Thursday, August 19, 2010

Mo' Money, Mo' problems, New Job, New problems, LOL????

So this title isn't exactly right, so far "mo' money" hasn't translated into mo problems yet although I won't know untilI get my first paycheck on Sept 10th. What I can tell you with certainty is that I'm gonna finish med school if it's the LAST thing I do!!!

This is a GREAT gig for someone who is satisfied being what I call a "middle" man. And it's not that being in the middle is a problem for my ego, because I expect to be a "middle man" (or should I say woman) as a Research Pathologist. I don't aspire to be Chief of anything or department head in Pathology at some med school one day. I simply want a career that has clinical and research duties and responsibilities.

The thing is that on my last gig, I was opened up to the field of Vet Pathology through my original assignment in the department of Vet Med, which was eventually changed. Now I'm REALLY being exposed to the field which has come with some pleasant surprises, such as a local Army recruiter's failed attempt to get me to consider joining the Army for 4 years, having them send me to Vet school with the goal of becoming a Vet Pathologist, then having Army pay for Vet school while I served my country as part of the Vet Path core (and this is an great option for anyone considering Vet school, which I'm not).

So besides the obvious histology, there's the field of pathology and my dear old friend infectious diseases (ID) which are in SERIOUS play in my new gig. Which reminds me, I was thinking a few months ago about my plan to get a PhD in Infectious Diseases/Biological agents, I took some PhD level courses in the field, I applied for some ID fellowships, then I starting feeling like I was running around chasing my tail again when that didn't quite pan out!!! That is, until I starting working for the largest of gov't agencies which studies infectious diseases and then realized that my life was "lining up" even when I didn't plan it out to the letter (remember that saying about God looking out for fools, LOL??) Now I meet with the Vet Path at work to study pathogenesis of all kinds of infectious diseases in animal models and it's really, really, REALLY, COOL!!!

No comments:

Post a Comment