Day 210: Options and cubs

Day 210: Options and cubs.

I feel selfish for acting the way that I had earlier. K had been accepted to STANFORD. There are people who would give their balls and ovaries to be able to have the same opportunities as he just got.

We had some time to sit and think and talk it over and we are both feeling much better about the whole situation. After some stroking of his ego, he is much more excited about the move and we have decided that we do have a few options...

First options that are not really options, let's get these out of the way and just say that these are not going to happen:
1) K not go. This is stupid. Enough said.
2) I drop out of medicine and move to Cali. This is equally stupid. Be sure to hit me if I ever seriously contemplate this in a moment of weakness. Hard.

Next, we have some remote possibilities that are not necessarily good ideas either:
3) I appeal to the Cali board of medical licensing and attempt to transfer residency programs. The appeals process can take up to a year... after which I am only transferring for my last year, which is questionable in good ideas, seeing as I'm set up in my current program already. Plus the restrictions are fairly clear, so it may all just be a wasted effort anyhow.
4) K starts and transfers out. But where could he transfer to that would be as awesome as where he is about to go? Most other prestigious programs are either in bumfuck or snowy locations. And we are both sooooo over snowy locations. (It was 7 degrees this morning. Yuck.)

Then, we have some reasonably decent ideas:
5) I finish my residency and move to Cali and pursue academic work that doesn't necessarily require a license. Ie Research. Stanford is a HUUUGGE research institution and although I'm not cocky enough to say 'I can get a job there', I am confident in my research CV which has several publications and conferences on it over the span of the last five years or so. I'm sure I could find something somewhere. I can resume licensure later.
6) I finish my residency and try to get an attending job or fellowship in Reno, NV. It's not commutable, but close enough for weekend trips. Being in the same time zone would be a huge improvement.

And best case scenarios:
8) California decides to approve my appeal and I get to move to the West coast for either fellowship or attending job.
9) I finish residency here and digital pathology is in full swing, allowing me to live in the San Fran area while working for a hospital NOT in California. What a dream that would be.

Having a plan makes things a lot easier to digest. Plus, looking at two more years apart is much less daunting than six.

I was talking these things over with my mother, who is a full fledged Korean mother... and she patiently waited until I had wrapped up my options. I felt like I was pitching a sale to her "Love versus Work"... and I anticipated what pearls of motherly wisdom she may have to impart...

"Why don't you finish your residency. Move to California. And have a baby?"
"Whaaaaaa....???"
"K will be there for how many more years?"
"4."
"You can have two babies."


Not what I was expecting. But interesting...
One of the issues women in medicine have is 'when the frack do we have time for babies?'

K liked the idea. He always wanted to have kids. Lots of them. Or 'cubs' as he calls them, as I often call him my 'bear'.

So if all else fails. I have 2.5 years before I'm expected to start popping out babies.

Somewhere in California, there is short man in a cubicle who will soon receive an application for medical licensure in his state, and his decision will determine whether the population of San Francisco will increase by one korean-jewish bear. :)