#theinterviewtrail

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Update: Match Week, Chafing, T-Minus One Month and MORE:

Greetings from the.... well, to the end of the Interview Trail!

So, a lot has happened since my last substantive blog post, almost two months ago! I will try to be as brief as possible

1. MATCH WEEK: 

-It’s already upon us, the day where I will find out what residency program I will be matched to! This Friday at noon, every 4th year medical student will be given an envelope that, upon opening, will list the residency program that each student has been matched to. The match process is a complex bit of business that I don’t completely understand, but basically, a computer algorithm takes all of the preferences of every medical student and all the preference of every residency program, mashes it together, and finds the optimal match for everyone involved. So at the end of the day, each student is told the one and only one program that they are coupled with for the duration of their residency. It is a nerve-wracking experience, as the possibility for students to not match into their optimal program, or to not match into any program, is certainly possible. For me, I was fortunate enough to interview at enough programs that the non-matching part seems very unlikely. However, I could be matched in Maine, California, Ohio, or the number of other states that I wrote about in previous posts. Needless to say, I am excited, but still a little nervous! Keep posted, as I will definitely be posting about my matched program after this Friday!

2. Running is Hard:

- This past Saturday afternoon, I ran 19 miles in the unexpectedly frigid weather that greeted us this weekend. The wind chill brought the temperature down to the single digits, and I was decked head to toe in some form of lycra/spandex/breathable material. I had my iPhone strapped to my arm, a fanny pack with water and energy chews around my waste, and approximately 2% of my skin exposed to the cold. At the end of the run, my calves felt like they were encased in cement, I lost some sensation in my feet, and... well best not to talk about the chafing brought on by 19 miles of spandex. In other words,  I found myself hitting the infamous “wall” known to many long-distance runners at approximately the 18-20 mile mark of a marathon. It is important for me to feel this now, a month away from the marathon, so that I not only know what to expect, but can accordingly plan to get through it come April 17th. For me, it’s a lot of psychological head games (”I can do this!), and practical strategies (simply- I need to slow down more in the first half of the marathon so that I have enough energy to get through the 2nd; I need to stay hydrated, and I need to keep taking in some form of energy while running). I write all of this because I know that I’ve been doing a lot of fundraising lately: I keep asking friends, family members, and complete strangers for money, because I’m not quite at my half-way mark for my fundraising goals. But I don’t ask for money casually: First of all, I hate soliciting for money- I would have been a terrible salesperson. But more importantly, I believe that the organization I am running for, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, is so important, and does such good, life-altering work for sick, fragile kids and their families, that I am willing to spend my Saturday afternoons in the cold, bruising my legs and chafing my whatever, so that more children can experience the fun and freedom of camp. Ultimately, I am so thankful for the generosity of the people in my life- I am a lucky guy to be surrounded by so many kind-hearted folks who give so freely to a cause that they know is very close to my heart. Thank you thank you thank you!

3. One Month and Counting:

-The Marathon is April 17th! That means in a little over than a month, I will be literally on my way to the finish line. It’s a pretty scary thought, but one that also fills me with excitement. I will try to post a couple more times between now and then, but for now- if you would like to donate to my Marathon Fund, you can give through crowdrise.com. Alternatively, please consider coming to my New Haven based Fundraising event on March 24th at the Trinity Bar and Restaurant (see the post directly below this one for more info). And again- thank you for taking the time to read, to give, and help contribute to the happiness and wellbeing of some important children and their families!

Cheers,

galen.

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States 12 & 13: A Tale of Two Donuts

Greetings from the Internet Trail!

Okay, so let’s get it out of the way first: I’m getting tired. As of the writing of this post, I have one- count it- ONE- residency interview left. After traveling to 15 cities in 13 states over four different months, I will be able to resume some kind of normalcy... well, you know- relative normalcy, as I attempt to plan multiple fundraisers while training in between my remaining medical school rotations. But at least there will be so much less driving.

With that being said, I’m cutting a corner and consolidating two different states in one post- and not because I knocked them out with one run. No, it’s because I’m tired, and writing these blogs take more work than I’d like you all to know. Unfortunately, they’re both New England states, and as such I am unhappily contributing to the idea that New England states, due to their relative small size, should be lumped together and treated the same. Which is NOT true. I love my New England roots, even if I poke fun at Connecticut often for being boring and unfriendly and... well you get the idea.

