it ends
It is with some exhausted relief that my west coast swing and road trip for residency interviews has ended. It was a week of meeting new people as well as adventure, excitement and at times terror. I interviewed at three great residency programs–each a little different in pros and cons from the others. I experienced the beauty and the still very rugged nature of the west–faced with the terror of (1) driving through weather and terrain in a vehicle ill-equipped for it and (2) not making today’s very important interview in Seattle. I made it into Seattle late last night–I swear there were 6 or 7 different points during the trip where if things hadn’t worked out in my favor, I would not have made it. And indeed it all ended today on an equally “unique” note. Interviews today went alright–the faculty were all very nice. A few interesting questions I received: (1) name 3 heros and (2) take the next 5 minutes and teach me something. The interviews today were a good time but I was definitely trailing off by the last two interviews (of nine in total). Then time came for our tour of Seattle and I went to grab my overcoat and instead found that one of the applicants who lived in Seattle had accidentally took my overcoat and left with it. Now the interesting thing is that the applicant who took my coat is of a different gender than me and should also have noticed that the coat was waaaay too big. And yet, somehow did not. So I ended up taking a tour of Seattle in 20 degree weather without a coat. Suffice it to say that I did not get much out of the tour as I was too busy trying to keep my teeth from chattering. But it’s now all over–I will have my coat tomorrow morning at which time I will also hop on a plane to go back home.
It was a wonderful trip–one that I will remember forever. Now let us never speak of it again.
