Having Someone Under Me

You've probably heard of my intention of going into academic medicine. You may have hear me mention it. Sure there is a pay cut with it, sometimes quite a large one; although, the hours aren't near as strenuous for the most part.

But now that I've been something more than the most junior of residents for over six months now, I really think I have had a chance to confirm what I want to do. I rather enjoy the opportunity to teach. Since I've had more junior residents around, I have had plenty of opportunity to do this. Even if it's not always teaching a blurb about ophthalmology but rather imparting a gem of practicality in the management of a patient. Presenting a case at grand rounds is not such a bad thing, though sometimes the simple act of putting together the information in the form of a power point can be grueling and hard to begin. And I am supposed to have a lecture with the technician students coming up as well. Good stuff.

If only I could teach some people (no, not just any people; trained and practicing ophthalmologists in group practices) how to manage text book cases and navigate the health care system. I don't know a lot of things, but sometimes I just want to say, "C'mon!!" I've always thought a good reason to stay in academics was easy access to staying up to date on things, but one would think so-called "continuing education" would do the same thing.

Seeking a Travel Agent

Job Description: Must be able to adequately and efficiently book multiple short-duration trips, sometimes at the drop of a hat. Must be flexible in terms of departure/arrival times and able to make changes to any previously arranged trip. Must be able to contact airport security prior to any departure so that they may understand why I have a one-way ticket somewhere so as to minimize suspicion and unwarranted overly friendly body searches. Must use my account with Southwest and my credit card so that I continue to accumulate points with both. Must be able to research and effectively utilize all methods of travel, including plane, car, public transport (rails, buses, carriages), taxis, horseback, and shuttles while minimizing use of rental vehicles. Must be effective and utilizing family, friends, and friends of family for reasonable lodging options. Must be able to select hotels, when appropriate, which combine in the best way possible shuttle service, proximity to target interview and dining locations, cleanliness, and cost while avoid the use of brothels. Must be able to ensure that my suits, shirts, ties, shoes, and underwear are clean before packing for each trip. Must be available via telephone, text message, or email throughout the entirety of the day. Must be willing to coordinate my absenteeism with my superiors and fellow residents in terms of clinic and call duties, respectively.

Oh, and one more thing. Compensation will not be monetary and may be in the form of a hug, small gift or gift card, or dinner where I may or may not cover your meal.

Please contact me if you are interested or need more information.

The Facebook Dilemma

The whole process of applying to fellowship programs has been many things: expensive, stressful and tiring, exciting, humbling, just to name a few. But it is also far more intimate than the residency application process. A few hundred people apply each year to ophthalmology residency programs, and what program would have the time to thoroughly investigate each applicant?

Fellowship is different. In a given match cycle for an ASOPRS oculoplastics fellowship, there are typically between 20 and 25 positions available across the country. These will be applied for by between 40 to 60 or more people. If I haven't mentioned it before, those are the odds I am up against - pretty steep. At any rate, the point is, it's a much more intimate. There are few applicants that can be eliminated early and easily - those who try to "see what will happen" but aren't competitive on paper.

So suppose you've been able to knock your applicant pool down to around 30 to 40 candidates. That's still a lot of people to try to interview for only one position, and you simply don't have the time - your clinic and OR are still booked after all. So how do you further screen these people quickly, without making them pay a bunch of money to come out and talk with you only to find out they don't belong with you? A couple programs have chosen to do Skype interviews - two of which I have done. (I will discuss the pros and cons of a Skype interview later.) 

The other option is Facebook. Let me first point out that I am vehemently against employers using Facebook as an additional source to screen potential employees or candidates. There remains, for most people, a sharp distinction between one's professional life and one's concurrent (or especially past) social life. Let's not forget that Facebook is a social network, not a professional network. There are separate networks for the professional side of things. But still, people do this.

While I used to have my Facebook profile open to viewing by people not listed as "friends," I recently restricted viewing to only my friends. Not that there is anything too incriminating on there - no pictures of me drunk and stupid, barely half dressed (except for some beach photos of my pale bod),  or overly direct, opinionated statements. Nonetheless, some people would think to form opinions of how I would function in a fellowship based on all that stuff.

Well now they can't.

My Own Office Space

You know what I think one of the best things about the VA is?  My own office space. Or at least it's mostly mine. It gets used from time to time by other folks when I'm operating or not there, but overall it's my space. I can organize and run it however I want. At JEI and ACH, we are not afforded this liberty and the rooms are much more public which means searching for what I need every time I see patient. I'm not sure what the best solution for this is, but it can be a problem.

I never understood why people with their own rooms felt the need to put up signs that instructed borrowers of the room to be sure to leave it in its original condition. I always felt it was a little juvenile. But I can see where the point is - I hate it when I walk into my room on a Friday morning after someone else used it Thursday afternoon and there is trash on the desk, bottles of drops strewn all about, and materials not stocked. This is not an exaggeration at all - it's typical. I still don't think I'll put up a sign in colorful, bold letters, but then again, it should be universally understood.

I wonder if it needs new cabinets?

Hiatus

Allow me to apologize for my recent hiatus. December proved to be busier than I planned. But alas, here is a quick update to be followed by more regular posting again in the present future.

The last time I wrote I had only two weeks before submitted the majority of my application materials to the available programs. Well, it's nearly two months later - what's going on?

I have had two interviews so far - at University of West Virginia and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (Harvard) - but both via Skype. The up - I didn't have to travel all the way to these places only for them to decide they don't like me well enough to actually want me. This allows them to screen a lot more people, and then only invite out the ones they want. So I know if I ever get invited to actually visit, they are seriously interested in me and I should thus be very interested in them. The down - it is very hard to gauge a program and its personalities through a computer monitor and headphones.

I have also since then booked three more interviews - at Indianapolis, Seattle, and Milwaukee. The worst part about these is paying for lodging, followed by the flight, followed by transportation, and then the actual travelling. We shall see.

And I just found out today that the University of Iowa is only accepting internal applicants this year - sure seems they could have made that decision before I payed the money to send them my application. Their loss overall, I guess. Sounds like some internal shadiness anyway.