Pontificum Scriblerus

So, ok, yes, I got a fancy shmancy job. Although I am quite looking forward to having an office with a door and a desk, I am also starting to despair. And not just because I have about 5 months of training left and I feel no readier to practice than a year ago. (just today, my cecal intubation rate was about 50%, and I had to ask my buddy for advice on managing a routine situation with a vaccine...) I'm in despair because I don't know if I'll be happy living Down There. I've always looked at this fellowship and this three-year relocation as temporary, with the endpoint being moving back to Boston, or the Metro West. In fact, I wanted to live in an N-town, where I grew up, or even a W-town if I could stand the waspiness. When I started to look for jobs, though, I realized that apparently, the Boston area practices have hired all they needed to hire about 2 years ago, and now, no one was looking. Well - that's not quite true. Some were looking for people who wou...

Europe vs. USA. It's not a real battle, not even really an argument. It's more like a comparison, or a tug of war, or like a friendly competition, in the spirit of New York vs Boston and St. Petersburg vs. Moscow. I feel like they patronize us like an older, wiser, more experienced sibling. In turn, we contend that we know better and do even better, like a teenage smartass, while at the same time, harboring some deep and painful insecurities. Of course, that insecurity might just be me. When I travel to Europe, I get jealous of the way the live: seemingly, so much more relaxed, not to mention the free healthcare, education, the 5 weeks of vacation and the paid maternity leave. Also, the sidewalk cafes, the delicious bread and coffee, the public transportation and the Puritan tradition-free ... everything. Conversely, when I meet Europeans here, I always feel a little bit apologetic about how things are here. I'm halfway to guilty regarding making my husband move from...