Interview Update #2

So I return to TO Wednesday Jan. 12 at 11 pm...and the saga continues the next day.

Thursday morning woke up at 6:30. Got to the airport at 8 am for my 9 am flight. And it's cancelled. My neuro interview is at 1 pm (so I thought. That's what my email said...I checked when I got back to TO on Friday). I call the office and tell them teh situation. No planes are landing in Ottawa b/c of thick fog (bloody fog). Also, the equipment that guides planes in the fog to land was hit by lightening at 5 am in Ottawa. The 6 am flight flew to Ottawa, circled for 40 minutes, went to Montreal for fuel, came back to Ottawa, circled some more and returned back to Toronto. When I get to the airport there are 200+ people on the list for stand by for the 10 am flight that might not leave. I tell them I will pay first class but I have to get to Ottawa for an interview. Another worker heard me say that and showed the lady who was handling my flight how to get me a confirmed seat on the 10 am. Air Canada was fabulous. All for $78 one way. No extra charge.

Get to the boarding gate, call Ottawa and leave a message. See my friend Irene, who was in London the night before at the gate, panicked. Her Wednesday evening flight from London to Ottawa was cancelled b/c of fog in London. She got to TO airport at 6:50 am for her 7 am flight to Ottawa which was cancelled. SHe too has an interview in Ottawa on Thursday. Anyhow, she's still on standby so I tell her to go and tell them about the interview and she got a confirmed seat. We decided that if the 10 am flight would not leave, then I would get my car and drive like maniacs to Ottawa.

Anyhow, the 10 am flight does leave (at 10:40). When I call Ottawa again from the plane, they tell me my interview is at 12 pm NOT 1 pm (bloody idiot made a mistake in my email). I land in Ottawa in 11:30. Takes 10 minutes to get out of the plane. Got the cab driver to drive like mad. I arrive at the interview place at 11:58!!! The program director sees me (I worked with him for 3 weeks in Ottawa) and says, "Oh you made it! I told Heather (the secretary) to tell you not to worry about it. I don't need you interviewed. I know you really well!" Stupid bitch could have told me and I would not be so stressed out.

Anyhow, another staff person interviews me and tells me that she's heard fabulous things about me. I loved her style. Complete conversation (an hour long) but she also was able to get me to talk about my CV in detail. The program director meets with me next and implies that I am high on their list.

I was staying at my friend Irene's place that night. Irene's father works at the children's hospital next door so he picks me up and takes me home. Their parents want to take me to China Town for dinner but I had a late lunch so I decline (I felt bad, they were so insistent. Next time I'm in Ottawa I'll stay with them and go out with them). Her mom has a room for me, with my own bathroom. Tiny soaps in the bathroom (just like a hotel). Irene has to go to a Family Medicine Dinner so her parents drop me off at the Internal Medicine pub night even though I tell them I'd take a cab.

Get to the pub night. Free food again. Dinner paid for this time. I spill my coke on the table and thankfully not on anybody. Irene comes for the Internal Medicine night and a little while later we go back to her place and crash.

I wake up at 6:20 am to get ready. Her father has breakfast ready for me (nicest family I've met). Drops me off at the hospital for my internal interview. Get there at 815 am and my interview is at 9 am. Two interviews, half hour each. One faculty member (hard to read her so not sure how I did but others had the same comment about her). One resident (this one went better I think). They do a presentation at lunch and give us sandwiches for lunch. I accidently ate a bite from a ham one thinking it was tuna...nasty shit.

Irene's interview is from 1:30 to 2:30 so I have to wait around a bit. I get my period at lunch time, 2 weeks early. Thank god for a pharmacy at the hospital. Of course, as I am leaving I put the bag of "feminine products" down to put on my coat and forget it there.

Irene's dad drops me off at the airport and then Irene at the train station. Get home around 7 pm and crash.