Waiting by the phone

Did you hear something??? Oh, sorry, I thought it was the phone. La, la-la,la,la-la.........humming to myself, nothing in particular......hmmmm. Kids are asleep and here I sit...alone with the phone. This is ridiculous. Should I try his hotel??? No....wait for him to call me......... Where is he????? What's happening?????? Is it a thumbs up or down??? He's in Denver, interviewing yesterday, today and tomorrow for an attending position.........doooo-dah-doooo, lah de dah.........

[Rapunzel]

Hope he calls you soon!

[mommax3]

That is THE WORST! Hope you find out something soon.....and let us know when you do!

Sally

Well, you have to let us know when you do hear something.....maybe things were going well and he is out to dinner with his interviewers?

[SueC]

Now you've got me in suspense! I hope everything went well--let us know!

Talk about anti-climactic......... He called as I was finishing my above post. He spent today going to different hospitals and meeting lots of people---some formally, some, less so. The end result is they want him to think about the visit and if he is interested, return to do a lecture. That's the same thing Ann Arbor said, basically. Ann Arbor wanted him to go to Denver and then get back in touch if he wanted to return to do a lecture.

He's still very wishy-washy---just not sure which job opportunity is the best bet. He sounded more confused and unsure than anything else when we spoke. He has a few other job leads---but these are the most promising. I just wish he would have called with a definite feel for the place-----even if he hated it---that would at least narrow down our decision making. He didn't hate the people, place or job.......he wasn't madly in love, either. He seemed to like what he saw...but said he felt the same about Ann Arbor.

Meanwhile, here I sit......not knowing where my oldest is going to kindergarten this Fall, among other pressing issues. I keep telling myself things will work out and he will come up with a definite plan on what he wants to be when he grows up. He is really struggling with what to do. I'm trying not to go stark raving mad in the process.

It's a good thing-----being asked to return to do a lecture. He said that he felt confident that he would likely be offered both of these jobs. So, why do I feel frustrated???? His uncertainty, I guess. The saga continues......I'll be in touch..........

Thanks all, for your support. Your good wishes mean a lot, believe it or not.

I really admire your patience and ability to wait this out. I can't imagine knowing that we would move in 4-6 weeks but not knowing where. Yikes!!

I think I remember you saying that Winston-Salem NC could be a possiblity too? Do you have any preference between Denver or Ann Arbor or which of those two you would rather be in? Maybe since he doesn't have a strong opinion on either, you could weigh in with your preferences too.

Denver and Ann Arbor are pretty different, I think. A friend of ours is starting his third year of ER residency there and loves it. Eric just talked to him last week. His wife and toddler daughter love their neighborhood and have made a lot of good friends and playmates there. He did mention (about three times!) how darn cold the winter was and how stir crazy their toddler became with not being able to go outside much. But they are from Denver and used to milder winters. It sounds like they are enjoying there time there but will move back to Denver when residency is done (lots of friends here and fits their outdoorsy lifestyle).

Good luck to you and your husband as you get this figured out. And let us know what ends up happening.

[houseelf]

Sending a bottle of Malox your way... I'm hoping for the very best for you and your family during this transitional time. Keep us posted.

By the way, three years down the road I have somehow blocked our similar circumstances out of my psyche. I remember feeling overwhelmed and alone but now it is like some distant, foggy memory. Talk to me again in three years when we live the whole fun process for fellowship interviews. Small consolation though it may be, we are happy in our unanticipated life here in Minnesota, and neither of us are gung ho about this place. You will find happiness too.

Best of luck.

Kelly

[SueC]

You are a very patient woman! We're going to be in your exact position in 2 years (hubby finishing fellowship and oldest starting kindergarten) and I'm already getting antsy to find out where we will be. I hope your husband is able to find some clarity soon!

[Phoebe]

I can feel your pain! We were up in the air for months between two job offers and where we should move. The whole process was agonizing at times. It seems like you are handling it very well. Things have a way of working themselves out though. Don't you just wish the right job would jump out at you?

I would suggest a second visit to any place you might be considering if possible. It made the difference for us and we ended up going with the choice that had been our gut feeling all along.

Trust your instincts and keep us posted! Although my view is tainted, Michigan is a great place to live!

Jennifer

Thanks guys......I am loving coming here. Alan sounded better this morning...still unclear, but better. Unfortunately, he missed his plane home because of construction traffic in Denver on the way to the airport and an enormous security line. He was able to reschedule for tomorrow without a penalty. So, he rented a car again, found a cheap hotel near the airport, and went wandering for the afternoon. We are likely going to both go out to both Michigan and Denver very soon to do the requisite lecture and for me to have a looksee at the areas as I've never been to either (neither has he).

I think that we are going to have to just sit down and make separate pros and cons lists and compare them. They are both far from any family. I am pretty flexible and don't have trouble adjusting to different climates and places. I enjoy the excitement of moving and learning how to get around new areas. I am usually very quick to get a gut feeling and act on it. It's much harder for him to adapt to changes and make major decisions.....obviously. We usually balance each other out pretty well.

Someone (Nellie, I think) asked about the other leads----North Carolina, NJ, CA------so far they are on not really panning out, so we are not counting on them at this point.

Here's a cool thing I forgot to mention. Last week, Alan received his PA unrestricted medical license. It only took a few weeks, so that wasn't too bad.

Another interesting tidbit.....Last week, I saw a boy who was in my daughter's preschool class and his mother at a local park. She is a radiologist and is familiar with our situation. We chatted briefly and went our separate ways. Two days later, this boy's father called Alan. He, too is a radiologist in a private practice. He said that he heard from his wife about our situation and was wondering if Alan would be interested in doing some temporary part-time nuc. med. work for him while he is in between jobs. Alan expressed interest, but told him he had not received his license yet. The guy said to call back as soon as his license is in. That night, I got online and found out that his license was issued and was being processed. A few days later, it came in the mail and Alan called the guy back. They will be setting up a meeting soon, it seems. So, that should definitely make the financial crunch of unemployment easier, assuming it works out.

The moral of the story: Preschool networking is a good thing!!!!

[PrincessFiona]

wow

What a neat networking story!

Have you heard anything more about the jobs? This was a real nail-biter for us too......it's hard to be in limbo and not know what the next step is...this time next year, you'll be looking back on this summer remembering how it was and you'll probably be feeling comfortable and happy in your new home and surroundings!! I hope that you find out where you are going soon!

Sending good vibes yoru way,


kris

Good luck with the search! I'm sure you're looking forward to having things settled.

On this topic, I was wondering when MDs normally started their job searches. My DH will be done with his ID fellowship in June 2005, and ideally we would like to have a job set up to start that summer. I was thinking the fall/winter before would be a good time to get started looking. For those having recently gone through the search, how do MDs get jobs these days? It seems like a combination of networking, headhunters and responding to classifieds. Does anyone have any tips?

Jill