The interview trail

Yesterday, I got back from my fourth residency interview. Even for an extrovert like me, these interviews get to be exhausting. First, there is dinner the night before where they try to stuff you full of food, while making sure you know what a good program this is. You have a chance to ask questions about the program. (Is there free food? What about free parking? Do I get to do C-sections? Can I go on a missions trip?) The next day starts usually with a few interviews. Usually you talk with the program director who again makes sure you know what a good program it is. Occasionally, they might ask you a question (Why do you want to go into family medicine? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What do you do for fun?) and my favorite: "Do you have any questions I can answer for you?" So again, I rack my brain trying to think of something since I already asked a lot of questions the night before. Note to self: ask fewer questions to the residents to make sure you still have questions to ask the attendings. Finally, I usually ask something about the curriculum, or what changes will be made for the future. Somewhere in there, someone always talks about how this hospital always operates "in the black" and so therefore, the residency program is good. (Which I'm sure is true, but I never thought I'd hear so much about money while interviewing.) Next, there is usually a tour of the hospital and clinic facilities. (See here is the cafeteria, where you can eat your free food. Here is the small bed where you may or may not sleep while on call. Here is where the babies are born. Here is where you will see patients in the clinic. Here is the ER where you will come to admit patients after being rudely awakened from sleep in your little bed.) Again, the resident taking you on the tour will again ask if you have any questions. I never do. Next is lunch, with more residents where you are again filled with food and told how good the program is. Note to self: Eat less. Yet another person will ask if you have any questions. After lunch, there may or may not be another interview. Often there is a short tour of the community, so you can drive around and see where residents live. This might be my favorite part, since no one asks me if I have any questions, and I get to see cute houses where Jeff and I could live next year.

Then, thankfully, it's time to get back into my car and go home. I always have to stop and change from my interview suit back into something more comfortable. (Yoga pants, anyone?) Especially after all the eating. My interview suit will not fit if I keep eating as much as these programs try to feed me. Then I get to sing loudly with the Christmas CD since I'm driving all by myself. Until I have to stop and pee from all the diet soda I drank at lunch.

It's good to be home.