Not too long ago, I was coaching a resident who had been struggling. Over the course of our work together, we unpacked a lot. On the last session, she said something that I will carry forward from here on out. When I asked what she was taking away from our coaching, she told me she had remembered...

Among the casualties of our move was a beautiful glass hourglass that normally sits on my desk. It was a small, beautiful thing, given to me by a friend and doing exactly what it was supposed to do – beautifully measure time. I think it's great comedic timing that the (now shattered) hourglass sh...

When I began telling people I was considering becoming the Founding Program Director of a new family medicine residency in rural Eastern Washington, the responses were not exactly subtle. “Are you nuts?” “Do you need me to say WTF, Tonya?!” And, perhaps most thoughtfully: “This doesn’t seem align...

This week's theme comes straight from Facebook Marketplace. My husband (who is not a social media guy) asked me to list his Kubota skid steer for "69-9." So I did. I had just sold his utility trailer for $2,200, so I entered all the details, uploaded the photos, and hit Publish. Within seconds, s...

It’s at the crossroads—between opportunity and discernment—that purpose gets tested. - A resident deciding between a desired fellowship and staying in a community they love that may not utilize that training. - A faculty member torn between taking on a leadership role or focusing their energy on ...

Many of you have heard me tell how being a great wife landed me in Alaska from Florida in 2007. It has been a fantastic decision. I don't often talk about the fears I had. I worried about moving an 8th grader away from good friends and the sunny beach to an unknown, cold, dark place (the story of...