hello from yesterday
it’s friday!! actually, that’s a boldfaced lie. it’s thursday at about 6:30 pm, and i’m doing something i have NEVER done (at least to my recollection) in all of my 6 years of blogging life:
i am pre-writing tomorrow’s post.
you see, i have a PACKED day tomorrow (uhh, today?), beginning with a 7:30 am appointment and ending with a much more fun dinner out with the family in raleigh at 8. thursday post-work, i was sulking to myself on the way home about reaaaaally wanting a rest day, but knowing that workout time would be scarce friday.
it’s amazing how such a stupid little dilemma like that can work me up into a tailspin, but i just seem to be in THAT kind of a mood this week. and then it occurred to me: why not ditch the pity party and instead actually come up with a solution?
tonight: write post (and catch up on some studying) while enjoying a seasonal beverage:
exhibit a
tomorrow: head to the gym extra-early and enjoy a jump-start on friday without sacrificing sleep (any more than the usual, anyway).
lifting the fog?
i can’t say for sure whether the gray skies in my mind will have cleared by the time this post actually publishes, but i’m hoping so. and i think the odds are good.
after all, i have a 3 day (pagerless!) weekend that i am lucky enough to be spending with family . . .
yes, we will be eating our way across the triangle.
the weather looks smashing . . .
and a pair of ruby slippers is — as we speak — making its way towards my doorstep.
what? they are PRACTICAL, and i will wear the $#*U#@ out of them.
formspring follies
i got a few interesting questions after revisiting the formspring concept the other day. several were definitely sent alllll in a row from one curious individual (whoever you are, you HAD to know there were some things that i am not posting online for the world to see!).
one was clearly heartfelt and honest, and i have been racking my brain but still don’t know how to answer it.
i am a soon to be 30 y/o single Mom who has decided to pursue a degree in Dietetics. However, the more I hear/learn about endocrinology (the majority of my Mother’s side has diabetes) the more I contemplate applying for medical school. My question is this (and goodness knows you probably won’t be able to answer it, but it’s worth a try) – My kids will be 16, 8 & 7 when I graduate with my BS. Do you think medical school is even remotely possible to tackle as a single Mom of three kids? It sounds as though it’s hard enough to get through as a single adult as it is, let alone while solo parenting.
Any input you’d like to throw my way would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks.
wow. anonymous writer, i commend you for the strength it must take every day to take care of 3 children singlehandedly AND still be thinking so enthusiastically about pursuing a second career. and i really want to throw some encouragement or sage advice out there. but the truth is, i can’t. because while i’ve got plenty of experience as a former med student and resident, i have NO IDEA what it is like to have even one child, let alone 3. so i would much rather defer to others who have children who have been through it all.
i will say that while i can imagine easily getting through the medical school classroom years, i think that the 3rd year would be tough with children and that residency would be EXTREMELY tough. an 80 hour work week just doesn’t leave much time to spare for eating, sleeping, and general self-care, let alone child-rearing responsibilities. i will say that i personally have found it all quite challenging and i have the easiest-case scenario: a supportive partner, no dependents (yet), and no real hardships, financial or otherwise.
just remember: to become an endocrinologist (pediatric or adult) isn’t 4 years of medical school. it’s a ten year process, starting from the beginning of that first classroom year and ending with a 3-year fellowship. sure, some of those years will be interesting and fun. but they will NOT be financially rewarding and they will be draining of a disproportionate amount of time and energy.
so — i really really wish i could, but i don’t feel comfortable giving an experienced answer to this question. however, there has to be someone out there who has been there! i encourage you to really search and see who you can talk to face to face about pursuing a medical career after having children. i also think it would be great to shadow both a physician and a dietician (which looks like a fantastic career choice as well, by the way), to see what a ‘day in the life’ is really like (uhh, if i had shadowed a peds resident on NICU call, who knows where i would be today . . .).
anyone else have any advice for this writer?
and — i’ll throw it out there. MDs: if you were to do it all over again, would you still pursue a medical career?
i really like my fellowship and i’m happy with my choice. but sometimes i still have a hard time answering this question . . .
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9.2.10
workout: rest day!
dinner deluxe: i have truly come up short in the cooking department this week. in my defense, josh was not feeling well last night and i was just fending for myself!
a little tandoor chef seemed appropriate for the occasion
studying: a few pages of the ID section.
1 Comment
Hello, I a big fan of your blog and just couldn't resist putting in my 2 cents on the other reader's question. I am a current fourth year medical student applying for residency in pediatrics. First I want to say that i do not have a husband, or any children, so i can NOT even imagine how hard it would be to go to medical school as a single parent. That being said, I think that if you decide you want to pursue a career in medicine, I think that you absolutely should. At my medical school we have many students that are a variety of ages with spouses and children. I think that my school does a great job working with families and being a little more willing to rearrange call schedules etc. for anyone who may need it. I'm not saying you would be able to avoid those hours all together, I just think we have a lot of fellowship amongst the student and physicians at my school and that helps with a providing more flexible schedule. My advise for you would be first to spend some time shadowing both an MD and an RD. That way, not matter what you choose, you know exactly what your life will be like in that profession. If you do decide to pursue medicine, I encourage you to spend some time researching med schools until you find one that meets your needs. Best of luck!!