"The Interview Trail"

"The Interview Trail" as they call it is winding down for me. I have really enjoyed this season of medical school, being able to travel around the country and view the people, facilities, and offerings of different programs. Most of you already know that I will be doing a residency program in pediatrics. I am looking forward to the process of becoming an excellent pediatrician and making the next steps towards either a subspecialty or general pediatrics career.

In an effort to share more about the past couple of months and where I am going, I will answer here the questions most people have been asking me:

Why Pediatrics?

I went into medical school with a love for pediatrics. I had done an internship at our Methodist Hospital during the summer after my freshman year of college and fell in love with the idea of working with kids full-time and helping in the prevention and treatment of their ailments. A research year with a neonatologist in Indy after graduation from Wheaton wet my appetite for epidemiology and preventable conditions or illnesses as we looked at the impact of the environment on babies born in our state. Four years of medical school and several wonderful experiences along the way (Ghana internship, summer in Boulder working with kids with special needs, health fairs, hanging out with my awesome nephew) have sealed the deal for pursuing peds.

Does internship = residency?

This is one of my favorites. I am not sure why the medical field has created so many names for trainees along the way but between the various names, varying specialties, and range of years involved in each program, the public is pretty confused-and understandably so. Here it is as clearly as I can say it: An intern is simply a first-year resident (also known as an indentured servant). I will become an intern this June after having completed four years of medical school. The term "resident" applies to any medical trainee who has finished medical school and is being taught how to be a certain type of physician. For a bonus, a "fellow" is a residency graduate who has decided to train or specialize further. For example, if after 3 years of pediatric residency I decided to do neonatology, I would train as a neonatal "fellow" for three more years to become this type of specialized pediatrician.

Length of time: Medical school takes four years to complete. After four years of medical school, one earns an "MD" and is theoretically a "doctor". However, they are a very scary doctor and unable to practice medicine in most places until they complete an accredited residency program in a given field. A pediatric residency is three years. After residency, you may either practice as a general doc in that area (peds) for me or pursue further training in a fellowship. Most fellowships are two to three years. People doing obstetrics and gynecology spend four years in residency and those pursuing general surgery usually spend five years in training. Recap: Med school (4) --> Residency (3) for me --> ?Fellowship/?Begin practicing.


Where have you been on your trail?

I have been interviewing mostly in the Midwest with the exception of Tucson, AZ and Minneapolis, MN (MN kind of counts as Midwest).

How do you keep your suit pressed on all of those plane rides?

This question was generated by a few of my female friends at church who got a kick out of the idea of a slightly disheveled applicant going to all of these interviews. I actually tried to get my suit dry-cleaned between trips. To be totally frank with you, I employed the steam shower technique with my shirts a couple of times to get the wrinkles out. Above is my suit and lucky tie that I have worn on most interviews.


Why is peds so awesome?

Okay, so no one asks me this question, but I happen to think pediatrics is incredible for many reasons. Among these reasons is the personalized and thoughtful approach with which our interviews are done. The residency coordinators and administration often know us by name as we walk into the hospital. At one location, I was given a notepad where every page said, "Jordan Huskins could be a pediatric resident at -----". That was pretty impressive. A majority of the programs I have visited have provided one night in a local hotel before the interview, one even extending $300 in travel reimbursements. I was sharing with my dad recently that it feels strange to be treated so importantly. I certainly do not feel this important yet. Below is a picture of me (donning a bathrobe?) in a Club Floor hotel room (does anyone know what that means by the way?). If I did not feel valued before that interview, I certainly did after staying in a room where I needed a special key to access the floor.




When are you done?

I have one more interview on Monday. Then I am off to Kenya for two months and can't wait!

When do you find out where you are going?

March 19 is "Match Day". After both students and residents rank their top programs/applicants with which/whom they have visited, the numbers go into an electronic "match" and produce a list of paired people with programs. The system is actually designed to work in the favor of the applicant to get his or her top pick for a residency program. I will be praying for this very situation on Match Day for my colleagues and myself!


Thanks for letting me share about the journey thus far. It has been great to see old friends, family, and some of you along this trail.

Have a blessed Christmas and New Year.