Though I can't imagine anyone still reads this.
Boater Dave, if you're still stalking me from England, please get stuffed and don't comment on me. Also, while I'll get to why he sucks in a minute, asking if a guy from Queens who happens to be brown is a "Jihadi" put you in the "bad guy category" a long time ago. He's an asshole, not a terrorist.
ANYWAY.
So, some stuff's changed.
That marriage? Yeah no. Helpful hints: don't be someone's third marriage. There's probably a reason stuff went wrong, and after several years of emotional abuse and deliberately packing weight on me (which is GONEZO along with the 180 lbs of unemployed loser!!!!!).
Pittsburgh is a thing of the past. To all you newly minted doctors, let me give you some advice. Your first job doesn't need to be your last job. Getting out of residency/fellowship, that six figures is just like winning the lottery.
Stuff I put up with: having my PTO literally stolen. Having the lab director bring a screaming baby in for the entire day because of her perpetual nanny issues at least four times because of things like "my nanny cam showed my nanny (who all had to be from Colombia for some reason) putting my baby in front of the television". Having the lab director leave nigh daily by 2:30, leaving the rest of any work detail for us.
Periodically forgetting I had told her something (like an international flight had changed and there was nothing I could do about it or telling her repeatedly I had a weird soft tissue tumor, getting her advice, getting updated, updating her, repeatedly updating her, having to send it to two institutions etc), and she would regularly burst into my office screaming her lungs out about some nonsense. This is not how I resolve conflicts.
Having a lab director talk about me like a high school mean girl directly outside of my door in front of support staff.
Having a lab director diss me to other doctors including at tumor boards, ruining my reputation.
Having a lab director demand that I not seek advice from the ONLY person at that job who was kind to me because he didn't "know their system", despite him doing pathology for fifty years.
So yeah, abused at work, abused at home.
So that's depressing, right? But six figures? This has to be as good as it gets? My husband is neglectful, cheats on me, and expects me to make the money, clean the house, cook the food, be his beer buddy, and maintain the body of a supermodel while sabotaging any attempts at working out or eating well, but it's not like he's ever laid hands on me.
So your first job may be garbage. Once you've gotten enough experience to start getting recruiter emails or fit the requirements on your hiring lists of choice, MAKE YOUR OWN PATH. Do not tolerate abuse because you think it's what being a doctor means. Unless you're an ED nurse during 2020. Then... your life sucked.
But Monroeville is amazing. I love the neighbors, I love the free "heart attack" venison.
I'd do the whole 2020 thing, but I think we're all damn sick of it, and there's nothing I can really add to the conversation other than what every other doctor colleague says which is "GET THE DAMNED VACCINE SO WE CAN GET BACK TO NORMAL". If you're antivax, please avoid the comment section and go back to getting your news from Q.
My vacation foibles are back, so since I suppose I've revived this blog from the dead, I'll post some of those pictures when I get around to it. Besides, due to that damned fire, this blog is one source of some of my trips and such, so having a backup never hurts.
You can read my experiences at SGU, but keep in mind they're old. I haven't been back to the island, so what's developed, what the exams are like, what restaurants are there, what the housing is like, I have no idea. They still have a high USMLE step 1 pass rate and a huge bill, but that's all I know.
But have a great day, ya'll.
