... that is to say, it's about time to chronicle my new adventures as a board-certified, totally graduated psychiatrist, otherwise known as how I've been spending the other half of my time apart from being a family doc. Nevermind that the distinctions between the two halves of my training are fuzzy most days...
Anyway, so I've been having a grand ole time working at the UCI campus at their counseling center a few afternoons a week as one of their two staff psychiatrists for the past 2 months or so... love the staff, am really excited about the patient population, just stoked in general. There's a kinetic, infectious energy on a college campus that's just so unique as a work environment, or at least something that I can appreciate so much more now that I feel like a decrepit middle-aged lady. Every time I walk by the student groups pounding their hippity-hop music at their booths or enthusiastically chatting up some innocent underclassperson, I'm hit with a heady mix of nostalgia and relief. I MISS college, and I'm also SO GLAD I'm not a student anymore.
I've also been unexpectedly busy with a new endeavor... one that I totally hadn't expected to undertake, ever. Yes folks, I have started a private practice. You can see the initial, very preliminary, yet-to-be-completely-constructed fruits of my collaboration with a design firm on my website here. (As a selfish aside, I emphasized the preliminary piece because it's still very much under construction, so if you've got suggestions, please share them with me!!) I say that this was unexpected because, well, I just never thought I'd ever go out "on my own". I'm not inclined towards business at all (imagine a British pronunciation, emphasis on 'tall), and in fact have several issues that I intend on working out in my own therapy about this somewhat distasteful process of being paid by the patient for patient care. That being said, I've realized that this is pretty much going to be the only way that I can continue doing psychotherapy as a psychiatrist because none of the other jobs that I've looked into offer realistic chances of maintaining a therapy practice. And I do so enjoy therapy... so very very much. So anyway, here I am after a few well-timed nudges and job transitions and advice from valued friends. As my dear friend E put it, I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner but it totally makes sense now that I've done it. The hubs is quite smug, given that he's been subtly steering me towards this option since graduation- knowing me as well as he does, he realized quite early on that I would be most happy as my own boss. It's definitely been an exhilarating journey, starting up a business, and I suppose time will tell if it's actually financially feasible but for now, I'm having FUN. Which makes me feel like the luckiest shrink/family doc in the world.
Anyway, so I've been having a grand ole time working at the UCI campus at their counseling center a few afternoons a week as one of their two staff psychiatrists for the past 2 months or so... love the staff, am really excited about the patient population, just stoked in general. There's a kinetic, infectious energy on a college campus that's just so unique as a work environment, or at least something that I can appreciate so much more now that I feel like a decrepit middle-aged lady. Every time I walk by the student groups pounding their hippity-hop music at their booths or enthusiastically chatting up some innocent underclassperson, I'm hit with a heady mix of nostalgia and relief. I MISS college, and I'm also SO GLAD I'm not a student anymore.
I've also been unexpectedly busy with a new endeavor... one that I totally hadn't expected to undertake, ever. Yes folks, I have started a private practice. You can see the initial, very preliminary, yet-to-be-completely-constructed fruits of my collaboration with a design firm on my website here. (As a selfish aside, I emphasized the preliminary piece because it's still very much under construction, so if you've got suggestions, please share them with me!!) I say that this was unexpected because, well, I just never thought I'd ever go out "on my own". I'm not inclined towards business at all (imagine a British pronunciation, emphasis on 'tall), and in fact have several issues that I intend on working out in my own therapy about this somewhat distasteful process of being paid by the patient for patient care. That being said, I've realized that this is pretty much going to be the only way that I can continue doing psychotherapy as a psychiatrist because none of the other jobs that I've looked into offer realistic chances of maintaining a therapy practice. And I do so enjoy therapy... so very very much. So anyway, here I am after a few well-timed nudges and job transitions and advice from valued friends. As my dear friend E put it, I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner but it totally makes sense now that I've done it. The hubs is quite smug, given that he's been subtly steering me towards this option since graduation- knowing me as well as he does, he realized quite early on that I would be most happy as my own boss. It's definitely been an exhilarating journey, starting up a business, and I suppose time will tell if it's actually financially feasible but for now, I'm having FUN. Which makes me feel like the luckiest shrink/family doc in the world.