No, I actually visited two young, unique, fun cities these past couple weeks: Portland, Maine and Providence, Rhode Island. And while these cities certainly differ in terms of culture, climate, and beer scene (sorry RI but Allagash and Bissell Brothers >>> Narragansett) they are both cities with vibrant music scenes, miles and miles of beautiful shoreline, and most importantly- fantastic donuts. So without adieu:

I. Portland, Maine: “The Way Life Should Be”

[The Back Cove... and a bunch of ice]

- So, whether or not I end up in the East Coast Portland, I’ve certainly started planning on eventually settling down in this small, quirky New England city, if just in my head. Portland retains the beauty and charm of New England, including easy access to beautiful beaches and abundant hiking, but is just a little bit slower and easier going than its more uppity New England neighbors (cough- Mass- cough). There is a high premium on good food (Duckfat!), great beer (Austin Street! Oxbow! Bissell Brothers!), and plenty of places to see nationally renowned musical acts, despite the city’s small size. It’s a relatively hidden gem, and you should go visit right now. Because, in the world of donuts they have:

1. The Holy Donut:

[I heart Holy Donuts]

-That’s right: Heavenly approved donuts that are actually made from potatoes, The Holy Donut have a slightly heartier, chewier feel while sacrificing none of its tastiness. I had a couple (yes, more than one) cinnamon sugar donuts, a simple but well-crafted example of excellence immediately after my run... and then I was able to sample a bunch more later that evening at my pre-interview dinner. God bless residents who love donuts. Needless to say, there isn’t a bad donut to be found in the bunch.

2. The Run: Ice, Ice Baby

- That’s right. I’m still training for a Marathon. Well, thankfully on my Maine day I had a shorter run slated, as I discovered that my favorite run in the City, a trail circling around the Back Cove, was almost entirely encased in ice. Because sometimes you might almost be a doctor but you forget that a run around a body of water... in Maine... in January just might be impeded with ice. Anyway, I made it around without falling on my face, but it was a pretty dumb idea and a lousy run. You live and you learn!

II. Providence, Rhode Island: Li’l Rhody

1. Names: 

-Did you know that the smallest state in the country has the longest name? In fact, RI’s actual name is: State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.  Hopefully some day we can say R.I.P to R.I.P.P. (yes- I thought that was clever). Otherwise, did you know that a state that measures 48 miles long by 37 miles wide has over 400 miles of shoreline? Yeah, I don’t really understand how that works either. Speaking of coastline...

2. The Run: Early Thaw

-So the days I spent in Rhode Island were unseasonably warm, as I ran in 50 degree weather in the middle of January. I was staying in Riverside, an enclave just south of East Providence, which is home to the Looff Carousel, which, having been built in 1895, is one of the few handmade carousels still in use. See, you learn new things every day! Anyway, as I ran by the Carousel, and down the shoreline through the melting snow, I was able to appreciate Rhode Island’s proper nickname of “The Ocean State”

3. Donut Round Two:

[That donut technically belonged to someone I’ll never meet]

- If you follow me on social media, you will know that I was recently stood up on a date with a young lady I met online. However, what made this event more notable was that I had bought this ultimately unseen woman a donut that she had recommended I try from PVDonuts, a fantastic shop located in the Fox Point neighborhood of Providence. In friendly retaliation, I sent my date ditcher a couple pictures of yours truly devouring her donut with glee. Because let me tell you, the giant gourmet donuts of PVD are in a league of their own, a big, bready creation slathered in sugar and an array of topping choices (I tried both their Caramel and their Coffee Milk flavors- both highly recommended). So while human connection was not in the cards, I would argue that I still walked away a little bit in love... and a little bit rounder as well. 

[Life motto]

So there you go- two awesome New England cities that start with “P” for the price of one! Thanks for sticking with my rambling, sleepy post. I’m off to take a nap, but I’m excited to introduce the last state of my epic interview trail season with you next week!

Lastly, as always, please check out my fundraising page at https://www.crowdrise.com/galen-hitwboston2017/fundraiser/galendidomizio and thank you so much for your generosity in providing a beautiful unique experience to chronically ill children who deserve it the most! Until next time,

Onward & Upward,

galen.

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State #11: “Hi, I’m in Delaware”

Happy New Year from the Interview Trail!

Okay, full disclosure- I don’t have much to say about the state of Delaware. With all due apologies to my friend, Delaware native, and Marathon expert Pete McBride, the only thing that I think about when I think of Delaware is this following short Wayne’s World clip, which you should watch right now:

With that being said, I did have the opportunity to briefly visit Delaware last month, where I was impressed by the residency program contained within this small, overlooked state. So in honor of the first state to ratify the US Constitution:

1. The Run:

Before hightailing it back up 95 and through NYC rush-hour traffic, I was able to enjoy a short run through the Brandywine Creek State Park near Wilmington, an area of 933 acres that contains the first two nature preserves in Delaware. While the park contains plenty of nice, flat running trails, I somehow found myself navigating an increasingly complicated path of hiking trails that soon led me deep into the woods, a little muddy and a little lost. Thankfully, I eventually stumbled back onto one of the main running paths, and back to my car with no damage done. Thanks anyway, Delaware!

2. The Beer:

Like I mentioned, I didn’t really have the opportunity to spend much time in Delaware, but while I was there I did enjoy one of the finest beer in the country, Dogfish Head’s 60 Minute IPA. Dogfish is hands-down one of my favorite breweries, with my personal favorites being their Indian Brown Dark IPA and their Raison D’Etre (which, yes- is in fact brewed with raisins. Give it a chance!). A couple years ago I had the pleasure of visiting their Brewpub on Rehoboth Beach- do yourself a favor and end a day at the beach with their tasty bites and strange experimental brews that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. 

