Welcome to my blog, my best effort at sharing with you the inside scoop on the first year of medical school. As the year goes on, when I'm up to my elbows in anatomy lab or banging my head against the wall trying to pick up the blasted heart murmur on my stethoscope, forgive me if I get a bit lax. Also, one disclaimer- many of you know and love my litte Luddite self, and hopefully you will forgive my lack of technical savvy. Let me know if I'm doing anything embarrasing like posting my bank statement or something.
On the first day of orientation, the Associate Dean of Student Affairs reminded the class that we didn't get to medical school alone. She went on to say that someone had to change your diaper for you to get here. For me it goes much further; I had the support of friends, family, and co-workers all through the pre-requisite classes, MCAT hell, and the tedious application process. In a way you've all taken those steps with me, and I am not sure it's fair that you aren't all here with me now to experience the best part, considering how much shoulder-lending, massage-giving, and venting-listening you did. I hope that I can share some of the "good stuff" with you as the year goes on. And I promise to make it PG, ie no detailed description of how we got to the spleen in anatomy lab.
The other thing that stuck with me from the past two days of orientation is a fourth year student who said, prefacing his statement with a "touchy feely" warning, "Medical school should not only be about becoming a better doctor, but also becoming a better human." I certainly hope that this will be true for me, and that I will be able to uphold the real reasons I came to school in the first place. In a way, I hope that this blog will hold me accountable to all of those who have gone before me and made the incredible priviledge to study medicine a reality for me, and to all those who I will one day have the honor of calling patients.
Two days and already on my to-do list: "become a better human." I guess they said it would be challenging!
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SO excited for you as you start this new journey! That's a tall order, but I have no doubt you will strive for it. I won't say "reach" it since I believe there is always room for growth and that we've never fully "arrived." However, in the same breath, I hope that you stop and take in your accomplishments along the way. The marathon of grad school and life require us to hold both truths simultaneously- to strive to be better tomorrow and to accept and honor who we are today.
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