Seattle

Our first stop on the interview trail was Seattle.  My brother has lived there for the past 5 years, so I've been there before but it was Mark's first visit to the Pacific Northwest.  It is such a pretty part of the country and has a great mix of city life and natural beauty.  Shortly after we arrived, we took a ferry boat over to Bainbridge Island, which is where the next three pictures are from.  It was a very quaint little town and we had some amazing coffee, lunch, and probably the best ice cream I've ever had.

On our second day, we visited Pike Place Market, the famous farmer's market in downtown Seattle.  We watched the fishmongers throw the gigantic fish, looked at the incredible flowers, and smelled the delicious baked goods.  We tasted some yummy roasted hazelnuts and fresh baked donuts, and got fresh salmon and crab to make dinner that evening.  Mark got some amazing apple cider, but I recently learned he only likes cold cider after I excitedly brought home hot cider k-cups for our Keurig coffee maker which he gently told me tasted like medicine.  

I interviewed with Seattle Children's Hospital and really liked it.  The program had a very warm, welcoming feel and the hospital was a free-standing children's hospital (as opposed to a pediatric ward in a general hospital).  The residents seemed to enjoy their lives, meaning they didn't seem too stressed out, which is also a plus.  There are some neat opportunities for community advocacy projects and global health.  Each resident also spends 2 months in their second year in a rural area of the northwest known as the "WWAMI" region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) working with populations like American Indians, migrant farm workers, etc.  So, altogether it sounded like a well-rounded and somewhat unique residency.  It was my first interview, so I don't know where it will land among the rest, but it was a great start!