M3-- WEEK SIXTEEN

It's this time in the rotation ^^^. I spent the afternoon writing thank you notes because I have exactly 2 more nights here in Grand Island before I am home with T! I used to get excited as the end of a semester of college would near... but this excitement even tops that! I don't know how I am going to possibly study the rest of this week when I am home and have 2 months of life to catch up on...

I am so thankful to everyone who reached out to T and kept him entertained while I was away. It wasn't fun to miss game nights and football games with friends.. but I was so happy he wasn't sitting at home alone while I was living it up with the grandparents!

T, my mom, and dad went to a Creighton volleyball game for my dad's birthday

This rotation was amazing. I really wanted to experience a practice that was primarily OB &  pediatrics and this was the perfect exposure. I am still torn between specializing in pediatrics and family medicine .. but I now have more education to base the decision on. I've been starting a pro/con list for each speciality:

FAMILY MEDICINE
+ variety, variety, variety
+ can take care of entire families
+ don't have to "kick patients out" when they reach a certain age
+ outpatient includes more procedures
+ can include OB!
+ can start my training next year (which also means less loans!)
+ still get to take care of kiddos!
- OB means you're called away from family often on nights/weekends
- more procedures means more skills that can get rusty on maternity leave
- anyone/everyone can call you at home and ask you for medical advice
- three words: chronic pain patients
- would be happiest in a smaller town (less places to go on date night & live in a little bit of a fishbowl - T may have more trouble finding work - and farther away from family!)
- have a very specific plan of where I would like to train which means I am likely to be let down
- have to learn to say no if I want a balanced life & time with my family

PEDIATRICS
+ take care of only kiddos! gotta love that!
+ would be happy in any job setting (hospitalist, acute care, outpatient)
+ more job flexibility while our future kiddos are little
+ job would be in a bigger city (shows! sports! restaurants!)
+ will have a less-hectic 4th year
+ can have a better family life with less call and no OB
+ have an excuse to not make a house call to your cousin's friend's husband ;)
- eventually the patients get too old and they move on
- will be paying for a 4th year of medical school
- less variety and procedures
- pediatricians aren't in as high of need as family practitioners

I am so, so thankful that I know deep down I am a primary care physician. This process would be out-of-control for me if I didn't have that already established. Today at church they spoke about keeping a to-be list in mind.. not just a to-do list. It was the perfect message for me. It helped me step back and remind myself what principles are most important to me and who I want to be when this is all said and done. Life has a way of keeping you too busy to remember those important things..

Snag these last fall days and find some time to be outside for me!

xo,
Krista