Two Down, Three To Go!

The four people pictured above (L to R: Drs. Miller, Hollenbeck, Earles & Barden) deserve a HUGE pat on the back! At the end of the work day today their 2nd year of orthopedic surgery residency will be officially over! The first two years of residency are extremely challenging and difficult with the 2nd year being brutal. They have worked extremely hard, put in unthinkable hours and sacrificed so much this year. And, so have the spouses and significant others. So...a big pat on the back to Laisa, myself, Ben & Lauren! This moment feels like a huge milestone for all us as we look forward to call being taken at home instead of requiring the residents to stay in house, a little lighter schedule and simply said having another year under our (their) belts.

In the past few weeks we have enjoyed the roast, the picnic and last night...the trauma dinner. One of the attendings treated all of us to dinner at an amazing restaurant here in Greenville, AZIA. This was to celebrate the residents completing their rotation on trauma, a traumatic one at that! The attendings (their bosses) and their spouses were so generous and it was lovely to share dinner with them. We had amazing sushi...Matt had steak and lobster mac & cheese (to die for!)...I had tempura fried sea scallops...and we shared the hot chocolate souffle. Not to mention the delicious, and many, bottles of wine! It was a great night out for Matt and me, but also with the other 2nd years that we first met two years ago. We began this journey with them and are so grateful to call them friends and to have them by our side for the next three years. They are truly a family away from family.

So...here is to having another year done and here is to a great 3rd year! And, a word of advice, stay out of the ER the month of July. July 1st marks the day that the new (and clueless) residents begin :) a little residency joke for ya!