J. Blaine Henderson , MD
PGY-IV
Hometown: Amarillo , TX  (actually Fritch , TX , but nobody has ever heard of it)

Being a Texas boy, I was a little hesitant initially about Arkansas (insert joke here).  Since moving to Little Rock though, I have been nothing but pleased.  When I interviewed here, it just felt right.  Several factors go into putting together your final rank list, and when all of the options were weighed, I felt Arkansas was the best choice.  The residents are very friendly, genuine, and normal.  The faculty is amazing, they will bend over backwards to help you, they teach you in ways that build your confidence, and they are never demeaning or condescending.  It is quite evident that the people involved in the program truly enjoy being here and doing what they are doing.  Another thing is the different settings in which we see patients:  state hospital, VA hospital, children’s hospital, community program, university hospital, private clinic, and the soon-to-be completed Psychiatric Research Institute (which is going to be awesome).  In addition, psychiatry is well-respected among the other specialties at this institution, which isn’t always the case elsewhere.  A unique feature of this program is the institutional moonlighting, which means you get paid for certain call (state hospital beginning 1st yr and children’s hospital starting  2nd yr), which is really nice.

Little Rock itself is a great city.  It’s large enough that it has everything you want or need, but it’s not so large that it’s congested or has bad traffic.  Cost of living here is great.  My wife and I bought a house less than two miles from the hospital, in a really cool neighborhood that has a village-type feel to it.   We enjoy outdoor activities, so this place fits us perfectly.  There are hiking trails at Pinnacle State Park less than 10 minutes from our house.  There is a paved bike trail along the Arkansas River.  There are several rivers great for canoeing/kayaking throughout the state, including the Buffalo River.  The White River is famous for fly fishing.  There are countless lakes.  The city is filled with great public golf courses.  (I can only imagine how nice the private courses must be.)  My wife and I really enjoy going to the free movies in the park at the River Market amphitheater on Wed nights spring-fall.  There is also great produce at the farmer’s market twice a week in the downtown area (the blueberries and sweet corn are awesome). 

In short, I couldn’t be any happier with the program or the city.”