Off Hours

by Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
PRESENT Resident Editor
Botsford General Hospital
Farmington Hills, MI

Hello friends and colleagues. I hope everyone’s holiday season is going well. I’m about to go shovel 3 inches of snow from my yard (the fun part of living in Michigan). Before I do, though, I’d like to start some discussion on a non-podiatric issue and ask a question: what do you like to do on your off hours? I know, you may be thinking, “What off hours? I’m too busy being a podiatry resident to have off hours.” If you think hard enough I’m sure you’ll find you’re not a uni-dimensional person and in fact have hobbies and entertainments to pass the time when you’re not at work or studying.

In my case the vast majority of my off time is spent with my wife and son. We go for walks, play games, and read to each other. In fact, during medical school, as one way to spend quality time with each other, my wife and I would read a variety of novels to each other. They ranged from JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series to Hannibal, the sequel to The Silence of the Lambs. Our “hobby” has continued to this day, which will of course carry over into our child’s upbringing. We’re just today finishing C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe in preparation for the upcoming movie (another great way to spend off hours – the movies).

So, what are your hobbies and diversions? I know you have ‘em! Are you a TV hound? Do you have a favorite TV show? Do you cook? Do you write? What about hiking, fishing, weight lifting, yoga, pilates, sculpture, music, the internet….

If you’re absolutely not doing anything to decompress after a hard day at work keep in mind that it’s been proven that prolonged chronic stress reduces life expectancy. Is your work THAT important?

Write in and involve yourself in the podiatric residency community. We’ve heard many interesting points of view from around the country. Thanks to those of you who’ve written in, and I’d ask you to keep submitting. To those of you who haven’t, send in a quick email. It’s painless, and you might just find yourself in an interesting conversation! Have a great week, and I’ll see some of you at the ACFAS Arthroscopy Course in Chicago.