3. The Funnest of Delaware Facts:

Okay. I realize that it’s enjoyable to poke fun at Delaware for being relatively small and unremarkable, but as a native from another small and unremarkable state (See State #10), I did want to find a couple unique facts about Delaware. Here are a few that I found at whatever motovo.com is, that I did not bother to verify, and that I have no idea whether are true or false. Regardless, enjoy!

- The world’s largest Lego Tower was built in Wilmington, standing 112 feet tall and made up of 500,000 bricks!

- Delaware is home of the “Punkin Chunkin” Championship, a sport where competitors build contraptions to hurl pumpkins as far as possible. The standing record is over a mile at 5,545 feet. USA! USA! USA!

- There is a disc golf course in every Delaware State Park (again, I have ZERO idea if this is actually true), BUT

- Until 2013, Delaware was the ONLY state not to have a National Park. 

- Although Delaware is 49th in state size and 45th in state population, it has the highest percentage of PhDs! 

[Joe knew all of those facts]

And that’s it! Thanks Delaware for a brief, enjoyable visit, and thanks VP Biden for just being so damn classy. Happy January everyone!

Onward and Upward,

galen.

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State #9: Salt Lake, the Crossroads to the West

Happy Holidays from the Interview Trail!

If there’s one lesson I’ve gained from these months of traveling, it’s that our country’s borders contains an incredible richness and diversity of cultures. Even as someone who has previously seen much of the US prior to this season, I have been continuously surprised by the cities and states that I have encountered, especially those that I have known little of prior to my visit (see: Cincinnati, Richmond)

That being said, I had almost no prior impression of Salt Lake City and the state of Utah prior to my visit last week. I knew about Mormons, and I knew there were mountains, and that was the extent of my knowledge of the area. As you may have suspected, I was more than pleasantly surprised by this secretly gorgeous city nestled between the Wasatch and Oquirrh Mountain ranges. The City is a clean, friendly center filled with public transit that is both prompt and doesn’t demand a Purell bath afterwards (see: NYC, Boston). 

It should be noted that Salt Lake is a tough place for a New Englander to properly encapsulate, especially in a short 48 hour trip. There seems to be two distinct cultures at play in the city: The friendly, conservative, domineering presence of the Latter Day Saints, and a newer establishment of distinct counter-culture, marked by outdoor enthusiasts, adrenaline junkies, and the young and hip. Although the two intertwining cultures created a kind of mini-culture shock for me, SLC certainly seems like a place where its inhabitants live happily, work hard, and play even harder.

1. The Run:

- My schedule was packed while in Salt Lake; Consequently, the only time I had to run was in the early morning. Needless to say, I stumbled around in the darkness as I ran the perimeter of the University of Utah. I’m sure it was an otherwise pleasant run, but I couldn’t really tell you for the darkness!

[At least that giant U was lit up]

[The University’s Football stadium. The funky structure to the right was the Olympic Torch that was built and lit for the 2002 Winter Games hosted in SLC]

2. Mountains Beyond Mountains!

- Thankfully, I did have time to not only see a little bit of the city, but to also take in a short hike right before my flight home. I took the Living Room Trail located behind the Natural History Museum into the mountains, as I started to encircle the University and the Medical Campus. Of course, this being me, I decided to hike the newly snow-filled and muddy terrain close to sunset in clothes not particularly conducive to the elements (think sneakers with giant holes in them). Thankfully, despite my lack of preparation, I was not, in fact, lost to the elements, but happily stumbled back to my hotel, if with soggy socks.

[I made a new friend!]

[If you’re looking for an overabundance of natural beauty, SLC is the place for you]

[I highly recommend you not hike this in dilapidated sneakers]

3. Friends and Food:

- I was also able to get a snapshot of the culture that exists between the mountains. I can happily recommend Squatters Brew Pub (excellent eclectic menu and tasty beer), Trio (dynamite paninis), and Spitz (funky Mediterranean). I was able to frequent the last restaurant with my old friend Melissa, who works for another excellent non-profit, Ragnar. If you’re looking for another organization to support (after Hole in the Wall, of course!), you should certainly check out their website. 

[The State Capitol building]

Lastly, as always, please check out my fundraising page at https://www.crowdrise.com/galen-hitwboston2017/fundraiser/galendidomizio

I so appreciate your generosity as I work towards my fundraising goal to support The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in its noble mission to provide respite and fun for chronically ill children and their families!

Happiest of Holidays to you all!

Cheers,

galen.

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State #7: Keep Galen Weird in the Lonestar State

Greetings from the Interview Trail!

