Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Match day...
First of all - Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you were able to tell all your loved ones how you feel for them: good or bad :)
Yesterday was Match day. The day when the magical computer program does whatever it does and medical students find out where they will spend the next years of their lives. At least, if you go to an Osteopathic medical school...
As I've stated before, I go to an Osteopathic medical school and I've chosen to participate in the AOA match - for better or worse. So, yesterday was the day I learned my fate, where I will spend the next year training as an intern.
It really is not as bad as it sounds. My fiance and I (it feels weird to type that word here instead of girlfriend, but I should call her by the correct title) went through the match as a couple, and so we are both going to the same hospital. It wasn't our first choice, nor our second, but at least we didn't have to go too far down the list and at least we matched!
We will be spending the next year at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. I interviewed there in the beginning of January and liked it - even though it is truly in the middle of nowhere. The hospital is actually HUGE and has a cachement area of over 2.5 million people. This single hospital serves as a tertiary referral center for most of central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Other good things about the hospital include an active Emergency medicine program (which makes me happy) and a pediatric hospital attached to the main hospital (which should make her happy). Downsides include the relative isolation of the hospital, the size of the town, and the fact that it is one of two programs to which we applied that are not dually accredited by the AOA and the ACGME. While I do not think this will be a program given the volume of patients the hospital treats, we mostly applied to dually accredited programs to ensure the training we received meets the highest standards.
While I am disappointed we didn't match at our #1 or 2 program, I'm actually excited to be going to Geisinger. I think it will be a good experience. I think it will be exciting to live in an area completely surrounded by mountains (you can't look in any direction and not see them), and it can't hurt to be within 1 or 2 hours drive of a half-dozen ski resorts. The area is also purported to have excellent hiking trails and picturesque state and national parks within close proximity. It doesn't hurt that Danville is also King of Prussia Mall. I know she'll be happy about that - she'd spend all day, every day at that mall if she thought she could get away with it!! New York City is also within 3 hours, with its endless entertainment opportunities!
I just wish I knew we'd actually have time for all this fun!
Of course, I still haven't even considered having to re-apply for residency next year - but that is another post for another time. I still have a new Personal statement to write and a wedding to plan!
¶ 10:34:00 PM
Yesterday was Match day. The day when the magical computer program does whatever it does and medical students find out where they will spend the next years of their lives. At least, if you go to an Osteopathic medical school...
As I've stated before, I go to an Osteopathic medical school and I've chosen to participate in the AOA match - for better or worse. So, yesterday was the day I learned my fate, where I will spend the next year training as an intern.
It really is not as bad as it sounds. My fiance and I (it feels weird to type that word here instead of girlfriend, but I should call her by the correct title) went through the match as a couple, and so we are both going to the same hospital. It wasn't our first choice, nor our second, but at least we didn't have to go too far down the list and at least we matched!
We will be spending the next year at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. I interviewed there in the beginning of January and liked it - even though it is truly in the middle of nowhere. The hospital is actually HUGE and has a cachement area of over 2.5 million people. This single hospital serves as a tertiary referral center for most of central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Other good things about the hospital include an active Emergency medicine program (which makes me happy) and a pediatric hospital attached to the main hospital (which should make her happy). Downsides include the relative isolation of the hospital, the size of the town, and the fact that it is one of two programs to which we applied that are not dually accredited by the AOA and the ACGME. While I do not think this will be a program given the volume of patients the hospital treats, we mostly applied to dually accredited programs to ensure the training we received meets the highest standards.
While I am disappointed we didn't match at our #1 or 2 program, I'm actually excited to be going to Geisinger. I think it will be a good experience. I think it will be exciting to live in an area completely surrounded by mountains (you can't look in any direction and not see them), and it can't hurt to be within 1 or 2 hours drive of a half-dozen ski resorts. The area is also purported to have excellent hiking trails and picturesque state and national parks within close proximity. It doesn't hurt that Danville is also King of Prussia Mall. I know she'll be happy about that - she'd spend all day, every day at that mall if she thought she could get away with it!! New York City is also within 3 hours, with its endless entertainment opportunities!
I just wish I knew we'd actually have time for all this fun!
Of course, I still haven't even considered having to re-apply for residency next year - but that is another post for another time. I still have a new Personal statement to write and a wedding to plan!
¶ 10:34:00 PM
