MS1 Day One

Medical school has begun -- my first day of true classes are tomorrow, but already I have the stack of books and notes and powerpoints and all, and I'm at my desk with my books open and my pencil at the ready.

...that said, it's about laboratory microscopes and staining, so I thought I'd take a nice departure and update this quickly.

I'm (clearly) full-time just like all my peers. My 25-credit course load this semester is:

• IDC 101 -- Molecular and Cell Biology with lab and small group (a multidisciplinary class that covers topics including embryology, immunology, the cell cycle, metabolism, inflammation)


• IDC 103 -- Anatomy with lab (exactly what it sounds, complete with cadaver; our school isn't one that "converted" to virtual human models)


• IDC 135 -- Ethics and Legal Topics in Clinical Medicine with small group (case studies to develop compassion, I hope)


• IDC 136 -- Interviewing and Physical Exam with small group (an attempt to teach us how to do a physical exam on standardized patients, and develop effective communication)

I have, on average, 35-40 hours of lecture/lab a week, so don't ask me how I'm supposed to fit in studying too! They also keep preaching this concept called balance. Hmmm... I wonder what that is.

I also received the short white coat at Friday's ceremony, marking the official initiation of my class as medical students. We recited this Student Physician's Oath, which while meaningful, felt a little ridiculous and unrehearsed as it took us by surprise as we walked in and took our seats to find a paper with the oath on our chairs.