MiM Intro: EMMomma

I am an Emergency Physician and Medical Toxicologist practicing in a large academic center in the only tertiary care and level one trauma center in my region. My path here was not typical: undergraduate degree in bioengineering, did not get into medical school the first time around because GPA was "too low" (thanks, bioengineering!), worked for a year using my bioengineering degree clinically, got into medical school, did not match in EM and spent a year as a surgical preliminary resident, got into my first choice the second match go-around, and then did a med tox fellowship. I am at my first real, non-moonlighting job. I prefer evening and overnights shifts and take call for toxicology about 10 days a month. I have academic duties and I love teaching, especially in the classroom or small group setting. My research is focused in toxicology but not a very large part of what I do. I will likely never be tenured and I'm okay with that.

I never wanted to be a mother the way most women seem to want to; I wanted a career in Medicine since always. I decided to become one when I realized Hubby was The One and for him, it was an unspoken deal-breaker. Now I have two adorable boys, Blur1 who is 5 and Blur2 who is 2. Blur1 was born during the first year of my fellowship and was a relatively easy pregnancy. Blur2 was within 18 months of my first real (and current) job and while I was never at actual death's door, I had a hard second pregnancy. I had to tell two relatively new bosses that I was pregnant and I've never taken a written board exam not pregnant.

I would not be where I am without Hubby. He is very much not medical and blanches as some of my stories from work. He has an unusual job that requires early morning hours but unlike EM, they are generally Monday-Friday. We split the household stuff and kid stuff along our strengths and who's available but truth be told, he does more because my shifts are often when the kids are awake and not in school. Currently, we are focusing on my career so we are here, in The South, as transplanted Northerners. We are hundreds of miles away from family so we use a combination of daycare, school, camps, and a small army of babysitters who have to come to our house some days at 4 am (yes, 4 am). We have four Google calendars to coordinate Hubby's, my work, my personal, and our family's schedule; I imagine the kids will each get their own calendar in the future. We do most things as a family, including grocery shop, and we're a bit sports obsessed.

I recently realized I do not do anything for me, as a person, on a regular basis. I enjoy Social Media but primarily use my accounts for education (FOAMed supporter) or keeping in touch with friends and family. I love to read but with The Blurs, that is hard. I bake and cook but there is only so much food we can eat. I started working out more but I view exercise as a necessary form of torture. I was looking for a hobby or something to call my own that is not work, Hubby, or Blur related when this offer from MiM came along, which means the thing I call my own will be my thoughts on work, Hubby, and the Blurs (thanks universe). I have been reading MiM since the near beginning. During my first maternity leave, I had a hard time alone with Blur1. I found momblogs and medical blogs. I found MiM through one of Fizzy's cross-posts. I don't follow many of those blogs from those early days anymore but they got me through maternity leave(s) and early motherhood and career and made me realize many of the things I felt and thought were normal. Now I hope I impart this feeling of normalness to my residents, colleagues, and MiM readers.

And in response to Cutter, I would do it all again. Definitely the medicine. And Hubby. And the Blurs.