Ok, I'm done pondering ignorance now, LOL!!!!

One of the really amazing things about the training I'm attending in Philly is that most of the participants are Pathologists, research oriented Pathologists to be exact. In other words, just my kinda people, LOL!!!! So when we have group assignments and such, I'm once again in the company of my all time favorite Doctors! And of course, I'm reminded of my own, now much more realistic and better timed plan, for becoming a Doctor too. Still, I have these lingering thoughts about how my current and future skills could really be well used as a Clinician, and of course, I'd have to decide which of the many clinical fields I'd like to specialize in! OK, I'm going to reel myself in because I'll obviously have to get accepted to med school again to make these thoughts more realistic. But it sure is nice to fantasize now!

Speaking of med school, one of my classmates attended Meharry Med school, did a Path residency at Howard, and is now at an Ivy League institution doing a post doc. He also completed his PhD first and is now looking to get training in Pathology Informatics too. Hmmmmmmm!! I say "Hmmm" because I've recently been offered the opportunity to complete a PhD while also working ( Uh oh, where have we heard this before, LOL??) except this time a PI has also stepped forward to supervise my research project. My resonse? Hell-to-da-naw!!!!Why? Because if Imma sweat like that, Imma be in med school sweating! And it occurred to me now that I'm back at the NIH and have met other people who either are thinking of doing the same thing or have done it, that getting a PhD while working full-time in a demanding job is the absolute most crazy thing I could do! I'd have 3 full-time "duties" on my plate, employee, PhD student, AND family woman!!!! I figured out that I can only juggle 2 knives in the air very well, so I'm going to be patient and stick to the "med school in the future" plan. But I'm also going to work on those projects with that PI in the hopes that I can get a few publications out in the next 2 to 3 years (and yes, I'm aware that publications + previous Master's could easily = PhD). What I am seriously considering is yet another MS in some area, ID or Pathology Informatics, taking one class at a time because hey, I LOVE school especially when it's free!!!!