PGY-3

It's been six weeks since the start of PGY-3 year. It still feels weird to be a "senior" resident and have interns look up to my classmates and me as the source of all medical info when in reality I still feel like I don't know anything. My upper-level residents have either become fellows or moved on to become attendings/moonlighters at other hospitals, and I miss having them around whenever I have questions. Fortunately my classmates are (for the most part) great about helping each other out, and I know I'll miss them terribly once we finish residency.

Since I didn't match into fellowship, I now have to start looking for a job. I've pretty much decided to go back to Texas to be closer to family; the question is, where. I've pretty much narrowed my job search to DFW, Austin, or Houston areas (preferably within 30 minutes of these cities), and there's no shortage of phone calls or emails from recruiters. The question is, which city do I want to be in most? I know Austin and DFW the best, so they're taking precedence over Houston right now (not to mention jobs in Houston are probably more competitive) I've gotten emails from Baylor Health systems, so I know I could always apply there. Just have to get my CV in order.

And yet, despite my plans to return to Texas to practice medicine (might be easier said than done, who knows? Maybe I'll fail the medical jurisprudence test and not be able to practice in Texas), I'll definitely miss the East Coast. For all its humid summers and icy winters (snow is beautiful when its falling, not when I have to shovel my car free to get to work), I've grown a bit fond of living in Philly. I'll definitely miss the tax-free shopping and weekend trips to New York, Baltimore, or DC (only 2-2.5 hrs away!), and this year I plan to make the most of my time here and enjoy it to the fullest. My friends are already asking if they can visit me in Texas and go out for some "real" BBQ, which I'd be all too happy to do.

But first...gotta find a job.