Snowy or Extra Snowy?

Portland gave me the finger.

Actually they were much more polite than that. No one gave anyone the bird. I just got an apologetic phone call and a formal letter a few days later. And that was that. I was not going to Oregon Health Science University (OHSU).

By then I had also visited the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCoW) in Milwaukee which, I learned, is not spelled with an "a" after the "l", and received word from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) that they too would like to invite me out for a quick chance to turn me down. The Milwaukee interview was standard as far as interviews go, and the program was myeh. In short: it was snowy, the people were nice, I flew home. I was going to say I finally saw the Great Lakes, but then I remembered that I had seen them the year before in Toronto. Truly a remarkable experience.

Milwaukee from a snowy pasture somewhere.

Dartmouth, on the other hand, was something a little different. The obvious name recognition aside, the program had an explicit global health focus in addition to a sound foundation in the infectious disease basics: HIV, wound infections, and beaver bites. They additionally made no apologies for the snow instead boasting of the numerous winter activities you could partake in virtually year round. The staff were similarly friendly, the hospital remarkably modern, and the city was charming in the sense that it was roughly the size of a small truck stop assuming it was a small truck stop run by affluent, well dressed white people. And, to top things off, their anticipated call rotation the next year was once six weekly. Truly a magical place. Both institutions offered me a job.

Hanover from... well... anywhere.

The next week I signed the dotted line over the phone and began the process of separation from the Air Force culminating in much paper work and even more merrymaking. Of all my three options, OHSU included, I believe I lucked out with Dartmouth as I was only informed of their availability literally a day or two before I was to sign a million dollar, multiseason contract with MCoW. It is the best combination and balance of education, interest, and free time. A place I look forward to going to. Shortly thereafter I got an email from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City -- an institution that had arguably been my number one choice earlier in my search -- stating that they too had spot and were wondering if I wanted to visit for an interview....

God sure gets His jollies in weird ways sometimes.

I just hope that when they dig my body out of the New Hampshire snow hundreds of years from now they find some interesting things in my pockets.

Down From the Land Where the Sun Don't Shine

I am told Portland is a town of tree huggers. From my recent visit I can truthfully say this appears to be correct. The town has many trees and some of them appeared to have actively been in the process of being hugged. Parks and rivers run through it, bicycle lanes riddle the streets, and it is reportedly a crime to run over pedestrians. Because of all this mother nature loving, squirrel kissing, crystal rubbing hippiness there is also an active land management program by the city which aggressively manages how land is used and which limits suburban sprawl. As a result of this, then, and combined with a well-developed street car and light rail system, Portland has what seems to be one of the most livable downtowns in the nation. Unfortunately this means I need to drive a ways to find a good strip mall, but I think I may finally be strong enough to get by without massively discounted bath soap and bath soap accessories.

Portland’s urban thriftiness is never more visible than in its main medical center, the Oregon Health Science University. Perched atop a rocky and tree strewn hilltop near the city center the medical complex has been forced to work with limited land and limited not-cliff space by building less in the horizontal and more in the vertical, diagonal, and all over the place. Stand near a window in the main adult hospital and you can see a sky bridge leading to the pediatric hospital adjacent, a parking garage stationed immediately off the precipace below, and the veteran’s hospital sitting oddly at an angle sitting somewhere in the clouds. It is an unusual and striking site to see as building is built almost upon building to make it all work. So unusual in fact, that I did not take a single picture of it.

I did, however, take a picture of this:

I think it’s a sign warning bicyclists of booby traps. There was another one a few blocks down which I believe depicted bamboo spikes and an improvised of foot snare.

All in all Portland seems like a pretty great city. Mostly because I enjoy squirrel kissing, but also because the Infectious Disease program at OHSU seems quite amazing. The staff were cordial, the program rigorous, and the facilities impeccable. I am admittedly likely under qualified. Thankfully, however, just like me the suckers got limited options. Here’s to making the best of what you got. Hopefully that means I’ll soon be Oregon bound.