I definitely ended up ranking location high. So at the top of my list were all the California programs and the programs that were close to home. Then I decided based on my career choice. I wanted to do fellowship, therefore, I wanted programs that had strong fellowships. And so that's kind of how I made my rank list. I think looking back at it because I'm so grateful to be back in this location, I don't think I would have done it differently.

I think Oakland is best known for the local community and there's a really large sense of community, especially with the Black Lives Matter movement and all of the issues surrounding that. I've seen a lot of public demonstrations, protests, and just a lot of civil activity. You just feel the Oakland spirit everywhere when you're walking around. There's street art, beautiful murals related to this political activity. And it just feels really energizing. There's a charge about the city that just feels really, really strong. 

Additionally, the food scene is a 10 out of 10. There's so much diversity here. For lunch today, I had lunch with my sister and we had Burmese food. I haven't seen so much diversity in food or people or culture in very many places. And so it's just a great place to be.

One piece of advice I would give is to really keep an open mind about the whole process and kind of evaluate every single program. Have the list of things that are most important to you, whether that's cost-of-living, being close to family, or prestige and fellowship opportunities.  

Another big piece of the decision is culture and just the support you get socially. For me, when I was evaluating the programs, I definitely had some programs where I knew I clicked with the residents immediately. And then there were programs where I didn't feel that way at all. And I'm really glad that I listened to my gut about that because I'm sure that there were programs that I kind of gave up fellowship prestige for because I liked the people better.

And ultimately, I decided that the people mattered more to me. And I'm really glad that I made that choice because I would say my co-workers and my boyfriend, I don't and my family, like every other week or so, I really don't see anybody else and my cat. And so it's just kind of like if most of your time is going to be in one place and you're going to see the same people over and over again, like make sure those people are people that you like seeing because you kind of really don't have a choice when you're a resident. And, you know, I think most residents want to give you an honest perspective of their program. And I know that like, you know, I'm not sugar coating anything. There are definitely things that I like and don't like about my program. And I'd be honest about that. And I think just doing the research and reaching out, I think will pay off in the long run.