They're not all bad..

After my pity party yesterday, I decided to start looking for some positives about this med school experience. Sure it's busy, and at some of the same times mind numbing, but there's always some high points. Today I met with my preceptor, who's a doc I work with once a week to learn to deal with patients and do real exams and such. I have to say, I am inspired. Dr. B is an OB/GYN in the area and if it wouldn't be totally weird and inappropriate, I'd be his patient in an instant. He's just a great doctor. I can tell just by being in the room that his patients feel more at ease the minute he walks in. They talk with him as if they weren't in the most uncomfortable and vulnerable position ever and he just makes their day. I can't believe how well he deals with some people who could truly be labeled out to lunch. He's never condescending, never rude, never interrupts, and makes people smile. Cheers to you Dr. B, and thanks for the inspiration!

I really needed it today too. It's easy to get bogged down when you're in the middle of the block, staring down endless exams and droning lectures, and forget why it is you're here. Tomorrow night I have a med school interviewee coming to stay and I'm really glad to be coming off a great day in the clinic. The last thing a stressed out pre-med wants to hear is how miserable it can be. Now I feel I can adequately play up the high points without being a cynic.

And then....Perspective!

Not long after reading my ridiculously whiny post, I realized that things aren't so bad. Don't get me wrong, med students are every bit the epitome of high school drama, but the reality is, I don't live my whole life at med school. I have to throw out a thank you(!) to my friend K.V. for dropping a note to say hi, and reminding me how great it is to have good friends. Best timing ever, and I couldn't be more grateful. Makes me almost ready to study...almost.

Med Students...Grrrrr

So, if any of you went to an undergrad where there were no pre-meds (like I did) consider yourselves the luckiest people on earth. Why? Because pre-meds grow up to become med students. I was so spoiled in graduate school. In graduate school, although it can still be quite competitive, the nature of the unsolved puzzle tends to bring people together to discuss and move toward a common goal. People might have different views on what the answer might be, but even in the face of the differences, there is a common goal. I don't even think the common goal exists in medical school. The commonality here is that each student wants what's best for themselves.

This is probably an over-generalization. I've met a lot of great people in my class. But I just can't get over how horribly some of our groups go. It's the most ego-smashing experience. So many people want to be right so badly that they can't let anyone else have an idea. We spent a good 10 minutes arguing over a definition that was completely irrelevant to the task at hand. I particularly get annoyed when the students start correcting our facilitators, or even outright arguing. It's a small wonder that people tend to not like doctors in general. Doctors come from med students...how great could they be!?

I guess it's no different from any other profession really. I think I'm just getting jaded. I used to be a much more competitive person when it comes to these things. There's just something about looking at other people running around like chickens with their heads cut off that makes me want to relax and enjoy myself more often. And I highly doubt that spending time with people like this is helping me relax in any way. Makes me feel lucky to have J and R at home to keep me focused, but sane at the same time. Really lucky.

Happy Monday G-men!

I have to say, I am thrilled with the superbowl results! I have been hoping all season that the Patriots would lose (not a Bill Belichik fan), and I couldn't be happier that he fell to yet another Manning! Go Giants! Talk about a great way to start the week. And a good thing too. I haven't taken it this easy since school started in August. I have my work cut out for me this week, but it feels good to have a freshly charged battery going into it.

This week we're having a med school interviewee stay with us, and I always look forward to that. I really appreciated the students who put a roof over my head for free when I was interviewing, and I am glad I can return the favor. The only downside is having to have the house ready for someone to stay in it. We took a good dent out of it this weekend, but there's always the last minute stuff.

I'm looking forward to moving into the second half of this block. Every day gets me closer to the end goal, and when I really remember that, it's all exciting. Even the boring parts.

A Soapbox

I need to preface by saying that truly, I'm not an overtly political person. But, in learning all that we are about vaccination, I just wanted to use this time to say: please vaccinate your children! Smallpox wasn't eradicated because everyone let "everyone else" get vaccinated. All it takes is one five year old who was never vaccinated against pertussis (whooping cough) to go to school with other kids who are late for their booster, and we have an outbreak. No biggie for older kids and adults, but what about their baby siblings, who could indeed die from pertussis. And compared to German measles, whooping cough is a day at the beach. I don't like to preach, but in the words of the immortal Dr. Cohen: "how do we get otherwise educated and intelligent people to believe that they need to vaccinate their children?" I don't know. But if I can change anyone's mind, it's one for the good guys.

Look at me go, I'm studying and blogging at the same time!

Saturday mornings

I'm pretty sure my couch has some sort of enchantment on it. I sink in and time melts into nothing. I had big plans for getting up early and getting to the gym before the hoards of families with kids in swim gear showed up. Didn't happen. I also had planned on showering at the gym and getting straight to the library so I could get away from my couch..er, distractions, and get some work done. So far, still on the couch. Don't get me wrong, it's been really pleasant. Catching up on some blog reading, reading the Dresden Files, visiting with J and otherwise relaxing. But these things will not help me learn about viral life cycles and vaccines.

Weeks after an exam I have the worst time motivating myself. It feels like after the craziness of preparing you should get a reprieve, but it really doesn't work that way, and I forget that a lot. Worst of all, I don't really find this stuff that interesting, and it makes it that much less appealing to throw my Saturday away forever. Normally I'd just put it off to Sunday, but tomorrow is Superbowl Sunday and we're heading over to see the fam for some birthday parties. I guess I better get it together. I guess if I want the best of both worlds I could just study on the couch. But productivity is not guaranteed...

Procrastination is my hobby

I'm always saying I need to find a hobby. But when I think about it, I feel like I have no free time whatsoever. That's because I fill it up with mind-numbing television and trashy sci-fi novels that keep me really, really "busy." I don't need a hobby, I need willpower.

Even now, I'm sitting here in my lecture hall, presumably getting here early to work on learning objectives for class so I can take it easy tonight and not just read but watch my trashy sci-fi, but instead I've checked my email at least three times, read up on every blog I follow, and chatted with my classmates on whether or not we trust chiropractors. If everyone else is trying to get here early to study, we are all failing miserably. I'm convinced that we all feel overworked and underslept not because we actually are overworked, but because we are easily amused and distracted, which means we can only catch up after everyone else is asleep.