Sorry, I'm a little bit in remiss in that I didn't post this link up earlier, but here's a link to the AAMC article on the field of anesthesiology, for which I was interviewed along with a number of much more distinguished and accomplished colleagues. If you're interested in the field of anesthesiology, either as a potential career or if you just want to know what exactly it is we do all day, check it out.
An excerpt:
“Anesthesia is hands-on, fast-paced, and has tremendous capability to make a positive impact on our patients’ lives as anything else we do in the hospital,” says Dr. Au. “In my opinion, it's one of the most interesting, most exciting fields in medicine, and I firmly believe I have the best job in the world.”
I've said it before and I'll say it again here because it's appropriate: it's a difficult juggle to balance work and family, but it's all the more difficult because I do indeed love my job. If I didn't love what I did at the hospital as much as I love what I do at home, my choices would perhaps be easier, though maybe not as satisfying. So really, in the end we should be grateful for the difficult choices, and the chances we have to make them.
(And on an unrelated note: the above photo panel is from pictures I took with my phone during residency--isn't it amazing to see how far cell phone photography has come? Wow! The future! hovercrafts that fold up into briefcases! And etcetera!)