Hi, folks! I’m sure almost no one remembers me, but I was a member of OPM back in 2002 right before getting into medical school at KU. I recently found OMD on another site and was excited to reacquaint myself with everyone here. I am currently a 4th year planning to do Family Medicine/International Health. I just completed my last interview and now just have to cogitate a bit over where I want to end up. Anyway, just wanted to say hello and Happy New Year!
Jane
Jane,
It’s good to hear from you again. I still remember my husband, Zane, and I having dinner with you at Cheddar’s in Tulsa when you had been accepted to OSU-Tulsa. If you recall I had hoped to start OSU the same year, was on the wait list, but didn’t get in. I thought for sure that when you decided to go to KU, you would convince them to let me have your seat. Oh well . . .
However, I did get into WVSOM the following year and am now a third year. . . just a little envious that you are finishing your fourth year.
Good luck with your residency! And welcome back to OPM!!
Linda!!! I am SOOO thrilled to hear that you’re realizing your dream! Congratulations! Our dinner at Cheddar’s is one that I remember fondly. How is Zane doing? What specialty are you considering? Hang in there…third year flies by and fourth year is gone in the blink of an eye. It’s so good to hear from you again! 
Jane
Zane is doing well. I will be doing family med. I really love it! Most likely I will do my residency at Univ. of Oklahoma-Tulsa. I can’t wait to get back there, closer to friends and family.
If you want to know how things are going, look under the MedStudentDiscussions and find my WVSOM rotations. I am absolutely loving every one of them, but I still know that Family Med owns my heart.
Wonderful! So many of my friends are doing the same thing. It will be great to know that we’ll be seeing each other at AAFP conferences for the rest of our careers. I’m very happy for you and am just heading over to check out your rotations. I’ve been really involved in international health (check out the link in my signature if you want to see what I’ve ben up to) and figured FP was a great way to continue to do that work, plus have the relationship with my patients that I’ve always wanted in my practice. I was lured away from FP by trauma surgery for a while, but have made my way back to the fold. Congrats on your decision, and Happy New Year to everyone!
Jane
Hi there Jane,
I certainly remember you and your posts. It is good that you are back. I hope that you find a neat spot for residency and enjoy your career.
Natalie
Hi, Natalie! Boy, I remember you as well. When I fell in love with surgery and was struggling with how to juggle life and career I thought of you often. I remembered your excitement when you announced that you were doing surgery after all, regardless of the fact that you would be an older resident. That certainly was an issue I struggled with but it was other life issues that ultimately made me choose FP over surgery. I still love surgery but I know that I made the right choice for my life by doing FP. I hope that things are going well for you, and have a wonderful New Year!
Jane
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Hi, Natalie! Boy, I remember you as well. When I fell in love with surgery and was struggling with how to juggle life and career I thought of you often. I remembered your excitement when you announced that you were doing surgery after all, regardless of the fact that you would be an older resident. That certainly was an issue I struggled with but it was other life issues that ultimately made me choose FP over surgery. I still love surgery but I know that I made the right choice for my life by doing FP. I hope that things are going well for you, and have a wonderful New Year!
Jane
Hey Jane,
One of my surgery attendings has just left for a medical training sabbatical in Gabon, Africa. He is going to be training some of the local physicians to do the more common general surgical procedures. He took his entire family with him. He finished training two years ago and was one of the best teachers that I had. For a new faculty member, he was so comfortable letting us work on his patients. He gave me so much guidance and encouragement and he was young enough to be my son. I will miss him for the rest of the year as he was one of my “pillars of strength”.
The Family Medicine residents rotate on surgery with us and learn to do many minor procedures. I have been fortunate to have some great residents from Family Medicine. I am just finishing being chief resident on Pediatric Surgery and the little things like seizure meds always sent me scrambling for my little Pocket Pharmacopaeia.
You are going to be able to do so many things with Family Medicine and I know it will suit you well.
Natalie
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Hi, folks! I’m sure almost no one remembers me, but I was a member of OPM back in 2002 right before getting into medical school at KU. I recently found OMD on another site and was excited to reacquaint myself with everyone here. I am currently a 4th year planning to do Family Medicine/International Health. I just completed my last interview and now just have to cogitate a bit over where I want to end up. Anyway, just wanted to say hello and Happy New Year!
