How a hurricane changed my life

I think I was a third year general surgery resident when Hurricane Katrina hit the southern US coast. I lived fairly far away and didn't think much of it though I did feel badly for the people affected by it.

Two of the storm refugees blown up to Chattanooga were Bruce Lynch and Norris Jackson, both residents at a military hospital in Missisippi. Their program was destroyed by the storm. Norris was a couple of years ahead of me, but Bruce was at my level of training. Over the remaining three years, I came to know and respect Bruce greatly. He and his wife were active in their local church. His father was a pastor, as is mine.

When graduation came, he and his family moved to Anchorage, Alaska having been assigned to a military hospital there. He told me there was a group of colorectal surgeons in Anchorage looking for a partner. After looking into it, and discovering that there was a Mennonite church in the area I could attend, I was even more intrigued.

After visiting, I signed a contract with the group there as a part-time surgeon working 4 out of 6 weeks. I am looking forward to having a real job as well as the opportunity to have a significant amount of time off.

I owe a thank you to Hurricane Katrina for sending Bruce Lynch and his family my way. I wouldn't have heard about the job otherwise.