It is becoming a blessing as his time narrows down here in residency. He recently was complimented by the Residency Director as being the best Chief Resident... and it feels good to get just that ONE comment like that... He has worked his butt off in residency and very few of the residents appreciate what he has done up-front for THEM or what he has done behind the scenes to make their lives better... (like everyone getting off for Christmas Banquet & Graduation). Anyway, I could go on and on because I am extremely proud of him, and I am hoping his experiences this year will play into his future on being a great solo family medicine physician and businessman... We are actually looking into finding a CME that we can go to about Medical Economics & Business (if anyone knows of one, please PM me.)

Listen to me ramble on, so sorry about that. I'm just glad it's about over with residency. It started feeling good at Thanksgiving, knowing we only had 7 months to go... The year of residency is much better because you can finally see the glimmer of hope and light at the end of the tunnel... It's a surreal feeling, but good one nonetheless.

Our two boys are doing great. They just went to the dentist today and neither one of the boys have any cavities???? I about fell on the floor when Wesley, my 9-year-old, told me he didn't have any cavities!!!!! LOL!! Jonah is growing like a weed and had his first dental appointment today. Our local dentist is a super nice guy and spent a good amount of time making Jonah feel comfortable. Jonah did have one crocodile tear in his right eye when his dentist was 'counting' Jonah's teeth (and checking for cavities)...

Oh, and Kelly, it is so hard not to complain about residency. Our residents work long hours, are moody beings that walk through the doors and want us to take orders like nurses... I've been there and felt great pain during residency and sometimes question why did I encourage my husband to run for Chief Resident... just added stress to our already stressful lives... LOL!! But the great feeling of accomplishment I feel for my husband and for me and the boys surpasses all the pain and I start putting behind all the things I too complained about... yet I don't forget the pain & hopefully God has a plan for me down the road to be there for another woman that is enduring these same trials... That's all I can hope for... All things happen for a reason, and I am glad that I have come back to my senses to remember these very things...

Well, I bet you'd wish I'd shut up!!! LOL!! Well, I will... I haven't talked to you all for awhile and just wanted to catch you up on everything...

Sincerely,
Christy

Kristen

You must have posted while I was posting my LONG post... LOL!!

We're going to go to the hospital this weekend. They have also set up going with a Real Estate agent to show us around on Saturday. I just got a digital camera for Christmas, so I can show you some pictures privately, if you'd like. They already have the land picked out to start construction. It really is exciting!! Thank you for your shared excitement... I appreciate everyone's well wishes and kind thoughts & words... very nice!

Sincerely,
Christy

[houseelf]

Christy,

This is really exciting news! The good news is that any marriage that survives a residency is stronger for it (generally). No matter how you sugar coat it, there are some really unpleasant attributes of being the spouse of a resident. We are only in our third year of five, but we've kind of hit our stride. Actually, dh had only one night of call last week (unheard of in a general surgery residency) and I was kind of like, "I love you and all, but I need some time to do my own thing". 8O (terrible wife that I am.) Not that we profess to be happy 24/7, but I certainly don't seeth anger like I did during our intern year. I'm also not quite as anti-Minnesota as I used to be. I can actually find some nice things to say about living here. (My apologies to any die hard Gophers who happen to be reading this post....I know that y'all are just crazy about the State of Hockey but it has taken awhile for me to get accustomed to my new home.)

My hubby also is in a happier place now that he feels professionally validated and is out of the deer-in-the-headlights phase of internship. We still have such a long way to go that I try not to think about the end because I don't want to wish my life away. In an interesting twist, hubby is coming out of his clinical duties in July to spend 2 years in the lab earning his PhD while conducting research. This means that all the call nights that he has will be moonlighting money. Wooo HOO! However, returning to PGY 4 and 5 after this little respite will be heck to pay as we have to readjust again. I've decided that S.O.D. doesn't stand for "surgeon on duty" but "sucker on duty". My other slightly cynical revelation through all of this is that the reward for being a good resident is more work. Uncaring, incompetent, and undevoted residents get rewarded with less work. (Mental note---add being more positive to the new year's resolution list. )

My little boy is getting big way too fast as well. He just announced this morning that when he turns three he won't be a baby anymore. Part of me wants to just sit down and cry when I think about how fast it is going. The other more practical side of me says to use his new- found maturity to coax him into using the potty by saying that big boys wear underwear and go in the potty.

Anyway, it was great catching up with you. Stop in and chat for awhile...we miss you.

Kelly

[Phoebe]

Hey Christy!! Glad to see you hear and giving an update on how things are going. Congratulations on the job search becoming more finalized. Are neogotiations taking forever? I hate that!!! I just want to know where we will be. It seems like it changes everyday in our house.

Its been a long road to reach this point, but you're in the home stretch. You must be so proud of Bob and yourself for enduring the hardships of medical training. I try to keep in mind the light at the end of the tunnel. Keep me informed! I think you owe me an email or something!!!

