Getting back on the blog train

So when I started this blog, it was basically to post about life in medical school, for my own sake as well as the sake of my family and friends. But as my mom pointed out, "If you don't blog, people can't know what's going on."

This is true. So in the spirit of journalistic blogging, I would like to report a few current events from med school life in the Bay Area.

1. The Bay Bridge is in deep trouble. Wait, so they repair a crack. While repairing the crack, they conduct a rare bridge inspection and they find another crack, which they repair. They open the bridge, only to have a repaired part fall on three cars and injure someone. Are they joking? This is not a LEGO toy!

2. My family and friends are so nice. They all sent messages wishing me a happy birthday, either online or by phone. They couldn't have known how stressed I was -- so thank you!! It warms the heart. Now, to properly respond with a personal thank-you is the tricky part.

3. Med school is hard. Especially the fall when you are trying to finish your research, figure out the boards, and keep up with clinical skills while maintaining a decent level of clean food and clothing availability.

4. On Monday, I participated in the first admissions panel of the season after doing interviews. Helping decide who should get an acceptance letter is hard, much harder than writing interview reports but not sitting on the committee (as I did in undergrad). It's also kind of a trip to work with the people who admitted you.

5. On Tuesday, I interviewed someone coming down off a psychotic episode, afraid of losing their job*, kids, and sense of normal life. It struck a chord because of someone I know whose similar episode did not have a happy ending. *I use 'their' as a gender-neutral pronoun. I know it's incorrect.

6. This morning, a 4th year made a comment about how labor and delivery are gross and smell bad, which was an indirect response to my comment about how I thought labor and delivery was scary (the act of delivering a baby, not delivering someone else's!!). Wimpy students who can't stand the sights and smells shouldn't be allowed in L&D. Grow a backbone, the mother is going through it, isn't she? For shame. Anyway, that triggered thoughts about how society defines successful women, successful doctors, successful wives, mothers, etc. How family does not seem to take part in the US brand of feminism, etc.

Lots to think about. But isn't there always?