(no subject)
Sep. 2nd, 2010 04:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aintbrokeI know those of you out there in the world have been waiting on pins and needles- but it's cool, I just got back the results for the first of the barrage of tests I took in medical school, and I have definitive proof thatp I can read.
Oh sweet fancy MOSES, do I wish I was joking.
I have fancy results, with norms and averages printed on them any everything. It's a little disconcerting to think that people get into medical school more or less illiterate (that probably isn't fair, but whatever, they made me take a reading test, so pfft) but doesn't this seem a little late in the game to address that? Oh these poor medical school administrators- they mean so well. They give lectures on how to balance school and life and bless their little hearts I am sure they think they are helping. (It turns out, that you have to balance school and life! And sometimes that might mean that you can't go on a family vacation because you need to study. But sometimes you should skip some studying to go do something fun. This stuff is profound, yo.)
Other than these pointless and a little insulting meetings: it turns out medical school is kind of hard. So far it is hard in precicely the things I am bad at; lots and lots of fiddly bits of information that all sound the same but are critically different and information that I'm told is very important but I honestly can not care about. It's like taking organic chemistry and economics at the same time!
On the upside, I have definitely discovered ground zero for any undead uprising, I tell you what.
Back in July (which is already MONTHS ago) I started school with a block (medical school is organized into blocks: now you know) on pubic health. Now. I am a firm believer in public health. I once dressed up as John Snow for famous people day (Super dork, yes.). I worked in public health in Jamaica. I thought really hard about getting a masters in public health. People. I read the Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report for fun.
That block was so full of propaganda I was tempted to vote Republican. Which sucks, because if I was turned off, what happened to the people who didn't already agree with the basic premise?
Then we started HSF&D, as the first "real" block of medical school is familiarly known. Human Function, Structure and Development. Or: gross anatomy, embryology and histology. It is a lot of information, only a little of which is tangentially interesting (did you know that humans have a vestigial claw retracting muscle? I KNOW, RIGHT? It's called the palmaris longus. NOW YOU KNOW.) so I am struggling with caring enough to actually study enough to actually pass this stupid block and never have to think about the innervation of the paricardial sac ever again. Until I see someone who's having weird neck pain, I guess.
Soon, I will hit my stride, fall into a good routine, and suddenly I will deeply care about the innervation of the ascending colon. In the meantime, I will quietly nurse my resentment. Because as much as I dislike being chained to my desk, I'll get used to it. I am not sure I will get used to my fellow medical students.
Looking around a room full of medical students, I am honest to god not sure how I managed to sneak by the selection committee. Which isn't to say that I can't do the work, or haven't earned my place or whatever. It's just that everyone else is apparently from a very different planet than mine.
To whit, an example: During orientation, we took the Myers-Briggs personality test and were asked to group ourselves by result. There are a hundred and sixteen of us all together, and the four groups we broke into were one of about sixty, two of about thirty, and one of five. And I'm standing there, with four PA students, looking out at this mob of students thinking "Oh boy."
Turns out medical school doesn't really select for people who enjoy spontaneity.
Oh sweet fancy MOSES, do I wish I was joking.
I have fancy results, with norms and averages printed on them any everything. It's a little disconcerting to think that people get into medical school more or less illiterate (that probably isn't fair, but whatever, they made me take a reading test, so pfft) but doesn't this seem a little late in the game to address that? Oh these poor medical school administrators- they mean so well. They give lectures on how to balance school and life and bless their little hearts I am sure they think they are helping. (It turns out, that you have to balance school and life! And sometimes that might mean that you can't go on a family vacation because you need to study. But sometimes you should skip some studying to go do something fun. This stuff is profound, yo.)
Other than these pointless and a little insulting meetings: it turns out medical school is kind of hard. So far it is hard in precicely the things I am bad at; lots and lots of fiddly bits of information that all sound the same but are critically different and information that I'm told is very important but I honestly can not care about. It's like taking organic chemistry and economics at the same time!
On the upside, I have definitely discovered ground zero for any undead uprising, I tell you what.
Back in July (which is already MONTHS ago) I started school with a block (medical school is organized into blocks: now you know) on pubic health. Now. I am a firm believer in public health. I once dressed up as John Snow for famous people day (Super dork, yes.). I worked in public health in Jamaica. I thought really hard about getting a masters in public health. People. I read the Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report for fun.
That block was so full of propaganda I was tempted to vote Republican. Which sucks, because if I was turned off, what happened to the people who didn't already agree with the basic premise?
Then we started HSF&D, as the first "real" block of medical school is familiarly known. Human Function, Structure and Development. Or: gross anatomy, embryology and histology. It is a lot of information, only a little of which is tangentially interesting (did you know that humans have a vestigial claw retracting muscle? I KNOW, RIGHT? It's called the palmaris longus. NOW YOU KNOW.) so I am struggling with caring enough to actually study enough to actually pass this stupid block and never have to think about the innervation of the paricardial sac ever again. Until I see someone who's having weird neck pain, I guess.
Soon, I will hit my stride, fall into a good routine, and suddenly I will deeply care about the innervation of the ascending colon. In the meantime, I will quietly nurse my resentment. Because as much as I dislike being chained to my desk, I'll get used to it. I am not sure I will get used to my fellow medical students.
Looking around a room full of medical students, I am honest to god not sure how I managed to sneak by the selection committee. Which isn't to say that I can't do the work, or haven't earned my place or whatever. It's just that everyone else is apparently from a very different planet than mine.
To whit, an example: During orientation, we took the Myers-Briggs personality test and were asked to group ourselves by result. There are a hundred and sixteen of us all together, and the four groups we broke into were one of about sixty, two of about thirty, and one of five. And I'm standing there, with four PA students, looking out at this mob of students thinking "Oh boy."
Turns out medical school doesn't really select for people who enjoy spontaneity.
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no subject
Date: 2010-09-02 11:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-03 04:28 am (UTC)(also! Yay baby girls!)
They divided us by SJ/SP/NJ/NP groups (The Overseers/Creators/Intellects/Dreamers categories.) There are a LOT of SJs in medical school. There are very few SPs. I am an ESTP. I was the only one!
This is why I have friends outside of school, I tell you what.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-03 10:46 am (UTC)<3
Vestigial claw retracting muscle? AWESOME.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-05 11:00 pm (UTC)I'm kind of glad to be here, as clearly I am representing something super unrepresented in the medical world!