Since my last entry, I

am still alive. Just to be clear.

met Joshua Schwimmer, a nephrologist (kidney doctor) who writes at Kidney Notes, Healthline, and The Efficient MD, in addition to his clinical research publications. He managed to spare some time away from writing to meet me for dinner (after we stood in line in the behemoth Apple Store, where Joshua deftly picked up two potential patients at the cash register. Yeah, Apple apparently sells iPatients now.) I also met his adorable French bulldog, Jack, who is well-trained (Joshua is a budding behaviorist) and was definitely the center of attention for the entire evening. In fact, the following is the snapshot moment I have in my mind from meeting him: He and Jack racing back and forth across the smooth tiles in the lobby of his building, expressions of joy on both of their faces.

Joshua is smart. And enthusiastic about many things. And offered lush praise about my writing. (What can I say? The man’s got good taste.)

struggled with the damp heat. This isn’t autumn in New York. I like the sun, but am missing the current cooler clime (…) of Seattle. My black synthetic fiber suit is positively stifling.

attended my fourth interview. Okay, following this interview, there are now two contenders, each with their advantages and disadvantages. I definitely judged the book by its cover when I first met the people in the program today: They were unbelievably well dressed and groomed. It’s like I walked into a fashion boutique. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen any physicians as well dressed as these people. (Fashion has seemed to travel through osmosis in some of my past rotations—there is a consult attending in Seattle who dresses very nicely and when I was on service with her, I made an effort to dress “up”. Should this continue to hold true and I end up in this program next year, I’ll be spending a lot more money on clothes.) Nonetheless, the clinical opportunities are grand and “fit” was present. The program concurred.

Surprisingly, there hasn’t been a lot of overlap in the questions I have received across the board. Different people choose to focus on different things; some people clearly have reviewed my application, and others have not. Some people only ask about my “interests”; others only ask questions from my personal statement. Some people don’t even ask any questions; they just talk (really fast) for the entire time we are together.

In my opinion, the worst question one could ask is, “Tell me about yourself.” It’s just too broad and I invariably answer it with another question: “What do you want to know?” I’m sure Emily Post would not approve of answering a question with a question.

Tonight, it’s dinner with my friend who recently relocated from Seattle. The food in this city is fantastic. I think I’m going to go look for a cookie now.