Occam's Razor - House M.D.

Part 3- Practice Makes Perfect

Madelyn sat across from Cuddy who sat at her pristinely organized desk placed towards the back of her roomy office. She'd never seen an office like hers; it was warm, cozy, and it was surprisingly quiet compared to the halls located not too far from it. Cuddy had gotten a phone call just as they were about to start their meeting, but it sounded like it was just about finished. She hung up the phone, and turned her attention back to Madelyn, 

"I'm so sorry for the interruption, mornings are... unpredictable" Cuddy admitted. Madelyn chuckled, 

"I understand, it's no problem. I can imagine how busy you must be, being the dean of medicine." Madelyn replied honestly. Cuddy nodded her head saying, 

"Certainly a demanding job, but I can't imagine doing anything else." Cuddy confessed contently with a smile. "Oh, enough about me, though! Let's talk about you! Congratulations, I'm so happy you're joining us and the diagnostic team." 

"I'm thrilled to be here, really. Thank you for letting me start so soon." 

"Well, let's just say that the team is going through some changes," Cuddy said, "as you know, the team is very exclusive, so usually we assign about three to four doctors to it, but Dr. Masters has just taken a leave of absence, and Dr. Taub has been shadowing other departments."

"I see. Well, I'm happy to help." Madelyn assured. Cuddy flipped through some files in one of her desk drawers, and pulled out a thin, black folder.

"So, you studied at Dartmouth, GPA of 3.9, you've completed well over your required clinical hours. Your transcripts read so professionally. You should be proud." Madelyn blushed. 

"Thank you, Dr. Cuddy. Yeah, I worked hard in school, and am ready to work hard here." Madelyn said, hoping to sound confident. 

"I love the attitude. It's wonderful to hear optimism," Cuddy admired with kind eyes and a vocal tone that felt so genuine. Madelyn instantly liked her. 

"So tell me what inspired you to apply here? Aside from the basics." Cuddy asked, now standing up and pacing a little around her office. 

"One of my good friends encouraged me to apply. He told me what made this hospital different from others was the teaching aspect. He told me how one of the missions of Princeton-Plainsboro is to educate the community within and outside, so that everyone feels on the same side of science and health. It sounded like a perfect place to work, but even more so, a perfect place to share knowledge and experiences from medical perspective." 

Cuddy looked impressed, her eyes bright and a small smirk painted on her lips. She took a moment to reflect. 

"You have the right idea, Dr. Gilmore," Cuddy exclaimed, "that's a wonderful answer, and I'm pleased to hear that medical practice isn't just about mechanics, but that you see something more artistic and communal about it." Madelyn smiled in her seat, admiring the bright-spirited woman before her. 

"I think you're going to make a great asset here, and especially to Dr. House's team. He needs someone like you, trust me." She said with a clap of her hands. 

"Thank you so much for your time, Dr. Cuddy, I appreciate it." Madelyn said reaching to shake Cuddy's hand. 

"You're very welcome. Oh, and who recommended you? I'll need to thank them!" Cuddy chirped as she began to open the door to leave her office. 

"Dr. James Wilson! He's the best." Madelyn replied happily. 

"That he is," Cuddy agreed, "Why don't you come with, I'll bring you to meet the team afterwards?" Madelyn nodded excitedly, and followed Cuddy out of her office.