medical monday : importance of the rank list

There may not be an official link-up anymore for the Medical Community to meet up, but that doesn't mean there isn't information and stories to be shared!  I'm not necessarily going to make this a typical thing but I did have stuff I wanted to share during this busy time for medical students finishing their interviews and making their NRMP Match lists.

Over the past 2 years I have posted a lot of things pertaining to our personal journey getting to where we are currently (into our 2nd year of Kyle's Gen Surg residency program in a completely new state with our first house and first kid).  You can read more in the links at the end of this post.

This post is about the importance of your rank list.  Real life style.  We were lucky when making our list that our #1 choice was also the city that we liked the best with the program with the best perks, but after filling that #1 spot in our list making, it got a lot more murky.  Thankfully, we got our #1 spot on Match Day.  And we don't regret it one bit.

Not only is Kyle extremely happy here, but I am as well.  Sure we could have made members of our families much happier by staying put in Louisville, and I would have probably been fine with staying where we already had a Community of support with nearby babysitters, but Kyle most likely would not have been nearly as happy in his program as he is here, and that would have seeped into our daily lives.  Kyle is legitimately friends with his coworkers, I am legitimately friends with their wives.  We have never been made to feel "bad" for having a baby during first year; in its own way, this program has been very "family friendly" for a Surgery program.  We never felt weird bringing Myles along to the interview dinners, and several of the other residents would immediately take him from us so we could be sure to eat.  

But it isn't just that, in the past week alone, I met a few of the girls for our monthly get-together, this month, our hostess of the month, Julia, picked a painting class for us and brought a ton of snacks while Beth brought the wine.  I was pretty exhausted from my day with Myles but it was exactly what I needed.  Such a great time with those girls every time we are able to hang out and just have others who understand this life.

Later in the week, I got to be a part of a meal train that was organized for one of our new moms in the program. Her husband was on nights so she needed someone to just hang out in the evenings so she could talk to someone that could actually talk back to her for a little bit.  Getting to meet baby Jack was a big bonus to my week! Thankfully Kyle was able to be with Myles during both of these events so I could participate and see my friends.  

Then, this Saturday was the big yearly exam for our residents, the ABSITE (American Board of Surgery In-Training Exam).  Its kinda a big deal.  So every year (weather permitting), their Program Director (who takes the test with them), invites everyone who isn't working afterward, out to his farm to eat some chili and do some skeet shooting with shotguns!  It was a great way for everyone to just chill out after months of studying, even if the main topic of conversation was the test.

I cannot tell you how important it is to consider your happiness when making your list.  Don't just pick a program because it is "the best in the country".  Pick it because the residents you meet seem to really like each other and you can see yourself fitting in with them.  Pick it because it is what is best for you and your spouse.  Pick it because the location has things you will love to get out and do.  Of course there isn't much time outside of some residencies, but there is time, and if you have people around you and stuff to do that you love, it makes the bad days a mere blip on your way to your much coveted days off. 

Past posts of information 

before residency : interviews

rank order list submitted

the Match : what is it?

the Match : tears of joy

the pregnancy announcement

trauma alert

from the other side : interviewee dinner

one year down

a beautiful day to fly

or just watch planes.

I met up with a few lovely ladies yesterday for lunch at the Runway Cafe.  And got to enjoy time with their adorable kiddos.  Thats right.  I'm making friends with the moms club of surgery residents.  Here's a few shots I got of Elizabeth's kiddos.  Three year old Jackson and his baby sister Isabella.

Is she not just the cutest thing in the world?!

A few of Lizzie and Ella.  That girl was really into the airplanes!

Oh and there were airplanes too :)  

The weather could not have been any better.  Can't wait for the next outing!

medical clinic recap

image source

This weekend I had the privilege of volunteering for the medical clinic at my church Sojourn.  This was the 3rd or 4th time that I have done this, and every time it is just as exciting to see the love that is shared. Our church's main campus is in the middle of some of the more impoverished area of our city.  There are many needs that we can meet, but many we can not.  There is much hurt around us and for one day we try to make it go away.  