With cold weather and snow descending upon Connecticut, I decided to get out of dodge and swing by one of my favorite US cities, Austin Texas. The Brooklyn of the South- a rapidly expanding city of tech start-ups, taco joints, dive bars, and of course, The University of Texas- was a perfect 68 degrees for the fast couple days that I had the pleasure to visit (and enjoy the absolutely perfect running weather). A few thoughts:

1. Even Runs are Bigger in Texas:

During my time in Austin, I stayed at an Air Bnb that, while lovely, was located further away from downtown than I had expected. Without any affordable modes of transportation, I thought it would be best to explore on foot, running from the Cherrywood Neighborhood west into the City’s Center, then down to the Colorado River, where I looped back up into the City before heading back East. Alltogether, I ran a little over 8 miles, my longest run since announcing my Marathon bid. Austin really is a mix-and-match of disparate cultures, as evidenced by my run, where I encountered the gigantic UT football stadium, the grungiest of dive bars, old fashioned honky tonks, and the fancy, well-polished apartment complexes interspersed between the multitude of skyscrapers cropping up downtown.

[The Texas State Capitol building. I’m pretty sure Ted Cruz lives here]

[Guys. What if Anna and I met, fell in love, and moved to Austin? I know that I’m supposed to be pursuing Mindy, but this just feels like fate. Thoughts?]

[Guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughn, guarding the banks of the Colorado River]

[Deal]

2.    Tacos and Tasty Tortas:

-Have you ever been asked what meal you would choose if you had to eat the same meal every day for the rest of my life? For me, it would probably be the delicious soft tacos that can be found on pretty much every corner throughout the City.  For this trip however, I largely bypassed those stellar tacos to eat a Pulled Pork Torta at Haymaker, found in East Austin. I almost didn’t visit Haymaker because it was described to me as a sports bar (yes I know, I know). But- when I arrived, I realized that they meant the Austin version of a sports bar, which was basically any other hip, trendy Austin bar complete with dozens of tasty microbrews… but with a few TVs thrown in for good measure.

-Let me tell you about this torta- not only was it full of tasty pulled pork (BBQ is also a specialty of Austin, because… Texas), but it also contained two of my favorite words of all time: Fried. Plantains. Needless to say, if you ever find yourself down in The Live Musical Capital of the World, there are worse places to go eat a sandwich with some fancy-made small batch brew that my mother would probably hate (love you mom!). For the record- I had a Blue Owl Professor Black, which is a Sour Cherry Stout, and it was incredible.

[See- sports...?]

3.  A City for us Movie & Music Snobs

On another day, I would’ve loved to explore the abundant and immersive live music scene. Alas, at this point on the trail I was getting pretty beat, and after a full day of interviewing and running (not to mention the 3:30 wake up I had the next morning), I decided instead to catch up on the season’s noteworth movies at the Alamo Draft House.  ADH was founded in Austin in 1997, where its then-novel approach of adding a dinner and drink menu during the movies set it apart from the other theaters in the city. Since then, the theater chain has expanded to over 20 sites in 8 states, where it screens mainstream fare with films from the classic, independent, cult, and bizarre scenes. (They also HATE it when you text while the movie is showing). Oh, and in case you were wondering, I saw the movie Moonlight, which is definitely a contender for my favorite movie of the year. Ask me about it!

[Best Picture 2017? Maybe!]

Clearly, I was feeling pretty sad leaving Austin so soon after getting there. It is a unique, special city, one that I hope that I will return to soon, regardless of how the Match goes. Thanks again all you weirdos in Austin!

Onward & Upward,

galen.

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States 5 & 6: Flying Pigs, the Godfather of Soul, and just enough of Kentucky in the Queen City

[Rainy Cincinnati, as seen from the Purple People Eater Bridge]

Happy December from the Interview Trail!

One of my favorite parts of this often exhausting journey interviewing for residency positions throughout the country is the opportunity to explore cities I’ve never spent time in (or have really not given any thought to, in all honesty). This week brought me to Cincinnati, Ohio- the Queen City. During my couple days in Cincy, I discovered a richness of tradition, culture, and beauty housed in this friendly, humble Midwestern City. A few thoughts:

1. Nicknames:

-Cincy’s nickname of “The Queen City” derives from a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, where the city was referred to as “The Queen of the West.” In the mid 19th century, Cincy was the largest Western city.

-Perhaps more interestingly, Cincy was also referred to as “Porkopolis” due to its history as a major pork processor and exporter. Over time, the icon of the pig became part of the City’s identity, eventually evolving into “The Flying Pig”. Now, the image of The Flying Pig can be found allover the city, and is the name of the annual Marathon that occurs every May in the City.

2. Food in Porkopolis:

- Sadly, I did not actually eat any pork during my time in Cincinnati (on my to-do list for next time!). However, I do want to highlight two places in particular.

- Most importantly, I was able to enjoy a quality Cincinnati donut. However, this was no ordinary donut- this glazed donut was cut in half, sandwiched between a helping of cheddar cheese, and grilled unto perfection. At Tom+Chee, a grilled cheese & tomato soup shop that started in Cincinnati but has now expanded throughout the region, they have expanded the definition of grilled cheese to incorporate just about every culinary desire. This includes 9 different types of grilled cheese donuts, including options with Brie & blueberry, or peanut butter and banana!

