And it Begins...

Hello all!

I just wanted use my first post to briefly introduce myself and explain the rationale behind why I've created this blog. I am currently a fourth year medical student- about to graduate and become a "real doctor" in just about a month. I'm fairly new to the blogging world, and I've tried before to have a blog that was more about me- and realized that writing about me wasn't as interesting as I had hoped. So instead, what I've decided to do is write about my transition from becoming a medical student to becoming a doctor and what changes that I have to go through. On top of that, I want to write about healthcare issues that I have seen everyday during my last few years in medical school, and issues that I will be faced with in the upcoming years as an intern, resident, and full fledged physician.

As for some background info on me- I have been fortunate enough to have experienced many different places during my 25 years on this planet. I've spent the first half of my life in different parts of NJ, the second half in a suburb of New Orleans, with a short stint in North Louisiana for medical school. I will be starting a residency in Boston this summer, with the hopes of experiencing a new and exciting way to learn and practice medicine which I may one day be able to bring back to Louisiana when I'm all done.

What I would like to do on here is recall and write about things that I've seen, both positive and negative, with the healthcare system that I've been exposed to as a medical student. During my residency, I will be able to compare my medical school experiences to those experiences I will have in Boston, and hopefully draw some conclusions as to how we can make improvements in the delivery of healthcare in Louisiana. Although I know this is constantly discussed on the news and such, as a person who will have the opportunity to experience such a big difference in location, I hope that I can add a different perspective to the mix.

Most people who know me will attest to the fact that I talk "too much". Although I don't quite agree (well, maybe a little), I think using the WWW as another medium for my thoughts may help to curb the excessive verbage from my mouth :)

Lastly, I'd really like to hear input from others who may read my blog (if any...) The perspectives from both medical, and non-medical people are important factors when trying to implement changes that affect people on both sides of the line.