http://paulbates.com/florida-beach-scenic-sunrise-pictures-photos/I matched into my #1 choice for residency, the Florida Hospital East Orlando (FHEO) Integrated Family Practice/ Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (FP/NMM) program!!! I hope I can continue to represent my school, my cohort, and my profession in the greatest way possible while I am a resident at FHEO. I am absolutely honored to join the other hard-working, dedicated, and compassionate FHEO residents! Many people want to know what my program entails- it is a four year residency after which I will have obtained my separate family medicine and neuromusculoskeletal medicine board certifications. I know this will be stellar training in medicine, and I'll have the opportunity to really become an expert at osteopathic principles and practice.
Beautiful Florida ManateesI can't believe it has been so long since I last updated this blog- I decided to leave it alone during interview season due to sheer lack of time to update it. During interview season, I traveled to Yakima, WA, Grand Rapids, MI, Orlando, FL, Southampton, NY, Los Angeles, CA and back to the Bay Area. I had such an amazing adventure, from experiencing two new states- Michigan and Washington, to finding out that Walter and I are capable of finding happiness no matter where we are on the globe.
My journey, summed up in 5 bullet points:
1. Washington is such a gorgeous state. I landed in SEA/TAC on a beautiful partly cloudy day and had an absolutely picturesque view of Mt. Rainier- hues of pink, purple, blue, and silver- it looked like the lost city of Atlantis. There are so many places to hike, and over 600 wineries in central Washington alone. Quite an incredible state, with nice people. I am convinced after spending 10 weeks in Humboldt and 4 weeks in Washington that I personally vibrate on the frequency of the pacific northwest. If you have never set foot on that part of the country, I strongly suggest that you plan to do it at some point in your life :)
2. Grand Rapids, MI is a cool city. I was there during August, and saw some of the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises walking in and out of the hospital. August is THE month to be in Grand Rapids. The only bout of bad weather I experienced was a lightning storm. I woke up that night flying out of the bed because a bolt had literally struck right outside my window. Oh, and the rumor is true- it does smell like ozone when a bolt strikes next to you. Yikes!
3. On top of its super fun theme parks, Orlando, FL has some amazing BBQ and southern food. The city is only 45 min away from the Atlantic and landing/launch site for NASA space shuttles. Also, I actually loved the humidity- I could breathe a lot better than I ever could back at home, interesting, huh? The rumors are true, FL has some beautiful beaches and it also has bugs the size of my face. Love everything.... except the bugs, haha :)
4. The Hamptons is a beautiful place, even in the winter time. I felt like I was the only person living in Hampton Bays while I was there, but the solitude and quiet was almost therapeutic for me while I faced an internal struggle of what specialty I would choose for residency. That area vibrates circa 1650, around the time the English settlers erected the town of Southampton. I kept feeling like I would run into some revolutionary war soldiers on my morning walks... ha ;) And yes, The Hamptons is a gorgeous place. I did not go all the way down to Babylon, which I regret. One thing I loved about this leg of my journey was seeing many of my 1st and 2nd cousins, and my aunt Debie & Uncle Fred. I absolutely love my family and am so thankful that they hosted me for holidays and quick visits!
5. When it rains in California, people FREAK OUT. It does not matter if they are northern our southern Californians, they forget how to drive, what to wear, what to do.... everything. I say this because for the first time in my life, I was rear-ended during a freak 15 minute lightning storm near LAX, literally a few minutes after I had picked up a rental car. Don't worry, I am fine, and the man who hit me took care of the repairs with the rental car company. I still need to get myself to an OMM specialist to make sure nothing was thrown off... I was in LA for interviews and to complete a PM&R rotation at Casa Colina, which is a famous rehabilitation hospital in the San Gabriel Valley. I have never liked the San Gabriel Valley because the smog in LA likes to accumulate in that area, but after a 4 week rotation, I grew to like it much, much more. Perhaps it is because Pasadena is pretty close to that area- still too far from the ocean for my taste (says the girl who is moving to Orlando for 4 years!).
So now that I know where I have matched for residency, I'm coasting downhill from here. That by no means is going to be an easy ride, but it will be a fun one.
I still have my emergency medicine rotation next month. Then after that, I join some of my 4th year medical student colleagues at a 4-week HEART Rotation in Ben Lomond, CA. After that, we've got some time to tie up loose ends in the Bay Area.
Marshall Creek, at The Quaker Center in Ben Lomond
Over the next four months, here is my to-do list:
1. Vacation in Hawaii
2. Ship our belongings across the country and move into an apartment in Orlando, FL
3. My Graduation from medical school
My Zadie, Alan Kantor D.O. at his medical school graduation circa 1959 :)4. Get married!
5. Take a little under two weeks to drive across the country to our final destination!
Map of our trip to Orlando, leaving the Bay Area on June 11, 2012:
Benicia-> Los Angeles-> Las Vegas-> Sedona-> Albuquerque-> Dallas-> New Orleans-> Pensacola-> Orlando! We'll be spending a few nights in Vegas, Sedona, New Orleans, and Pensacola.
What a way to end an amazing chapter of our lives... and with absolutely no break in between, we'll head right into a new one! (That's Robyn-Style, as Walter likes so say)