[I ate that. It was incredible]

- To wash down that grilled cheese donut, I also had the pleasure of accompanying my old Boston friend Katie and her wife Julia to the brand new Woodbury Brewery Taproom, located in the East Walnut Hills neighborhood. While I would’ve loved to have sampled all of their excellent brews, I settled upon their Cedar IPA, a crisp and delicious offering. Of note, this is clearly a place unencumbered by creative spirit- on the day I was there, they had a Cranberry Coffee Blonde Ale named... Han Solo (because- why not?)

(Lastly, I wanted to say that no, I did not have any Cincinnati Chili in Cincinnati, despite the fact that I love Cincinnati Chili. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I will gladly make you my mother’s fantastic recipe sometime- which in my opinion outshines Skyline Chili any day of the week. Love ya mom!!)

3. The Run:

So, I haven’t had the best of luck with weather on my trips thus far, and unfortunately my run in Cincinnati was wet- so wet that I returned back to my hotel with soggy socks and an almost water-logged iPhone (oops). However, despite the rain, I was able to see not only much of Cincy but also the banks of Kentucky(!) which apparently sit directly across the city limits, separated by the Ohio River. I ran over The Roebling Suspension Bridge, through the banks of Newport, Kentucky (which, yes, I ran for over a mile, so am checking off as another state I’ve run through), and back to Ohio over the Purple People Bridge, a half mile long pedestrian bridge that is, yes, quite purple indeed.

[The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, leading me to Kentucky]

[The Purple People Bridge. I clearly didn’t take this picture, because it was not that bright out when I ran]

[The Great American Ballpark, home of the Cincinnati Reds]

4. James Brown:

Unfortunately, the rain hampered most of my efforts to properly explore the City, although I stubbornly decided to brave the elements and walk through Over the Rhine, a neighborhood in the center of the City which has overcome a recent history of crime and tumult to emerge as one of Cincinnati’s cultural pearls, full of charming shops, tasty restaurants, and intriguing bars. I walked the entirety of the shopping district in the pouring rain to check out a recently erected mural of the late great James Brown, who was signed to Cincinnati’s King Records during the 1960′s, where he produced some of his biggest hits. 

[The Godfather of Soul! Even in a downpour, this mural shines]

As you can see, even without paying homage to the Skyline Chili or the Cincinnati Zoo (another missed opportunity!), Cincinnati has an abundance of life to offer everyone, including us snobby New England elite, who often mistake the Midwest as Flyover Country. Thank you Katie & Julia for introducing me to The Woodburn, and thank you Ohio and Kentucky for a great week!

Onward & Upward,

galen.

[pgsweetdee-blog]

State #4: No Harm in Charm City

[Your new best friend]

Hello again!

I hope this post finds you well-fed after the greatest holiday of the year (Sorry Christmas, I’d take a bounty of pies over presents any day). 

I’m going to keep this post fairly brief, because unfortunately, I did not have much time to spend in Maryland last week, partly due to my wish to avoid terrible Thanksgiving traffic on the I-95 corridor. However, I was able to spend the better part of a summer in Baltimore a couple years ago, so I do want to give Baltimore its due. But first:

1. The Run

In 2014, I lived on the undergraduate Johns Hopkins campus for a few weeks, where I stumbled upon this excellent run, coursing through the campus, into the surrounding neighborhood, and onto Druid Hill Park, where I ran the Jones Fall Trails to the Druid Hill Reservoir, one of my favorite spots in the city. For nostalgia sake, I re-ran the 5 mile course, running past the Stiff Silver building (makers of sterling silver), and jogging by the statue of William Wallace, who of all people oversees the reservoir.

[Oh, it’s just Scottish hero William Wallace, chilling in Baltimore for some reason]

2. Bergers Cookies

Listen. If you haven’t had one of Baltimore’s famed Bergers Cookies, you might want to consider a trip to this underrated city posthaste. Okay, so yes, it’s basically a shortcake cookie with a heaping glob of fudge on top of it. No, it’s not all that sophisticated. But, despite their dense simplicity, the Berger (we’re on first name basis) is a carbohydrate blob of delicious perfection. The slogan for Bergers is that it is “The Anytime Cookie,” which means I am now allowed to develop diabetes anytime. Thanks Bergers!

[Yes, they don’t look super-appetizing in this picture. And yes, you won’t be able to fit into your interview outfit after eating them. But yes, they are worth it. Trust me]

3. A Few Reasons why Baltimore Rocks

So, as I mentioned, I really wasn’t in Baltimore, or Maryland for that matter, for long. But having spent some time here in the past, I wanted to inform you, trusty reader, of why Baltimore is so much more than Homicide (both on TV and in real life) and The Wire:

-  Favorite neighborhood: Hampden- this quirky neighborhood in northern Baltimore is home to The Charmery (incredible ice cream), Golden West Cafe (Vegetarian comfort food), and well-named Mexican establishment Holy Frijoles (which is sadly currently closed from a fire earlier this year).

- Favorite museum: American Visionary Art Museum- This place is fairly unclassifiable, and like much of Baltimore, is better understood in person than on the page. Suffice it to say, there’s no place quite like the AVAM, which features collections by artists well outside the mainstream art world. 

