Clancy will be leaving her position at the hospital next summer. They are interviewing for replacements. They are also interviewing for replacements for Dr. Alvarez, who resigned earlier this year. They are also interviewing for a new position to help one of the existing doctors ease out of obstetrics. They are also interviewing to close a gap in hospitalist coverage. They are, in short, doing an awful lot of interviewing.

Free food! They always take the interviewee out to eat. Future colleagues are encouraged, as are their spouses (so that we may converse with the spouse of the interviewee, who was also flown out).

These are awkward things for us because, well, we’re leaving. Further, we are not supposed to mention that we are leaving. Not on the first date, anyway. If we did mention it, there may not be a second date, where they will be informed but were hopefully so enthused from the first date, they will overlook the shortage. Convince enough of them that the shortage isn’t important and there won’t be a shortage.

This is a comparatively new philosophy. When they invited us out here for the interview, we knew that two of the doctors at the table were leaving. We really, really wanted to ask why. I really wish we had. We think this is also part of the reason we are supposed to keep quiet about it, we don’t want them asking Clancy why.

The goal is to hire at least two more doctors, but two more doctors will be hard-pressed to come until two more doctors agree to come, so it’s really a catch-22. This was also the case when we were hired. Had Dr. Alvarez not signed on at the same time, we probably wouldn’t be here. Why? Because she’d be working the kind of hours that she is working.

When Dr. Hope-Newby asked about the local real estate market, we were actually in a good position to help because they were wanting to rent and we rent. Unfortunately, the news I had to share wasn’t good. I was curious if I should share it, or pretend that it’s as good in the same way that we aren’t leaving. I was honest, though maybe a little more optimistic than I would be with a friend. The funny thing is that if we could tell him that we were leaving, we could tell him that the house we are living in will be available for rent.

He had another interview in Arapaho. The next job is actually one that Clancy considered interviewing for. We couldn’t tell him that, of course, because that would indicate that we are leaving. When we were talking about the medical culture in various states, we initially thought that we might not should say anything about the fact that we’re looking in the states that he’s talking about. Since Clancy is loathe to lie, I lied for her: When we took this job, we also looked at jobs in those states. Now we’re lying, but we’re lying to tell the truth. Funny how that works.

As for Hope-Newby, I don’t have a strong opinion. He seems like a good guy, but cut from the same cloth that make it difficult for Clancy to socially get along with her coworkers. That means that he is likely a good fit. Mostly, though, he’s a warm body. A warm body means that Callie will be able to continue obstetrical support after we leave. Which means that we can leave with a clearer conscience. Even if we had to be not-entirely-forthcoming and lie-for-truth to get there.