Half Moon Bay and Doctors' Appreciation Day

The Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay

I must admit: I am both excited and nervous about the idea of going to Med School.
 
I'm excited about the opportunity to start over and learn something new, yet I am also nervous about the big change that we will be experiencing...soon. I have thoroughly enjoyed my vacations and travels in the last 10+ years of my non-medical career. That will have to be put on hold...for at least 10 years.

Just this year, we traveled to California and spent some time in our newly-discovered destination, Half Moon Bay, before heading over to busy San Francisco for my husband's business trip. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay, courtesy of my Marriott Rewards points accumulated during my grueling business trips (I don't think we'd ever want to spend $800 USD per night, even if/when my husband and I were to become practicing MDs one day).

The View from Our Room at Sunset

I do pray that we will have the time and resources to fly back to California and spend our remaining rewards at this same property, just before we embark on our long journey into Med School (most especially since we have to redeem the rewards within a year's time--how I wish they could extend it for another 5 years).

The View from Our Room During the Day

I could only wish and pray.

I have heard the sentiments of the wives of many med students, residents, and doctors wishing that they had the time to go on vacation, let alone spend some quality time with their spouse. Reading their blogs gives me a serious dose of reality while preparing me for what lies ahead.

With that said, I wonder if there's such a thing as "Doctors' Appreciation Day" or Healthcare Providers' Appreciation Day (just like Military Appreciation Day), where we get to honor not just the Provider but that Provider's spouse/significant other and/or children as well. While our military servicemembers and their families are sacrificing their lives for the defense of our nation, our Healthcare Providers and their families are also sacrificing their lives to save ours and to keep our families and loved ones together.

We need to start appreciating more while judging less--better yet, not judging at all.

Update:

Just did a quick Google search (after the Infant and I finally got some shut-eye) and found out that there is such a thing as National Doctors' Day when we can show our doctors and mid-level providers (MLPs) that we are grateful to have them.

Doctors' Day observances date back to March 30, 1933. It was started by Eudora Brown Almond of Winder, Ga. The day marks the anniversary of the first use of general anesthesia in surgery. The first National Doctor's Day was celebrated in 1991.

On March 30, 1958, the United States House of Representatives adopted a resolution commemorating Doctors' Day. In 1990, the congress and the senate approved legislation establishing National Doctors Day. The resolution designating March 30 as National Doctors' Day was signed by President George Bush.

Source: Holiday Insights
 
You can read more about its history at doctorsday.org.

Kudos to Kittitas Valley Community Hospital and Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System as they recognize not just MDs but also MLPs on National Doctors' Day!

Because I am married to an MLP, I don't have to wait until March 30th each year to celebrate it (he didn't even know that MLPs were also being recognized on such a day). I have the opportunity to show him that I appreciate him every day--regardless if we may not have much time and that he works up to 16 hours most days (like today).

Our relationship never did start out with the luxury of time or those fancy, expensive dates (or even a movie date--to date, we've only had one or two, i.e. The Avengers and Act of Valor). Instead, we learned to be creative by finding ways to show each other how much we love and care--whether it's through sticking post-it love notes all over the house or in my car (him), delivering food to the ER where he works (me), staying up past midnight just to make sure I had dinner and had gotten home safely after a midnight shift despite the fact that he had to work a 13 to 16-hour shift the next day (him), making sure I had my favorite frappuccino each time he picked me up from work even if I had my own car (and he had to go back to work) and could certainly buy my own Starbucks cup downstairs (him), making breakfast for me every morning even if he had to get up super early for work and come back home late at night (him), and so much more. He is an amazing man! He does more than I could ever do for him and all he needs is for me to love and appreciate him every day.

I am super blessed and I love my MLP! I hope that we can both keep this up long after we both finish Med School.