[This place is weird and wacky and wonderful]

- Best Part of the Inner Harbor: National Aquarium. I’m a sucker for zoos and aquariums, but the National Aquarium is truly one of our country’s greatest, with a focus on conservation, research, and education.

[Stringer Bell who?]

While this blog post is unlikely to sway anyone’s minds on the City of Baltimore, I hope that if you ever find yourself in the area, you give this quirky, unclassifiable city a chance. At the very least, buy yourself (and me) a box of Berger’s.

Onward & Upward,

galen.

[pgsweetdee-blog]

State #3: It’s Pretty Windy in Philadelphia

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have just finished a block of hospital-based medicine (in the Emergency Department), so my interview schedule is really starting to pick up. Over the next two months I’ll be traveling to a new state almost every week. Right before the holiday, I was able to head down to Philadelphia to catch up with friends, go on a blustery run, and eat a Philly standard:

1. The Run

So, as the title above suggests, my run in Philly was... blustery. While the wind was on my back as I ran down toward the Schuylkill River, it was very much in my face as I ran back uphill into West Philly. 

[In Philly, it’s pronounced “Skoo-Kull.” Yeah, I don’t understand it either]

[The Philadelphia Museum of Art, resisting the urge to be blown away]

2. The Food:

[Hoagies as big as your head]

Sadly, no doughnuts this time. Instead, I was introduced to Koch’s Deli, a Philly institution that has served University City with the tastiest deli meats and sandwiches for 50 years. I had an Italian Hoagie (Philadelphian for Sub), that was definitely worth the wait. While we had to hang out in the deli for a little while, it was hands down my favorite deli experience, as deli owner Ezra Haim joked and jostled with Philadelphians coming in for a sandwich before the Eagles game, all while handing out free samples of meats to his patient customers. Here’s a great interview with Haim, which also offers a nice history of this institution: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/the_spot/Kochs-Deli-West-Philadelphia.html

3. Medical Odditiies!

In 1787, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia was founded near the center of the city, becoming one of the first professional medical organizations in the country. One of their members, the surgeon Thomas Mutter, donated his substantial collection of medical specimens in 1858 with the stipulation that the College used the donation to further improve and reform medical education by hiring a curator, expanding the collection, and hiring lecturers to visit the museum. Today, The Mutter Museum boasts a collection of over 20,000 specimens, including slides of Albert Einstein’s brain, a tumor that was found in the jaw of President Grover Cleveland, the tallest skeleton in North America, and wax models, skeletal specimens, and preserved organs of most medical maladies discovered by physicians over the decades. 

[Maybe someday you’ll be featured here!]

Clearly, as a future physician, I found this place fascinating, although it is a tough place to take in all at once, as the number of impaled skulls, diseased colons, and especially fetuses preserved in jars (including several collection of preserved conjoined twins), proved to be overwhelming in time. Regardless, this museum is a Philadelphia gem that I think everyone, but especially those in the medical profession, should check out when they pass through the City of Brotherly Love. (Also- it’s the only place you can buy a iheartguts Mega Colon!)

4. The People: Philly HOP rocks!

While in Philadelphia, I was able to stay with and spend time with my friends Kyle and Carly, who make up part of the Philadelphia team of Hole in the Wall Gang’s Hospital Outreach Program (HOP). Before I went to medical school, I was also part of HOP in the city of Boston, where I had the distinct pleasure of bringing the activities, relationships, and fun of camp into the hospitals, both for kids who couldn’t come to camp, as well as to provide an immediate, 12-months-of-the-year camp experience to the campers and families that camp seeks to serve. Because while camp is awesome, most kids only get to experience the physical campus for one week a year. With the HOP program, whenever kids return to their home medical institution for a check-up, to receive chemo, or for an inpatient stay, representatives of camp will be there to hang out, to remind them of their time at camp, and to make their hospital stay slightly more tolerable by introducing Monopoly Deal tournaments, duct tape creations, stop motion video workshops, and music production into clinics and claustrophobic hospital rooms. Now, almost 15 years into the history of HOP, camp can be found in dozens of hospitals from Boston and Providence all the way down to Philadelphia, with center in Connecticut, NYC, and New Jersey in between. While these hospital outreach specialists do amazing work building bonds with sick children and their families enduring long hospital stays, their programming can only exist through the generosity of donors such as yourself. Please think about giving to my Marathon fund to raise money for The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp here: https://www.crowdrise.com/galen-hitwboston2017

Thanks again for your generosity, and thanks to Kyle and Carly for showing me around your awesome city!

Until next time,

galen.

[pgsweetdee-blog]

State #2: Virginia is for Brothers

Greetings from the Interview Trail!

Last week, I had the pleasure of bringing my brother Nate along with me down to Richmond, Virginia in order to help me maintain my sanity amidst the craziness of driving almost 1000 miles on I-95 over the course of 36 hours. Nate is 10 years younger than me, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at us- if anything, I look like the younger of the two. As a result, when I brought him along to my pre-interview dinner, the other applicants and residents treated him like any other residency applicant... which was pretty funny to watch- He did do a good job blending in!

