Going for a Bit

If I ever thought travel was somewhat complicated and tiring before, I have another thing coming over the next three weeks.

First, I leave tomorrow to go to Kirkland and then Austin - then I will fly back to LR on Friday to be home for the weekend. Then, I leave Sunday to go to San Antonio for a one week review course (blah). I will come back Friday and actually be back for a whole three days. Lastly, that following Tuesday, I will leave for Milwaukee and then Albany, returning Sunday night.

When I said I wanted to see the country, I didn't really mean from the air and airport windows. I will basically have been across the entire northern United States. Why my interviews have been focused so much in the northern states is beyond me. At least I will be flying fairly exclusively with Southwest. They have, in my experience, been the most reasonably priced airline in terms of fare and luggage. They have fewer time options, but that is a trade I'm willing to make for cost. And at least I am earning flight points - although probably not enough for much more than a flight beyond Memphis. But they don't ever expire, so what's the hurry? They aren't in the habit of losing baggage and have far better customer relations than other airlines I have flown. So, kudos to them.

Ups and Downs

I never thought as a dude I would experience a major emotional roller coaster in my life. I tend to be pretty even-mannered with very few reasons to gent bent out of shape. However, recently there is one thing, and as you can probably guess, it is this whole followship application thing.

I think it is fair to say that I have good days and bad days. There have been some days when I feel despite the seven interviwes I have/will have, there is still no way I will match. Not just that my chances are low, but that my chances are frankly nil. Some days it has been because I found out about an interview denial which I had previously thought for sure would be a go. I mean, why would a program just two hours down the road at which one of my letter writer's has been a guest lecturer not want to interview with me, while all three of the ones over 2,000 miles away want interviews? Other days I think I just wake up in a bad mood.

But then there are other days when I think about how I have been fortunate enough to get seven interviews, and they are all at good programs (I think). So then, perhaps my odds aren't as bad as I think. Really, though, they just aren't very good.

I just don't want to keep hearing from people, "Oh, I'm sure you'll do just fine. You'll match." That may be people just trying to be nice, but it also shows a paucity of understanding what I'm up against. The numbers speak for themselves and that's about it. And even if I do match, it's not like it's a "they were right and I was wrong" sort of situation; it will just mean I am that much more thankful and grateful.

We'll just have to see sometime after I close out the remaining four interviews over the coming three weeks.

The Justification

It is not uncommon for patients to casually ask us as residents what our plans are for the future. Many of them ask simply because they don't understand the process and think that we are there in the eye clinic for just a rotation and may eventually become a neuroradiologist. So following, a conversation ensues usually beginning with an explanation as to what it is I'm doing there and that I am, in fact, old enough to do their eye surgery and that is what I plan on doing for the rest of my life.

Then they might want to know more about what my plans are. I may then decide to go into further detail regarding my fellowship plans and desire to become an oculoplastic surgeon. The problem with this is there is a stigma associated with plastic surgery. Much of the general public automatically jumps to boob jobs or face lifts when you mention plastic surgery. The reality is that this field goes much further than this. So before the patient starts to form opinions about how I am simply in the field to make money and not actually help patients, I tell them even more. I explain how I want to go into academics and primarily focus on functional (non-cosmetic) surgery. I tell them I want to work with trauma and tumor patients.

The reality is, if you are putting some one's face back together, you still want a good cosmetic result. And after having been on a few interviews, I have realized that plastic surgery is actually fun in some case. Yes, the strictly cosmetic practice takes a special kind of doctor for a special type of patient population with lots of hand-holding - things I am not willing to make a career for myself doing. But I would like to know how to do this stuff, and maybe even be good at it enough to do it once in a while.