To What Comes Next

 Many of you who read my posts and or follow my journeys on social media have asked me the million dollar question: WHAT COMES NEXT? 

I announced today news I have known for a few weeks now (but wanted to officially complete paperwork before I said anything): I have accepted an Annual Medicare Wellness Provider position with the clinic that will begin this fall. It is of course, contingent on me completing the remaining 2 months of school, 9 remaining weeks of clinical and passing my board certification.  I cannot believe how close I am to completing a 28 month long degree program, and a decade or more long dream of mine to become a nurse practitioner. 

While I am ecstatic to accept a position, most who know me well wonder if this is the final goal? I will be transitioning to working with elderly clients after 4+ years working with children and families. I have many answers for you. I LOVE my work with children. I also, surprisingly to me, love my work in family medicine clinical with children and adults of all ages. I love preventative medicine, disease management and patient education-all things that I am thrilled to do more of in my first role as an NP. I also know not only is this an opportunity to stay with an employer I know and trust, but also an opportunity to grow into my provider role and learn more from the crew in family medicine-a team I thoroughly enjoy. A side note: my commute will be cut in half as I will be placed in Albany after years of driving to Corvallis. YAY! And...I will embrace a full time role again for the first time in 3 years, but at 4.5 days a week allowing some flexibility for my family. 

BUT WAIT, what about kids? What about psych? My passion is teens. My co-passion is mental health. This role is indeed a far cry from that. In 2 weeks I will begin my FINAL clinical rotation in pediatric psychiatry. I hope it will shed some light on what my next steps will be. If I hate it, I will pursue this new role with gusto and perhaps land in family medicine down the road. If I love it, that complicates things. I will still devote myself to this new role, but maybe in a few years will head back to school (UGH I know, I know) and dual certify in psychiatry. It is 1.5-2 years more of training to add on this certification that would allow me to function in mental health as well as primary care, maybe one day creating the role I dream of: integrating the two. I will decide this in the weeks, months and years to come. I am tired. I am spent. I need a break, but I also know that if I continue to light up at psych this will be the next (and hopefully final) step eventually. My employer knows I may seek this in the future. This is no secret. I will be an even bigger asset someday if I do this, as psych is much needed, but I cannot put a timeline on this. I can't say in 5 years when my kids have both graduated as it may be in 2 if I go on. It may be 10. It may be never if I fall in love with this role or others to come after. It is an unknown at this point. 

For now, I am so happy to have come so far, and am super excited to embrace what's next.