Spiffy Christmas Presents

I feel very official now, with my grandpa's old medical bag and my brand new Litmann Cardiology III.

Half the fun of anatomy....

is learning how it all correlates to your family's injuries.

I'm still THAT girl....

I had to laugh a bit today.

Not that I'm complaining, but I'm once again "the artsy scientist".

See, when I was in undergrad, I was a pre-med Human Biology major who also enjoyed theatre and costuming. My science friends didn't always understand art, and my artsy/theatre friends didn't always understand science. It put me a rather unique, and sometimes lonely, situation. I never felt like I really belonged in either group. I was sometimes treated like a pet, or a project, or "Oooh, look at what SHE can do!", but I was always too dramatic for the scientists, and too logical for the artists.

(That's not to say I didn't find very good friends who were also like me, at least in some aspects. You know who you are and I love all of you!)

I have to laugh, because even though medical school was supposed to be my fresh start, I am STILL that person. I am the artsy med student.

I had my last clinical skills small group session on Monday, and my preceptor, who is very much a "man's man" and somewhat stereotypical trauma surgeon, gave me a rather interesting compliment. "You're definitely not the traditional medical student. You need to embrace that."

Then we had a student council meeting and were talking about medical school personality types, and how traditionally most student council members are very organization, linear A-types..."except now then an artsy fartsy student sneaks in". I sort of shrugged and then everyone started laughing because, hey, I'm apparently that student.

Shortly after though, everyone was complimenting me on my Teslacon costumes and wanting to know how I did it, and what should be we plan for Med Ball, and WE SHOULD TOTALLY GO ALL OUT SO WE CAN ALL WEAR COSTUMES.

The difference from undergrad is, my difference is regarded as a strength. The difference is, the other artsy medical students are easy to identify. The difference is, I feel like I belong.

Almost!

Sorry that I haven't been really communicative on this blog the past few...months. Medical school has been really, really insane. So, some quick updates:

I am 9 days away from completing my first semester of medical school. It's been kind of crazy looking back at all the notes I've taken over the semester because even though I have learned A LOT, I still don't feel like I know anything.

What I can do: CPR. Ask you about your feelings and how your medical condition is affecting your life. Pretend to listen to things with my stethoscope. Look professional in my white coat. Diagnosis shingles (and that was mainly by accident).

Oh yeah! I bought all of my medical equipment! I now have a super cool stethoscope and diagnostic set, plus a bunch of other goodies I really haven't gotten to play with yet. I'll actually learn how to use them next semester.

I was elected to student council!

I was also elected to the Surgical Interest Group e-board!

I took a tour of Aeromed.













I rocked out my IPPR art project about the doctor-patient relationship.

I also drank copious amounts of tea.












So there you have it. In 9 days, I will be 1/8th of a doctor. Now I just have to pass all of my finals...wish me luck!