I was on the phone with my Mom a day or so ago, excitedly telling her about the short white coat I recently aquired at the Student Affairs office. With the coat came free medical advice/inspiration in the form of a book titled 'On Doctoring' and information on Orientation week which starts on the 25th. She suggested that I remember these few days before the start of medical school. I think this is excellent advice.
In a few weeks, when I am bogged down with how much studying I have to do, how there is so much minute detail to be committed to memory and when I am questioning why I would subject myself to such torment, I can read this post.
Yes, I am a lowly MS0 (a term recently gleaned from many odd-hours spent reading through Student Doctor Network medicine forums and medical blogs) but I can't help it. I am incredibly excited. I cannot wait until the first day of class. I cannot wait to meet my new classmates. I am psyched and I am pumped - just writing about it has caused a huge grin to appear on my face. I can't help but feel I have been waiting and preparing a long time for this moment.
That said, I know medical school will be tons of work and discipline. I know that I will often be stressed and impatient with myself. This is part of the reason I chose WCMC, because it has a reputation for being laid back and less stressful than the average medical school. (Cross your fingers).
So...in the interim, I will continue to be delighted when I find a new medical student/resident blog. Although I have restrained myself from reading through my Undergrad biology text books, I am severely tempted. I am relaxing as though there is no tomorrow.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
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7 comments:
Not too sure about these reputations. First Brown with the reputation of being 'out there.' Now WCMC 'laid back and less stressful.' I'm all for less stress, but when I think of med school, 'laid back' doesn't even cross. What's the doctorly version of "The proof of the pudding..."?
Well, by 'laid back' I meant that students tend to be cooperative and willing to help each other with studying. There is no 'cut throat' competitiveness (although I'm sure they want to do their very best just like most medical students) and gunner-like behavior.
Gunner: person who is competitive, overly-ambitious and often excitedly volunteers oral answers in class that are, by turns, incorrect, off-topic, or specifically designed to demonstrate the questionable intellectual prowess of the person supplying them. A gunner will compromise his or her peer relationships in order to obtain recognition and praise from his or her instructors and superiors.
Just dropping by your blog, since you were awesome enough to comment on mine. I like your blog layout! I have a blogspot blog, too (in addition to my wordpress one), but I only use it for creative writing. I keep it private, so as to spare others the torture of reading my bad prose/poetry/playwriting. =D
Anyway, I'm excited about med school, too! Here's hoping that our class isn't filled with gunners. I think a few are to be expected, and I'm sure there will be times of intense stress (e.g., just before exams, the boards, surgery rotation, etc.), but the format of the curriculum really is laid-back. Getting out at 1 pm every day?? Very sweet...
Ah, I forgot to introduce myself in the previous post. This is Ros, your future classmate!
It definitely is an exciting time. In a weird way the time before you start and the orientation is the best part of medical school. You have all of the excitement of being about to embark on this journey, and everyone around you is proud of you. And you don't yet have to study and be stressed out. Enjoy it, and find some cool, laid-back people to be your anatomy partners (if your school does traditional dissection, that is).
Lone Coyote,
Our school does traditional dissection, but we don't have anatomy until second semester and first semester of 2nd year. I'm sort of envious of my friends who've started, but I've been told it makes the medical school transition easier. (Only to be bombarded with ten times more work second semester).
I am making friends....slowly.
After all that excitement and anticipation, there's bound to be some 'let-down', but you'll get through that too. Lone Coyote's advice about support system at school and beyond is very good.
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