| Medical School: University of Central Florida | Career Goals: Child Neurology |
| Hometown: Alpine, Utah | Email: cschow@salud.unm.edu |
Why UNM is My Choice for Residency: I really loved the feeling of collegiality I felt while interviewing here. The residents and faculty were very friendly and seemed to spend time together outside of work and generally enjoy each other's company. I have found that to be accurate in my time here and am so grateful to be in this program because of it. I also love New Mexico. I love rock climbing, hiking, and camping. Albuquerque is close to so many great outdoor activities. I'm actually thinking about buying a mountain bike to start that as a new hobby.
Favorite Things About UNM: In addition to the above: The collegiality is great. I feel that the faculty and other residents are invested in me and I appreciate how much time they take to teach. I think the work load is demanding enough to get the kind of experience I need to become a great doctor but still provides a good work-life balance.
Favorite Things About NM: I love access the outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and rock climbing.
I have also loved the food. Mexican food and New Mexican food are my favorite.
Where we lived previously, I didn't know any of my neighbors. The people here are very outgoing. We know all of our neighbors and have made some great friends here already (despite COVID!). Three of our neighbors bought us baby gifts when we had our baby. I have been amazed at how friendly people here are. I wouldn't have thought we would have such great friends in our neighborhood after just three months.
There is plenty to do for families and pets. A lot of it was closed down because of COVID, but there are a lot of family activities and entertainment around. Also, it seems like every other person has a dog here. At dusk, the public golf course next to us becomes a giant dog park. There are also several official dog parks nearby. It has been easy to get out with our dog at the dog park or on hikes.
There is a lot of culture here. Unfortunately, the Balloon Fiesta was cancelled my intern year but we look forward to attending that in the future. I learned about Zozobra, a tradition in Santa Fe, last week and tuned in to watch the live stream. If you have never heard of Zozobra, I recommend reading about it. It was really cool, quirky, and interesting.