Hooray for Residency Interviews!!

I definitely miss the city...

They literally slept the WHOLE drive. It was perfect...LOL

This past week I had my first two residency interviews in Chicago! I don't know if I ever mentioned this to you all before, but my parents live in Northwest, Indiana - about an hour outside the city. I actually commuted to high school in Chicago, and prior to moving to Indiana, we lived in Oak Park (a western suburb of the city) while my dad did his urology residency. Anyway...this trip brought back all kinds of great memories, and it was like coming home.

The munchkins and I made the trip together (I know, it sounds nuts as I type it, but really it was OK! haha) and my mom was a HUGE help throughout the whole process. Anxiety was high, but I would like to think they calmed me down a little bit...maybe?

The first night we decided to stay in a hotel close to my first interview, which was right outside the city, because the resident dinner (an informal meet and greet with the current residents to get the inside scoop on being in the program) ended at 10PM the evening before my interview with a very early start time. It worked out great! After that interview day, I got to go back to my parents' house, and just chilled with the family until my next round of events.

The interviews....

Getting ready in my old bathroom at home

I was soooo nervous before my first one, and I tried to prep myself with practicing answers for all of the tough questions I thought they would ask like, "Why obstetrics and gynecology?", "Who are you really?", "Tell me about a time you failed..." I found this youtube video about interviewing for residency and it stirred up all types of anxiety. Well, they asked me none of that. The interviews were so conversational and laid back. I really felt like I could be myself, and I enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people! Even the other applicants were great and some of us agreed to keep in touch throughout the rest of the process... I've been told by multiple residents that the interview process really is the best time, and it really is so much fun!

Now that I have some "experience" under my belt with interviewing, I feel like I know what I am looking for in a program. We head to North Carolina later this week!