Jane
Welcome back Jane! Glad you took me up on my less-than-subtle hint to come dance with the home folks! We love it when one of our alumni come back. YOU represent a fantastic body of knowledge that our members are dying to ingest. We would love it if you stuck around, as much as your busy life will allow, and tell your tale, answer questions & provide advice to those who still seek their first “Yes Letter”.
Furthermore, from your IM on SDN, you have accomplished some fantastic things during your tenure as a med student. OPM is a wonderful venue for you to toot your horn to help inspire others. In addition, your service & organization that YOU founded represent excellent opportunities for current OPM members. Please feel free to promote them…you may find OPM to be a solid resource for you & your aspirations.
Please provide a link to your international health society in your reply. I would like to visit the website myself.
Hi again Dave and Natalie!
Natalie…every program I’ve interviewed at has had to deal with my question of, “Can you guarantee that I will get as much surgical training as I want?” 
Since I am planning to do a great deal of international work in the future I want to know that if I’m in a tiny town in Tanzania and a hot appy walks in the door I’ll be able to take care of it with confidence. Everyone I spoke to said that I could get as much surgical experience as I want as long as I express the interest. I can’t wait to start this next chapter in my life. I would love to meet the surgeon you speak so highly of. I had one here at KUMC who is a prince among men and is responsible for luring me away from FP for 2.5 years. Surgeons like these are indeed treasures.
Dave…I’m a woman of my word. I said I’d be back, and now you’ll probably have a hard time getting rid of me! As for my international group, the name of it is KUMC International Outreach and the website is www.kumcio.org (same one as in my signature). Let me know what you think! We have a lot more projects in the works and the website is about to be updated again within the next two weeks. I’ll be snooping around the different forums for the next week or so and will post my story when I have some time to sit down and type some more. Thanks again to all of you for the warm welcome back. I can’t believe I’ve been gone so long. I’ll try not to let it happen again!
Jane
Jane, how cool to see you back on OPM. I remember when you were really anguishing over the med school decision - clearly it worked out well for you and you have made the very most of your opportunities. Good for you!
As an FM resident I’m obviously thrilled to hear that you’ll be doing your residency in FM. Sounds like you are asking exactly the right kinds of questions as you interview. One note: don’t just accept the assurance that you can get as much surgical training as you’d like, ask exactly HOW they have accommodated other residents who’ve wanted to pursue special interests. Try to find residents in the programs who’ve been encouraged to do things that are a little off the beaten track - not necessarily what you want to do, but something that demanded that the resident education system be flexible enough to accommodate their educational goals. Get specifics!
I will be looking forward to hearing about your post-match career. I didn’t even know what FM was when I started med school (only a slight exaggeration) and I just love it - even when I am working sooooo hard and feel like “my brain is full,” I am still having a really good time.
Keep in touch!
Mary
Mary! Wow, great to hear from you as well! Sounds like you’re enjoying your FP residency experience. I just finished my last interview on Friday and am glad to be done. I did what you suggested and spoke with just about everyone who would lend me their ear in the program (residents, faculty, people with similar interests) about whether or not they could actually get what was promised. The programs I applied to are all relatively strong in procedures and OB so I think I’ll end up getting a good experience no matter where I go. I’m looking forward to Match Day when all of this cogitating and worrying will be behind me and I can just focus on starting residency. What program are you at? I interviewed in KS, NY, PA and CO. I think I would be more than happy at all but a couple of the programs I saw, but I think that my heart is back in CO and that might play a pretty big part in my decision. Anyway, great to hear from you! Yet another friend to see at AAFP conferences down the road!
Jane
Jane,
Hi and welcome back. I do remember your posts early on, and people asking about you when you were no longer posting. I loved your website including the digression about the plight of dogs in Quito, especially since I did doggie rescue with my sister of the Christmas break.
Kathy
Oh, the dogs. They just broke my heart. My eventual dream is to open my own animal shelter here in the States but to also go back and do something for the dogs in Ecuador. I have a pet charity in Puerto Rico called “PARE ESTE” (STOP THIS) that deals with the overpopulation and sad conditions of the street dogs on the island. I saw something on Animal Planet about it and couldn’t stop crying. I did a web search, found the organization and send them money every time I can afford it. So much to do, so little time… Thanks for the welcome back, and I’m so glad you enjoyed the website and my travelogues!
Jane