Welcome to my Baker City blog!

For my Rural Community Health Clerkship, I will head to Baker City in eastern Oregon tomorrow morning. This journey will take me the farthest east I've yet been in Oregon. The drive: 308 miles, 5 hours (likely more with all the snow). I'm looking forward to this rural immersion experience for several reasons, most notably because I'm interested in family medicine and am strongly considering the rural setting.

Orientation today was great. I loved how Paul McGinnis shared common cop hangouts along 84...not that I'd speed or anything. ;) I spoke with Dr. Schott, who said that I'd be working with him and all the other docs at Eastern Oregon Medical Associates. I've heard that they have a gorgeous office, and Paul told me today that they're following the Patient Centered Medical Home model with care teams consisting of a senior doctor, junior doctor, nurse, and MA. I look forward to seeing the PCMH in action. We've learned much about it these past few years at OHSU. Very cool!

I was sent info about Baker City, local attractions, and info about my apartment. According to the landlord, Gary, I'm staying in a Bed & Breakfast minus the breakfast. Becki also said it's very cute! I'm excited. This will be my first time living alone! It's about time. ;)

Gary said he went to highschool with Dr. Schott, which seems to exemplify the "everyone knows everyone" characteristic of rural areas, an aspect that I look forward to. The community in which I grew up had 4,000 people, so Baker City's 10,000 will be a nice step down from the 2 million Portland metropolitan area.

Tonight I went to Costco and stocked up on food. I'll head east tomorrow morning; Dr. Schott and Mercy (Gary's wife) suggested that I drive during the daylight hours since it's been snowing a lot. Included in the information packet sent to me were several brochures and a Baker City visitor's guide. So many great outdoor activities! I'm really looking forward to snowshoeing and snowboarding with Mike! He's a few hours away in Milton-Freewater. We're surrounded by the Wallawa and Blue Mountains, so there should hopefully be plenty of spots to shoe and board!

I checked out the Baker City events calendar, and some highlights are as follows:

• Every Friday: Historic Baker City sleigh ride and bonfire
• January 12-16: Eagle Cap Extreme Dog Sled Races
• January 23: Robbie Burns Supper
• and several opportunities to go on elk-viewing tours via horse drawn wagon, attend art classes, live music events, art events, and more!

I'm excited to experience life here, and "do what [my doctors] do"...to get a taste of what life is like for these rural docs.

Well, signing off...must finish packing and hit the sack! It's a long drive tomorrow! See you soon, Baker City!