Well, year one is down. Our final small group meeting was all about "do you feel you've been indoctrinated into the culture of medicine"...the unspoken message seemingly - yes = bad. My school is a liberal-ish, hippy-dippy sort of place, with patient-centric teachings, emphasis on the psychology of patient interactions, and lots of exposure to primary care-underserved patient opportunities. All of which contributed to why I chose this school...I dig that shit.
However, in finishing my first year, I have to say, I have become "indoctrinated". I am more defensive when I hear negative patient feedback ("but we have so little time, so much information to process, so many responsibilities!") and I'm increasingly realizing that the strain of maintaining a patient-centric view while being sleep-deprived is going to be my Mt. Everest. I'm not a happy insomniac.
At the same time, while that shift is slightly morally disappointing, I have learned A LOT. I am beginning to feel confident that someday (someday far, far in the future) I will make a competent physician. It is unbelievable how much you learn in one year, and although you feel like you forget it all as soon as the exam is over, a surprising amount sticks with just a little reminder.
This summer I'll be working on the anatomy and histology course resources for next year, tutoring, and spending a lot of time sailing, lying on very small, smooth rocks, and running in green, cushy places. It will not suck at all.
There's only one word for all of this.... and that is CONGRATUFUCKINGLATIONS!!!
Posted by: Rachel | May 29, 2010 at 12:57 PM
I have another word: absofuckinglutely.
Posted by: Adam | May 31, 2010 at 11:58 PM