Sunday, August 14, 2011

To Study or not to Study??

CRUNCH!  That's the sound a ribcage makes when it is being pried open with a chisel and hammer.  I expected to be hearing that sound at least some time during my medical career...but I never thought I'd be so absolutely elated to be the one causing the sound.  The human body is truly amazing!! I must admit I am slightly conflicted about anatomy lab though.  On the one hand, I am learning soooo much.  On the other hand, a man had to die in order for me to be able to be learning sooo much.  Thank you, cadaver man! 

I've made a few realizations in the two weeks of medical school now under my belt.  One, I don't know a dang thing...Two...neither does anyone else!  There might be a student here or there that studied a little harder and has memorized the names of a few muscles or the metabolic pathway of lipids in the body...but when it comes down to it, we are like babies experiencing the world for the very first time...  Does that make anyone out there nervous?  Future doctors are like babies?  I wouldn't be too worried about it.  If there is one thing that medical students and babies have in common besides getting super cranky when hungry, is that of an unusual capacity to learn new things at an astoundingly accelerated rate.  Fear not future patients!!  You WILL be in good hands by the time I'm done here!!!

Monday, August 1, 2011

What's up DOC?

There comes a time in everyone's life where all of your decisions, good or bad, are laid out before you in this sort of road map of accomplishment or regret.  When this happens you are either filled with a strange eerie anticipation for what will come next, or absolute dread for the days to come.  You've made your bed, so to speak, and now you have to sleep in it.Well, I can tell you my friends, that my bed is filled with an eerie anticipation and desire to begin this next chapter in my life...Excited and feeling wholly unprepared for the privilege and burden of taking on the healer's art, but I guess that's why I'm going to medical school, right?

I was told today that I am now a professional...or at least on my way to becoming one.  Professional...they actually used that word.  It filled me with a sense of responsibility and maturity...  I was on my way to becoming a respected and productive member of society... and all while this was happening, a huge spider out on the prowl descended from the ceiling onto the professional shoulder of another medical student sitting in front and to the left of me.  It promptly scampered from the shoulder down the man's chest.  "Dude!!! You've got a huge spider on your shoulder!!!  kill it...KILL IT" I whisper shout.  As the words leave my lips, the unfortunate arachnophobic sole begins this jitter bug dance of jerks and squirms in his chair that I could not help but laugh out loud....Maturity?  Responsibility?  HA!  Well, it is the only the first day of medical school....