In the Midst of it All

I know, I know, it has been quite some time since I have written anything. I have been busy, believe me. Medical school…the bane of my existence, yet the most fun thing I have done in a long while. I’m still trying to figure out how that can be, how one thing can be so fun, yet so mundane and horrid at the same time. Medical school is more fun than horrid though. The horridness only appears at 2 AM the night before an exam, when I realize that I still don’t know anything and I’m not going to remember anything more, so I might as well just go to bed. That is horrifying.

Recently, the class just finished Anatomy…recently as in three weeks ago. We weren’t even given time to dwell in our accomplishment of having completed our first medical school class before we were kicked in the face by cell structure and function. I’m told that this is the hardest class we have in medical school. I’m inclined to believe what I’m told, but then again, what class isn’t hard? Once we finish CSF, we move onto systems processes and homeostasis, which will be the hardest class we have ever had in medical school. The level of difficulty is determined by, I think, the amount of stress and fatigue one experiences during a given class.

Last Friday, I was able to experience, firsthand, my first CSF exam. It was fun, especially having had only four hours of sleep prior. I think the exam went well, but I will find out Monday. What I perceive and what actually happened are two different things. The most exciting thing about having finished the exam was that it marked the beginning of Thanksgiving break. Now, normally, I would be excited for Thanksgiving break, but it isn’t a giddy, overwhelmed excited. Thanksgiving break occurs every year, and usually I have had homework or studying to do, but it wasn’t imperative that I do so, so I could slack off for five days or so and still not be behind. This year however, I had four whole days where I didn’t even have to THINK about school, because I had not scholastic responsibilities whatsoever. How is that for having your cake and eating it to!? I have never been so excited for four days in my life, and I’m sure that as I approach Christmas break, I will become unbearably excited for that as well. I’m already listening to Christmas music, trying to spread the holiday cheer, though I don’t know if my classmates will have any of it. If one were to come visit campus, they would see the wear and tear that is befalling us Med 15ers. As the weeks pass in CSF, I am beginning to see more and more coffee mugs sprout where there were none before. My classmates are beginning to look like zombies, hungry for sleep rather than human flesh. It is at this point, more than ever, I believe in the existence of zombies.

I think I should close this post now, as I’m beginning to talk about zombies for no apparent reason. Well, I close for now, and to my fellow Med 15ers, hang in there. We must pin our ears back and attack CSF for another three weeks. We have made it thus far, there is no reason we can’t go farther!

Blessings,
Mark