[^^^this is Nate. We’re related.]

A few things of note:

#1 The Run:

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see as much of Richmond as I would’ve liked (we were in and out within 24 hours), but I did get a fantastic run in. Richmond is sometimes known as “The River City,” and as I ran down to the James River, it’s not hard to see why. Richmond has a fantastic collection of trails and parks around the river, including this incredible pedestrian suspension bridge that hangs underneath the Robert E. Lee (did I mention I was in Virginia?) Memorial Bridge. However- as I was “researching” runs to go on, I had no idea that the pedestrian bridge existed... so I may have run over the bridge properly, which more or less felt like running on the side of a highway (Hope you’re not reading this mom & dad!) Thankfully, I eventually found my bearings, ran over beautiful Belle’s Island, down the pedestrian bridge, and through Shockoe Bottom, one of the trendy downtown districts. 

[The suspension bridge, which I ran, hanging underneath the major throughway, which I also ran. Oops!]

[The River City!]

#2 The Food (well, the Donuts):

I can’t believe it’s been 4 posts and I’m only admitting this now, but for anyone who remotely knows me, you know I love donuts. Thankfully, while I was interviewing, Nate successfully completed his most important mission- he found some of the tastiest donuts in Virginia at Sugar Shack Donuts. Please vicariously enjoy the following picture of some delicious donuts that we ate:

[We may have eaten all of those.}

#3 The Trolley:

Nate and I had the absolute pleasure of getting a tour of the city via The Richmond Trolley Company. 

[This is a trolley]

While Nate and I learned much about the history of the city, the state of Virginia, and the various people and institutions that call Richmond home, the most enjoyable part of our tour was listening to the various non-sequiturs that our tour guide Emily, a spry 70-something old Richmond native, threw out during the tour. Did you know that Emily’s high-school friend finally got out of her terrible marriage, and later commemorated the occasion by painting her house pink? Well, now we all know. Thanks Emily!

Also, Emily introduced us to this truly disturbing statue of Arthur Ashe:

[don’t beat those kids, Arthur!]

Thanks Emily!

(Also, here’s a fun article of someone defending this terrible statue. But, trusty reader, we both know that thing is terrifying: http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/article_106d9d3c-a546-11e3-b09b-0017a43b2370.html)

#4: Pics of Street Art courtesy of Nate!

If you’re ever driving down I-95, I highly recommend stopping in Richmond, because while it may not have some of the national renown of some other East Coast cities, it does contain a lot of charm and vibrancy- which makes sense for a city that blends together an abundance of colonial history with the feel of a big college town. Below are some awesome examples of street art that Nate found while I was all suited up (Thanks again Nate!):

Well, that’s all I’ve got. Thanks again to Nate for keeping me company, and thanks to the City of Richmond for being another secretly cool city!

Lastly, just as a reminder, please consider donating to my Marathon fund to raise money for The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. Thanks so much! 

https://www.crowdrise.com/galen-hitwboston2017/fundraiser/galendidomizio

Onwards & Upwards,

galen.

[pgsweetdee-blog]

State #1: Indiana

[A brief note about these “State” posts- while I intend to document the states that I will be traveling in this fall/winter, I won’t be commenting on the residency programs  themselves, both for the obvious reasons (Anyone can see this blog!), but also because I want to be sensitive about the experience of other residency applicants seeing where I am interviewing. In fact, while most of these state posts will correlate with a specific program that I am interviewing at, some of them will be simply “drive through posts” of states that I have had the pleasure of traveling through to reach another destination. Okay, tangent done!]

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting Indianapolis, Indiana. To be honest, I had not thought much of this city before I visited for a couple days- while I have visited Indiana many times before (big shout out to the Mills & Wertz clans!), I have spent very little time in its capital city. As a result, I was pleasantly surprised by the abundance of culture, natural beauty, and of course places to run, even if I ended up running during a substantial rainstorm. A couple things of note:

1. Best Nickname: “The Circle City.” Isn’t that fun? Here’s a great summary of why Indianapolis has that distinct moniker (http://indianapolis-indiana.funcityfinder.com/2009/05/13/circle-city/), while here is my picture of the central Monument that the rest of the city is based around:

2. Biggest Surprise: Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library. Coming to Indy, one of my most pressing concerns was, “Does Indy have the capacity to ever get weird?” Well, it so happens that Indianapolis is the home of one of my favorite authors, noted literary weirdo Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Indy also houses the Vonnegut Memorial Library, which serves a variety of purposes, including the opposition of banning books (they’ve offered Missouri high school students free copies of Slaughterhouse Five after their school banned it, telling the students “We’re not telling you to like the book... we just want you to read it and decide for yourself.”) It seems like the spirit of Vonnegut remains alive in the humble Midwest.

