It was so hard to come back from Livingston. The place is so small that I got to know people from all walks of life, and I made incredible friends. Everybody has personal as well as professional connections with patients. The hospital is a tiny little place, with four ICU beds. Everyone at the hospital supported and respected me, and I felt looked out for. There were so many memorable patients and several that I saw over and over. I saw them get sick, I saw them get better. I was totally integrated into every aspect of their care. Four times a month I did a 24-hour ER shift where I was the only physician in the hospital. I really became comfortable doing everything, clearing c-spines, taking care of heart failure and infants and reading my own x-rays. What’s unique about a WWAMI town is a sense of balance. The doctors love medicine, they’ve chosen Livingston for the diversity of patients and the intimacy they get with people. But the emphasis is on time away from the hospital, which we’re not so good at.