Kelly, I admire the perspective you take on residency and the strength you have to trudge through the tough times, especially being in surgery. I can't even imagine what it is like. Hope I don't sound too corny, but I think your openness has made a difference in my coping skills. I am happy your family has hit their stride. I can't believe your son is turning 3 years old!

Jennifer

[houseelf]

Jennifer,

Don't worry about sounding corny...flattery will get you everywhere with me! As far as the honesty thing...sometimes it comes back to bite me in the butt, but I really just can't pretend anymore. In my limited experience, it seems like the people who have the seemingly "perfect" life are the ones who have the messiest problems of all once you scratch that surface.

You have to be so excited that this horrid fellowship is ending. In less than six months, a new chapter will begin. What are you going to do with this new opportunity? I know that you had talked about going back to school at one point. Or do you have another course of action in mind? I can't wait to hear all the good things that you have planned.

As far as my dh...sometimes I don't even know what to do with him. I love him but he is a driven man. He plans to conduct research on fetal surgery and pediatric surgery and robotics. I'm really proud of him but it is also frustrating that he has choosen arguably one of the most difficult fields with plans to do one of the most difficult fellowships. (There are only 30 spots in pediatric surgery per year.) Maybe 2 or 3 programs in the country do fetal surgery or pediatrics surgery with robotics.

Sometimes I really do not know what drives him to these goals. Part of me just desperately wants a normal life. Part of me is in awe of his drive. Part of me thinks that we're both a little crazy. But before I get ahead of myself, I just try to think of today and forget the fellowship. We are happy today and that is enough. I love this man and he loves me and another woman--surgery. What is a girl to do?

Kelly

[Rapunzel]

Congrats, Christy!

I am so happy to hear that things are going well for you guys at the end of residency! You're almost at the "finished" point!

Kelly, it's so great to hear how everything is going for you!! Just to be on the other side of the mountain as far as residency goes is so refreshing... I too have had my hard times with residency... but I just don't talk about it much, just my way of dealing with it, I guess...

I'm so glad to hear about your little guy!!! How exciting!!! He's becoming a big boy, eh? Yep, sounds like potty time to me... lol!! Jonah has that Fisher Price King of the Throne potty and it's so cute!! Do you have your potty out now? We have it out in the main floor bathroom, but really I only strongly encourage Jo to use it when he wakes up in the mornings and after naps... He only does a little bit... he doesn't know his full potential in pottying yet... haha!!

Jennifer, I have NOT forgot about your phonecall, I really need just to run down everything that has going on in our lives... right before the holidays, things started getting crazy... Bob got two job offers that were fairly good and we kept visiting the places by invitation. Also, we just had a lot of birthdays in November & December, and goodness gracious... we put Wes back in the private, Christian school... I just really didn't like the job that the teachers were doing in the public school system here and wanted Wes to have a good educational experience, both academically & morally. Well, anyway, I'll tell you more about it later, I know I must boring everyone here...

Rapunzel, thanks for the kinds remarks... I took a walk in last night and thought how totally at peace I am with where our future is... I really just can't wait to get back to WV. It feels like home to me... It does feel good to finally be here... where ever here may be...

c~ya later...

Sincerely,
Christy

[Phoebe]

Christy- Sounds chaotic at your house. You guys will make the right decision for your family. I know it. Things have been messy in our neck of the woods too. We have narrowed down our options to two places and both have asked us back for last minute trips. The jobs are polar opposite and it has been hard to decide what is the best for Ron and our family.

Kelly

- You have to be so excited that this horrid fellowship is ending. In less than six months, a new chapter will begin. What are you going to do with this new opportunity

?

I can't wait for the fellowship to end! I know it is going to be downhill from now to the end of June. We are doing all the things necessary to prepare for moving. We are out of here, even though up until recently there was a good chance we might stay put. I do plan to return to school for a masters or possibly a doctoral program in something psychology related. Our relocation will have an impact on what I do. It probably won't be until 2004 because I may have to establish state residency and another child will come along. Most of all, I hope this new opportunity will bring less stress and a more stable life for our family.

Your husband's line of research sounds fascinating. How many years is the fellowship? Is this what he will concentrate on in the next two years while working in the lab?

Sometimes I really do not know what drives him to these goals. Part of me just desperately wants a normal life. Part of me is in awe of his drive. Part of me thinks that we're both a little crazy.

I think we're all a little crazy, but that is what makes life interesting. You have a very ambitious man on your hands. I don't know what drives these men in our life. We are struggling with a similar decision with my husband's job hunt. He wants to work in the biggest NICU's that see the most acuity and be very hands on clinically while being able to teach. One of his opportunities provides just this environment while taking in-house call more often than he does now. The other job is a smaller unit that allows home call. You can guess which of the two is more family friendly. I was all set for a normal life after the fellowship, but now I just don't know. These days, what is normal?

Jennifer