I worked for 3 years in rural West Virginia in a full-service family practice. I then switched to full time emergency medicine, and have done that for the past 24 years. I was born to do emergency medicine. I love my job! One drawback is that over the years, the night shifts have become physically much more challenging.
I am a family guy. I recommend Medical Students get married . . . .once! Sue and I met in 1974 and have been together since. We raised 3 children in small town America by design. We are not wealthy and never expected to be, but w are rich in all the things that matter to us.Professionally, I have lasted a long time in a young doctor's sport. I see 25 to 30 patients per 12 hour shift 12 to 15 times per month. I have been working in the same emergency department since 1990 during which time approximately 100 other docs have come and gone. It is a fun place to work, but it is not for everybody.
Nothing to brag about. No inventions, publications, discoveries or medical breakthroughs. Like many emergency medicine colleagues, I was double boarded for a while. I helped establish a hospice unit and re-open an obstetrical service in West Virginia. I was awarded "Best Emergency Department Director of the Year" by Spectrum in the early 1990s. That felt nice at the time, but it is only a modest accomplishment and I did not really enjoy being in middle management. I have chaired several committees over the years. In 2004, I was a co-founder of Shenandoah Emergency Physicians, PC, which contracts to provide EM, services locally.One of the more unusual things that I have done was to start a Peer Support group in 1992. This is a small group of local doctors (1 Family Practice, 1 Internist, 1 Psychiatrist, 1 General Surgeon and myself) who meet in a private home for 2 hours one Sunday evening each month to share feeling concerning our unique stresses. The conversations are intense and confidential. The experience over the years is priceless! They are no longer just my colleagues, they are my friends.
I still enjoy biking, hiking, camping, water sports and community theater.
I loved our morning conferences (part patient updates/sign outs and part peer support.I still enjoy biking, hiking, camping, water sports and community theater.The afternoon family practice clinics were fun, educational and very effective in giving me the confidence required to manage patients.The experience of moonlighting in the emergency department at Show Low was exceptional.
Susan and I continue to thrive after 36 years, 3 kids and a million shared experiences.