Tonight was Marshall’s “Hail and Farewell” (graduation-type) shin-dig.  They hail the incoming interns, and say farewell to those finishing residency.  He’s now, for all intents and purposes, a “real” doctor!  Here’s the proof:

**For those of you who don’t know how the whole medical system works, you get accepted to med school where for 4 years you are a student…half of that time is spent in a classroom, the other 2 years are spent shadowing attendings and residents.  Once you graduate from medical school, you are a resident.  The first year of residency is called an internship.  You are an intern, the lowest of low…except, of course, for the medical students.  After intern year, depending on your specialty, you spend 2 to 4 more years being a resident.  Still learning, but gaining more and more independance.  Then you finish your residency and become a “real” doctor.  Unless you want to specialize even more…then you go on to a fellowship and spend even more time watching, doing, learning, and not sleeping.  Marshall, THANK GOODNESS, is not going any further. **

So…tonight we were able to reflect on the past few years, and see Marshall in his acting debut. (If I can get the footage from Hiral, I’ll post it…it’s funny!) 

We saw the “whole gang”.  These people, the graduating class of 2008, could be in charge of your child’s healthcare:

So…thanks to all the many of you who have prayed for us, loved us, helped us, and encouraged us during this journey.  It’s been long, and we’ve changed quite a bit since we started this med school journey back in 2001.  We’ve had 2 dogs, 2 children, 2 houses, 4 different cars, 8 different jobs, 2 family deaths, 1 miscarriage, and a partridge in a pear tree.  Eventhough it’s been long, it’s been fun…don’t we still look happy?

                                             2001                                                        2008