Maricopa

I'm starting feel like life is getting back to normal. However, I still have mail and magazines stacked around the house. And my diet and exercise routine aren't up to snuff. After all, it's not like things are "back to normal".

I started a new job on Monday. My plastic surgery rotation is going to be interesting, but I don't get to do anything since these are patients paying cash for a celebrity plastic surgeon to work on them. And there isn't a whole lot of wound care going on, it's all cosmetic procedures.

I've seen four "Quicklift" facelifts over two days. Very interesting procedures and a very lucrative business model. Dr. K. has patented the procedure with a partner, so they get royalties from othe surgeons around the country and can exclude the run-of-the-mill surgeons from messing up the procedure's reputation. A local news host had the procedure done and was back on TV in two days. Can't get better marketing than that! Anyway, I have enjoyed talking with Dr. K., his surg tech, the anesthetists and the circulating nurses, all of whom have been great. And the results are fantastic. Heck, I might have to get one of these in 10 or 15 years!

If plastics wasn't so darn competitive I would probably put up with the long, difficult residency/fellowship and go for it. I can see myself doing these procedures easily. The cosmetic operations make the mint and the reconstructive stuff makes you feel good (or at least removes the guilt). Plus you're working with a great patients (healthy, cash pay and frequently already very attractive), being creative and owning your own business. Dr. K. advertises the "eyes of an artist" while employing 21 people (most part-time) and operating his own private, JHACO approved, surgical suite. No surprise here I'm sure, but he drives a nice Porsche as well. Not bad!

Becky and I went to Maricopa's pre-interview dinner on Monday night with a big group of current residents and fellow applicants. Dave Levin from my class was there as well. He's been rotating there for two months, so I was the one asking all the questions. Becky was a bit bored, but we had an ok time. The dinner was just mediocre.

The interview on Tuesday went well. I really like the Program Director, whom I met in Seattle at the ACEP Residency Fair. The tour went fine. It's a county ED, but not a bad as I feared. They will be building a new one well after I'm done with Residency, but the current one, curtains and all, will suffice. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the department is funded and how strong the leadership throughout the county system. I feel confident I could get a great education there. The regional (southwest USA) burn center is a unique factor I like. They teach EM residents how to do fasciotomies and skin grafts! Finally, we would save a ton of time and expense because we could stay in our current home. The commute is much more doable than I thought and many residents live further away than we do now.

Maricopa will definately be in my top five, likely in my top three. The big decision comes down to whether we want to put Hopkins #1. Becky and I have been talking a lot about that lately.

Today I mostly relaxed. I could have gone in for office visits of patients following up on surgeries. But understandably Dr. K. doesn't want a student in the room when he's having potential patients baring their souls and skin as he makes his pitch. So I stayed home and finalized travel plans for the COMLEX PE test at the end of the month and my five remaining interviews, three in New England and two in Ohio. I still need to cancel MCG. But right now I'm torn between finishig Wired magazine or playing an Xbox 360 game...