When I Grow Up...

I can't count the number of times I've been asked, "So what kind of doctor do you want to be?" My trite response is "A good one," but I do wonder where I will find my medical niche. I used to think that it was Family Medicine all the way, but a few experiences I've had in the past days made me question my determination.

I was watching a resident perform a tracheostomy procedure last week and I realized that I felt...impatient. Heretofore, I've watched procedures and simply thanked the powers above that I wasn't the one in the hot seat--the one with the responsibility on their shoulders. This time, however, I felt as though I wanted to get my hands dirty, that I could do as good of a job or even better than the resident. A small revelation, perhaps, but still one of note.

This made me think: I'm a doer, not a watcher. I like to take action, to learn in a hands-on way. And I'd like to do procedures in my practice. There are really wonderful things about FM, but procedure-driven practice is not one of them, not unless you're in a rural area where you're actually an ER doc and pediatrician as much as you're a family doc. So maybe laid-back Family isn't for me, after all...we'll have to see.

I'll take it!

I got my score last night...I PASSED! I didn't do super-fabulously, but I did manage to add almost 30 points to my score. And hey, I'll take it.

Why I Love My Family

Last night at the dinner table, I explained to my mother what a "pearl necklace" is. She ASKED, people! While my dad and boyfriend chuckled, she just looked confused and said, "But that doesn't look like pearls! Why would you want to do that?!" Do other people's families act like this?