"Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start." -Nido Qubein

Writing the first posting is akin to facing a blank canvas, paint brush in hand...simultaneously thrilling, adventurous, intimidating, and with endless creative possibilities. Yet, the moment you put down the first word or place the first brush stroke, you have already limited yourself. Sure, you can alter it and make it anything you envision it to be, but it will never again resume its tabula rasa state.

As I am fortunate enough to currently find myself in a position to begin a new chapter in my life and hence have a blank slate before me, I thought a blog to share with friends and loved ones would be a suitable forum to document this new beginning.

Thursday March 20, 2008 at 11 a.m. Central Time, less than two days from the present, is Match Day, the culmination of four years' of medical school. This is the day and time when we learn where we will begin our on-the-job training as physicians. Life as we know it at this point is about to change in a very big way. Not only will we be expected to have the knowledge and confidence of physicians, but the friends and support network we've relied upon over the past four years will be different as we transition into our new roles and our respective specialties, programs, and locales.