3. Best Food: Bru Burger Bar. Admittedly, I didn’t have much time to check out the local cuisine, but if you’re looking for a solid Indiana burger, I can’t imagine you can do much better than at this busy but hospitable establishment (In case you’re wondering, I had the Mexicali BBQ Burger. It was a very good decision) http://www.bruburgerbar.com/indianapolis/

4. Running! Oh right, I did some of that. Like I mentioned above, I did run in the middle of a pretty heavy storm, but it was still a beautiful run, as I jogged through downtown Indy, up and down the White River, including right past the Indy Zoo! Here’s proof:

And here’s what running in rainy Indy looks like:

5. Apologies: Lastly, I wanted to offer apologies to the following people for callously not even bothering to let you know I was in your city: Bill Mills, Michelle Fones Fall, Larissa Smith, James Creighton. My bad. Love you guys!

Well, that’s State #1 in the books. Thanks Indiana for a great trip!

Onward and Upward,

g.

[pgsweetdee-blog]

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

Hello Internet!

My name is Galen: I am a 29 year old who enjoys eating fruit pies, wearing flannel, watching old movies, and spending time with my younger siblings. I am also in my very last year of medical school; I graduate on May 14th, 2017, which happens to be the day before my 30th birthday. These are sorta-scary times for me, as these changes signify true adulthood and responsibility in a way that I could deny as a 20-something-old student eating strawberry rhubarb pies by the slice. 

It’s also an exciting time, because I’m currently in the process of figuring out where I will complete my residency in pediatric medicine. I’ll write about residency in a later post, but for those who haven’t seen an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, it’s basically the process where medical students take all the knowledge they crammed in their brains during four years of school, and learn how to apply it as an independently practicing doctor- with the help of a whole hospital program behind them. Needless to say, I have some big decisions to make over the next few months. 

However, while other 4th year medical students take the last year of school, which tends to be a little less stressful than the other three years, to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of their labor... I have decided to train for my first marathon. And not any marathon, but the Boston Marathon, one of the most prestigious and popular marathons in the country. “Why don’t you just take a break and eat some pie, Galen?” you might be asking me. Well, to make a long story slightly less long, when I was 10 years old, my 8-year-old sister Breezy was diagnosed with cancer of the blood, and we both ended up attending The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a summer camp program in Northeast Connecticut for children like my sister, who have a chronic medical disease, as well as for their family members. 

I’d like to write more about my family, and particularly my sister, at a later time, but for now, I’ll try to keep it brief. Breezy and I both attended camp in 1997; But by the summer of 1998, leukemia had claimed my sister’s life. In my confusion and grief I returned to camp that summer, and the summer after that, and after that again, where I was so fortunate to receive love and attention from some truly amazing human beings. By the time I aged out of the program as a teenager, I had begun to embrace the desire to spread the magic of camp to my younger peers. That desire ultimately transformed into a much larger passion for caring for sick children and their families. Now, 20 years after attending camp for the first time, I will soon be graduating medical school, and starting my career as a pediatrician. 

As you can probably already tell, I tend to do a lot of internal reflection. I’ve thought a lot about this journey I’ve been on, the many bumps I’ve endured (spoiler alert: med school is hard), and my goals as a future doctor, as a Christian, as a person with so much to be thankful for. And one of those goals is to give back to the people and institutions that have helped shaped the person I’ve become. I hold Hole in the Wall so dear to my heart: It is an escape for ill children, a retreat for entire families, a solace for grieving siblings. It travels into hospitals to remind acutely sick kids of the joy still available to them. It follows teenagers into the woods where they can learn to be independent, strong adults. It follows adults into the cities where they can continue to have a community that understands who they are without asking any obnoxious questions. It is largely the reason that I will soon have an M and a D after my name, which is pretty damn cool.

So, yes. I am going to run 26 miles and change this April, and I am going to raise enough money to bring 3 kids to camp this summer, so that while I am getting my butt kicked as an intern in July, they will be eating dino chicken nuggets, and catching bass, and riding horses, and singing at the top of their lungs. 

This is my mission. But I’m going to need your help. Because I’m a graduate student with five years of hefty student loans wrapped around my waist. If you live in Boston or New Haven, I plan on bringing you some super-fun fundraising events this winter. If you’re a Quinnipiac Graduate Student, I have some plans for you as well. But if you’re feeling extra generous, or you don’t live in New England, I would encourage you to give through this site: 

https://www.crowdrise.com/galen-hitwboston2017/fundraiser/galendidomizio . 

And while you can give in one lump sum, I would also challenge you to play a game with me. This fall and winter, I am traveling all over the country to find the pediatric residency program that will be the best fit for me and my goals as a pediatrician. As of right now, I am scheduled to travel to or through between 15-20 states. So, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can also pledge to donate money for every state that I complete a run over one mile in length. These runs will all be documented in this blog, and I will keep my progress updated over the season. Think about it- Every cent of your donation goes toward bringing fun and life to chronically ill kiddos and their deserving families. 

Well, that’s plenty of information for now. I’m excited to kick off this journey with you all! Thanks for taking the time to read along, and thank you in advance for supporting the campers at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp!

Cheers!

galen.