My name is Michelle.
I'm an anesthesiologist in Atlanta, Georgia. Before that, I was an Anesthesia resident at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, and before that, I spent two years as a Pediatrics resident at the Children's Hospital of New York, because like Whitney Houston, I believe that children are our future. The institution where I currently work is a tertiary care community hospital, but be warned that for privacy reasons, all my stories concerning the hospital may have names, places, and identifying features omitted or changed.
Outside of work, in what is known as "real life," I live with my husband Joe (an oculoplastic surgeon) and our three children, Cal, Mack and Nina. I like them just fine.
A long time ago, I used to go to Hunter College High School, an institution for nerds who think they're cool. Then I went to Wellesley College, an institution for women who think they're womyn. I learned a lot from these people, and I try not to forget any of it.
"The Underwear Drawer" is an online journal that I started October 2000 during my second year of medical school, because I felt like the medical education process had sapped every last drop of creative energy from my being. Writing a blog, or an online journal (as they were called at the time) was at least one step up from making elaborate, multi-colored study guides that I would never use again...but a very small step. Unfortunately, what no one ever told me was that after the first year of medical school, no one will ever expect you to know the the Krebs cycle again. So, to all future and present medical students, consider yourself one step ahead.
This site is called "The Underwear Drawer" because that's where I used to hide my journal back when I didn't know any better. Unfortunately, this name also attracts a lot of porn-seeking web surfers. Hello, porn aficionados!
Need more stuff to read? I wrote a book! It's 336 pages long so, you know, well worth the money! The title of my book is "This Won't Hurt a Bit (and Other White Lies)" and it's a memoir about the modern medical education, and the equally modern topic of trying to juggling a medical residency with having a baby. Everyone agrees, you will love it. No attention span for a whole book? I've done some comic strips about med school and residency as well--you may have already seen them floating around the internet. (A more complete list of my press and writings can be found here.)
Still have question marks in your eyes? Check out the FAQs page for some answers. You can also e-mail me, but don't be sad if I don't e-mail back immediately. I love hearing from readers and though I have been historically bad at keeping on top of my correspondence, I am trying hard to be better.