In the past, I have always served in the Family Care area, organizing and handing out hygiene products.  This time though, since it was most likely my final time to get to be a part of the clinic, I felt like the Lord was leading me to do something different.  To stretch me in some way.  So I ended up being an advocate.  Advocates are like tour guides.  We learn the layout and direction of flow in the clinic and guide the people we serve through it.  They may not get to see every part of it because of time constraints, but we try to help them in as many ways as they need while they are in our care. So what exactly are we guiding them through?

For one day every quarter, my church turns its old 3 story building (once an elementary school in the heart of Germantown) into a fully functioning care center or medical clinic.  There are SO MANY volunteers to make this whole thing run smoothly.  Of course there are always hiccups along the way, but God provides every time.  This year one of the problems the night before was that someone forgot to rent the curtains for the doctor's area... kinda important... but after some imaginative thinking, some long black sheets pushed into the ceiling tiles worked just fine. 

Let me guide you through our clinic.

Volunteers arrived at 10:30am for training.  Doors opened for care from 12-4.  People started lining up in the cold before 10:30am.

at noon they were let into the staging area to await assignment to an advocate

we then guided them to tables where another volunteer would aid them in filling out medical forms

Next they had the option to see a Chiropractor or go strait to the nurse's station where there were about 16 volunteer nurses giving general medical evaluations

We could also let them go to another region of this room to have glucose levels checked for diabetes screening.

Next stop was upstairs.  Visitors could get signed onto the wait list for dental screenings or on the list to see a doctor.  While they waited we grabbed some lunch.  Taco Salad!!!  No one leaves our clinic hungry.

 If they did not want/need to see a doctor or dentist, we then went "shopping".  Our store is run off of donated items so everything is free to our guests.  We have toiletry/hygiene items.

And a good assortment of canned/boxed food and fresh produce.  Not shown: across the hall was our over the counter pharmacy run by pharmacy tech students from the local school.  Guests could get normal things we take for granted: cough syrup, cough drops, tylenol, advil, antihistamine, vitamins...

 And last but not least, The SPA:

volunteers painted nails

the local massage therapy school gave free massages

And licensed cosmetologists gave free haircuts

This massive undertaking is a little bit different every time we put it on, but no matter what, every time, lives are touched.  Relationships are built.  God is glorified. 
And that is what I love about my church.  It is all about meeting people where they are.  Not in their faked perfect lives, but in their dirty, hurt, messed up ones.
Did we make everything better for the people we served?  No.  There is much work to be done in all of our lives.  But we did bring joy to them for a day.  For a day these families and individuals don't have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.  For a day they get to feel that people do care about them.  And for some, Jesus becomes less of a story and more of a reality.  They are pointed to the Ultimate provider and healer.  And in most cases, the volunteers' lives were touched as much as the ones we served.

Glory be to the Father.

EDIT:  view the Medical Clinic video by Sojourn Community Church below

view more Sojourn YouTube videos at: SojournLouisville

it's going to be a good good day

It's a beautiful day to serve our neighbors.
Happy weekend everyone!

thankful thursday

This Thursday I am thankful for:

image source

1) Pistachios.  This little nut has really gotten me through some 2pm munchies this week.  I can't help it, I just really love pistachios.  I normally never buy them, but broke down last week and bought a huge bag at the grocery.  I'm officially out as of yesterday.  It was a good run.

2) Community.  Our church asks its members to be a part of a small group, termed Community Group or CG, throughout the week.  We talk about the week's sermon and how it affected us, and have some time set aside for sin confession and overall support.  Our groups have swelled, multiplied, sent out, cried, laughed, and really just lived together over the past 3 years.  We recently transitioned to a new group with some old friends and its really amazing how much strangers can become family when sometimes our only common point is Christ.



3) My brother.  We have really developed a good relationship over the past 5 years since he has been in college.  Its been made even easier in the past 3.5 by us living in the same city as him.  Last night he treated us to dinner close to campus after getting a generous Valentines Day bonus from his internship.  I have been amazed at the amount of growth I've seen in this guy over the past year...and once he and my husband graduate on the same day in May, he jets off to be a logistics officer for the USAF at Yakota AFB in Japan.  I'm really proud of him and going to miss him a lot.

What are you thankful for today?

This Thankful Thursday I am linking up with: