I’ve spent over a week trying to write a post about my experience at the morgue, specifically the coroner’s office. Initially, I was very excited. “How badass is this?” I thought to myself.

But I’m going to be honest: the whole thing left me feeling pretty messed-up inside. 

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My lecture hall gets really, REALLY cold. These are the creative ways my classmates have devised to stay warm:

1. bring a giant thermos of coffee
2. bring giant tupperware bowls of soup and spoons to share with others
3. eat snacks to ‘recover metabolic energy’
4. wear an extra jacket
5. wear a ski vest
6. roll out your thermal blanket…in class
7. submit a work order asking for the air conditioning to be adjusted to a higher temperature
8. take ‘jogging breaks’ outdoors to warm up before the next lecture begins
9. give up on going to class entirely and just read notes
10. break into the thermostat with a pencil and penlight. Make room a refrigerator. 

The failure of #10 (courtesy of the guy I once dated. I’ve dodged a bullet, I know.) forced the school to notice #7, and now the lecture hall is much more habitable. 

New problem: now we’re starting to notice how uncomfortable the chairs are.

Today we were taught how to perform the cardiovascular portion of the physical exam. We were split into small groups, and I was with four guys. Entering the classroom, the five of us were greeted by the teaching physician.

“You guys know you’re performing the exam on each other, right? So I need you all to take off your tops and get in gowns.”

Suddenly, she seemed to notice me. “Oh, not you! You can keep your top on.” 

“But you will have to perform the exam on all of them.”

These were the guys I examined:

#1: future ortho surgeon. He works out a lot, loves his protein powder shakes, and had no issues about taking his shirt off. And we are friends, so it was actually kind of fun.

#2: gunner supreme. Nervous, never goes to the gym, never sees sunlight. And pointed out my mistakes while I was doing the exam ON HIM.

#3: the oddball. Not really quite sure what to say about this kid except…he was way too encouraging about me getting all of his pulses. I declined doing his femoral artery pulse. Quickly.

#4: the guy I used to date. 

Overall conclusion: there is not enough rubbing alcohol in the world to cleanse my hands.

medicalstate:

For the students out there who will soon begin their first year in medical school, let me say congratulations and welcome. There is a long road ahead of you. After reflecting on the experiences I have had and the observations I have made, I have here a list of 16 words of advice to set the course. Here is a quick guide to first year:

1. Take some time in those first few weeks to build your network. The people in your class are the ones who will be your friends, support, and future colleagues for the next few years. You will need to find people you can count on.
2. Do not let the white coat or stethoscope fool you. Your friend probably does not have that rare syndrome you just studied and you probably do not have a ruptured triple-A. 
3. Study hard. Get quality studying done and avoid the distractions. Make the most of your study hours so you can…
4. Find balance. This is your out, a way to get away from medicine and back to your old life. Take some time off for yourself and adjust it accordingly depending on how much you need to study. But always take some time for yourself, your family, friends, and partner. Always.
5. Sleep when you need. Sleeping hours disappear quickly over time so when you have a day off, get some extra shut eye. Also, if you have to choose between an all-nighter and sleep, go with the sleep.
6. Caffeine. It is an unavoidable fact of medical school but take it from me, put it off as long as you can. At this point in your career if you can avoid it do so. Would not want to have it lose its edge down the road now would we?
7. Stay healthy. Stay fit and eat fresh. Part of finding balance is taking the time to keep your body in shape and have a wholesome meal every now and then that needs more than three minutes in a microwave. Your body will thank you and you will feel better.
8. Practice interviews and clinical skills. I remember when it seemed awkward watching one classmate interview another. Take those moments seriously and learn from them. These are skills you need to carry with you forever now. Practice makes perfect so do a little bit of clinical skills every now and then with your friends and family.
9. Anatomy labs. Working with cadavers for the first time is intimidating so avoid the hands and face, the two most human elements of a person until you feel comfortable. Also, it can be easy to forget these cadavers were people once, remember to treat them with respect.
10. Invest in your equipment. Shoes, stethoscopes, white coat, what have you, make sure the parts that last should, and make sure you are comfortable in them.
11. Save your money when possible. Do you really need that gratuitous Starbucks? Do you need to get the pair of jeans? Medical school is costly and saving anywhere will eventually add up, even if it only puts a small dent in your debt. Seek out free things when possible. Free lunches or food-provided seminars are great for these.
12. Be careful of what you say, how you say it and where you say it. The world of medicine is wrought with privacy and confidentiality concerns so learn to mind your surroundings before discussing something, especially if it involves a patient, real or not.
13. Thick skin. Generally the people who work with you are nice but you will need to develop dragon skin. Expectations run high as you go through medical school and you will constantly enter situations where you do not know or make mistakes. Try not to take what people say at you personally.
14. In the same vein, do not be overly hard on yourself. You are still learning and at this stage of your training there will be mistakes and bad calls. Take them in stride, learn from them, and move on.
15. Be a moderate learner. Learn what you need to and maybe a bit more out of interest but take solace in knowing that you will not be able to study everything in a year. Stay within reason. Do not be obnoxiously keen. It will end badly.
16. On a similar note, getting into medical school is not a license to become arrogant or obnoxious. Do not falter here when you have just made it through the door; it is a reputation you do not want following you around. Keep it together.

Good luck and take care.

Also check out the lists by wayfaringmd, md-admissions, and cranquis.

What a great list! And I’m flattered by the shout out along with some of my favorite fellow tumblrs! :)

debbestintown asked: hi md-admissions! could you elaborate on the pros and cons of dating another med student? thanks :)

debbestintown, you caught me!

As someone who’s tried and decided it wasn’t for me, here’s my two cents on the matter for incoming 1st years, pre-meds, and even med students who are thinking about it.

5 PROS TO DATING A CLASSMATE:

1. Someone who understands EXACTLY what you’re going through. 

2. Automatic study buddy

3. Pre-screened for similar personalities: Med school selects for very similar people. So if you prescribe to ‘like attracts like’, well you are in heaven, my friend.

4. Often tend to be long-term commitment…at least in the years or the type with a ring. When these couples work, they are in it for the long run. Those doctor couples don’t exist for nothing. Boys know the clock is ticking and they have to find a girl who’s going to stick by them for the rough years ahead. Same thing for girls. So…we’re all looking for the same thing! 

5. Automatic physical exam partner. Take that comment as you will ;)

5 CONS OF MEDCEST:

1. You have a small pool to choose from= chance of finding someone is small. Let’s do a little probability. Most people come into med school married, engaged, in a relationship…in my class it was about 70% in a relationship, 30% not. About 50% of committed folks are going to break things off and become single. Now, weed out:

• gunners
• socially awkward library or lab rats
• guys/gals who never show up 
• guys/gals still getting over an ex or working out personal problems 
• People you just don’t jive with

This leaves…that’s right, not that many people.

2. The break-up can be awkward…and gossip will go into overdrive. You are going to be seeing this person for at LEAST two years until rotations, and classmates may get caught in the middle. So handle your breakup like a grown up or don’t do it at all.

3. It can be distracting if you’re the type of person whose life goes into a tailspin because of romance. Medical school is pretty rough on both already. 

4. The best part about seeing someone outside of medicine is the reminder that there is more to life than medical school.

5. After awhile, all your classmates will feel like brothers and sisters. And that’s why we call it classcest or medcest. It will feel kinda weird. You’ll know far too much about each of them. It erases a lot of the mystery and glamour involved in attraction. 

In short, life is long and full of surprises. Weigh out the options the best you can through the cloud of oxytocin and endorphins. And if things don’t work out? It’s part of life, too. :)

Love,

md-admissions