Decisions, decisions

I've recently recieved my application for re-employment at the esteemed hospital for which I work and it's got me thinking about when exactly it is that I want to apply for the anaesthetic training program. Well to be honest, it's a combination of that and my cousin whispering in my ear that perhaps I should apply for next year. What's been stopping me is this: I'm keen to do a little travel before I start a training program and I kind of had my heart on doing a further nine months as a resident doing jobs that will provide me with experience but not necessarily add a great deal to my application when I get around to it, and then do South America for three months. Of course I'd apply for the program next year for the 2009 intake and come back for that with travel out of my system...for a while anyway. (The original-original plan was to move back to New Zealand and start my training there but that's taken a huge backseat given recent xperiences...a story perhaps for another time). So I suppose the pros are: 1) I get to travel, 2) I have a bit more experience (life and work) and 3) I don't yet feel ready to take on the responsibility of being a registrar, albeit a junior one. I think the major con here is that I'm delaying the inevitable and perhaps also I should give myself a little more credit as to my knowledge base.

Now the alternative is this: I apply for the program, get on it and start next year, sit for exams around mid 2009 and then travel after that (this time perhaps for four to six months). The pros for this are singular: I get started. (There are subsets of pros within this, in short being I'm 28 and the sooner I get on with life in general the better). I do feel that there are a couple of cons though, with these being: 1) Like I said, I don't feel "ready," 2) I'm not sure I necessarily want to be in Perth for the next 5 years (though again this can be negotiated), and 3) I want to travel some. Even in my head these are pretty soft cons, but they're cons none-the-less and I don't want to regret this decision. I guess I can still "holiday" while I'm on the program but it's not quite the same. I think, for today at least, I'm leaning towards this alternative but there is still some serious thinking to be done and some talking with various anaesthetic types. In the meantime, if anyone who had decided to read these entries has an opinion, I'd love to hear it.

On a lighter note. If I do decided to start the program next year, I've started picking out possible holiday destinations to break up the daily grind. The first is a weeks dive holiday in Sipadan followed by a week in Borneo. (A certain someone has been in my ear about this spot for a little while so thought I'd check it out and it turns out that they've been whispering for good reason). The second is the usual New Zealand holiday to see the north of the South Island. The third really is anywhere else. This is the exciting part of choosing the more dull alternative.