Heya!

I'm Ben.  I love adventure.  Nothing quite more adventurous than a career in EM.  Before medical school, I worked as a downhill mountain biking tour-guide in Bolivia for 6 months.  I've lived in the islands of the Caribbean, inner-city Detroit, rural North Carolina, the mountains of Colorado, and several other places in between.  Landed in Northampton, MA for this next chapter, and couldn't be happier.

I’m gonna try and paint a picture for you… 

At first, I knew something was different about this residency program, a different “vibe,” if you will.  You know it as soon as you set foot in the department.  It’s a crazy work environment…tons of noise… patients everywhere, nurses, techs, security guards, doctors, all sorts of people carrying on about their business.   Trauma pages can be heard overhead on a regular basis.  It is high-energy Emergency Medicine at its best, and it appealed to me instantly.

You’ll often hear people refer to Baystate’s ED as a “Baystate Family.”  It took me a little while to understand what they meant by this.  As I’m sure you know, life as an emergency medicine resident can sometimes be very stressful, and so it was incredibly important for me to find a place where I felt welcome.  Nothing sounds more miserable than going through this process in a cut-throat, competitive environment.  I guess that appeals to some, but it wasn’t for me.  Baystate’s EM residents are set apart from the “typical” residency program.  It’s simple really.  We are happy group of people, residents and attendings alike.  It’s funny to think that in this line of business, you’d see people so enthusiastic and excited about work, but that’s exactly what this department is.

We’re a tight knit group.  Maybe it’s a result of sharing in the experience of the intense work environment, maybe it’s just a reflection of the quality of people this place attracts, but regardless, you work side by side with your best friends.  I’ve worked here only a couple short months, but I already know that I will remain close with this group well after graduation.  We’re fully expected to work our tails off, but at the end of the day tired and spent, you grab a beer, share a few stories, and get ready to roll again tomorrow.

I feel incredibly privileged to be a part of this Baystate Family.  I’m sure you’ll know what I’m talking about if you decide to pay a visit.