Hellooo

Hi! My name is Davita. My husband, E, is a R2 in orthopedic surgery in KC. We have 3 kids-- J who just turned 8, Meimei [4], and Eó who is almost 10 months old. We're originally from California-- me from the north, E from the south. We've been together for over 12 years, we met freshman year in the dorms. Been married for almost 9 years. I graduated with a B.S. in Human Development and Education just THREE days before getting on a plane to move to Saint Louis for E to attend medical school. He was wait-listed at two schools-- UCSF and SLU. With the prospect of reapplying seeming more and more like a reality, we were more than thrilled when he got the call from SLU.

Adjusting to life in the midwest, medicine, being a SAHM, and having no physical familial support has been challenging at times to say the least. E is Irish American and I am half Chinese, half black [born in Taiwan, raised in CA]. Due to many factors [mainly finances] I have not been back home in almost 3 years. Match Day was one of the most surreal and devastating days of my life. I still get ill thinking about it. I wrote a piece on our match experience, I'll have to try to dig it up and post it. I love reading about other's match experiences and life experiences in general.

Aside from being away from family [and enduring the match], medical school wasn't too bad. It was actually good times for us. E received great teaching and clinical experiences. The first two years, E kept to a nice schedule of going in early and studying and was usually home by dinner every night. There were some rotations that were hard but nothing too terrible. The aways and his home ortho rotation were the worst in terms of hours gone. But, we had a great support group and an awesome circle of friends. Even though everyone was moving on, saying good bye to all of our friends was so sad.

The first six months of internship were pretty depressing. It took me a good six months to get out of the funk of not getting to go back home for residency. E's hours weren't too bad. A few services aside [NSG, Vascular, & Ortho trauma], intern year was pretty cake for us, pregnant and all. I've made a few really good friends, but I still greatly miss the sisterhood that I had during medical school.

In another life, I was a residential treatment counselor for emotional disturbed boys. One of the most challenging and rewarding jobs I have ever had. Some days I miss it. Wow! I've written a book. Thanks for allowing me to contribute. I'll do my best to do my part. I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you.