Medical School, you energize my soul

Human Structure, Function, and Development (a.k.a. Anatomy)....... check
Genetics and Neoplasia (a.k.a. Cancer).................................................... check
Immunology................................................................................................. check
10 day vacation (a.k.a. not long enough tease of freedom)................... check
Neuroscience................................................................................................ in progress

On Monday, January 4th, the first day of work for the New Year, the parking lot filled with students- particularly medical students as we were the last to leave campus and the first ones to return. (Regular classes don't begin until January 18th). We marched through the emptier-than-usual parking lot, zig zagging between cars with our ever faithful coffee cup in hand, and most of us not ready to begin yet another block. The entire environment was significantly different from when we first arrived at North Campus nearly 6 months ago. This time we waved each other down, gave great big hugs to those we hadn't seen since school ended, talked about our very short breaks and what was in store for us. Many of us chit chatted about being behind, having growing to-do lists, being confused about various aspects of class, and complaining of the brevity of our vacation. We smiled great big smiles- more than just polite, nice ones as we had 6 months ago before we knew each other, but rather warm ones- the ones that just appear on your face before you even realize you're smiling. We walked to the enormous nursing and pharmacy auditorium that would accommodate us much more spaciously than the last rooms we had occupied. With our larger than normal class size, it is difficult to have lectures in the typical med student classroom, so we are seizing other areas of campus.


She was a petite woman, older, mostly brown hair, pleasantly nice and organized, with a mousy voice, and knowledge far more expansive than imaginable. She took a few minutes to introduce us to the course, zoomed through power point slides of percentages, assignments, test, labs... on and on.... and it was then that I realized how abruptly life can change from laying on the couch in my pajamas with family watching NCIS to sitting in a large lecture hall, quickly jotting down notes in the margins of our outlines, and discussing the electrophysiology of cells. It was indeed the most abrupt school welcoming I had ever had in all my years of attending classes... after all this is medical school. I guess I shouldn't expect any less.

One day later, we we're slicing through brains that had been taken from our previous cadavers. Our instructors/neurology doctors quickly and easily cut the brains with large knives with smooth blades and black handles- similar to one you might find in your very own kitchen. The instructors rambled out terms with ease as if they were talking about what they ate for breakfast. The quickly identified important landmarks and often drifted into stories about the one time this 10 year old girl came in after a car accident and her tongue would protrude crookedly and they had to correctly identify the lesion in order to perform emergency surgery to save the patient's life. It was interesting. The ten of us (or so) eagerly listened and asked follow up questions, despite the fact it would never be something we were tested on. I'm sure in the midst of everything future neurosurgeons were blooming all around. The cerebrum, which is more generically thought of as the brain, was dull and after having been soaked in chemicals for the last few weeks it had hardened more than that of a living brain, which is much more jelly-like. It was peach-ish/light brown on the outside and had various crevices and raised areas- known as sulci and gyri respectively. It was bumpy and winded about like thick spaghetti that had been compacted into a bowl and was sitting in the refrigerator for such a long time that when it was scooped out, it maintained its shape. The bottom of the brain was much more unique. The cerebellum, more or less the same color as the cerebrum, had a different texture- it was more consistent. The brainstem was more pale and appeared less squishy than the rest of the brain. Cranial nerves stemmed out like little worms from various parts of the underside of the brain- all of which we would later have to identify from memory. These tiny little worm-like nerves function so magnificently. They allow us to smell the delicious green chile that roasts outside of stores in the fall, see the glimmering snowflakes falling from the sky on a beautiful winter afternoon, hear the gentle words of a loved one whisper, breathe without conscious thought, balance atop slender beams, and so much more. A slice of the brain (for example, if you had taken a knife and cut from one ear to the next all the way through) is quite beautifully and symmetrically arranged- the colors range from shades of white to beige and darker browns. Apart from the 2 symmetrically placed holes (which form ventricles for cerebrospinal fluid to be manufactured), the center of the brain is white and clearly delineated from the darker gray matter, which is the bulk that forms the outside of the brain. The gray matter (which looks more peach-ish brown to me) fluidly and clearly outlines the white matter, which is shaped similarly to clouds. There's other areas of the brain, serving different functions, uniquely distinct from their counterparts by varying patterns, shapes, locations, and color. It's like a painting capable of evoking endless emotions that over the years has taken countless efforts to understand and label. It truly is a work of art.

So what else is going on in my life? Well I am much more educated on the mechanisms of cancers, genetic disorders, and autoimmune disorders having (proudly) completed 3 blocks thus far! I can talk endlessly about the immune system and different types of leukemias. I recently read a novel about a young Hmong girl with epilepsy and could probably talk your ear off about how inspirational the book was. I was elected to Co-president of the Pediatric Interest Group, Secretary of the Association for the Advancement of Minorities in Medicine, Crossroads representative, Co-organizer of the Anatomical Donor Memorial Service Planning committee, and yearbook member. I recently signed up to volunteer in the pediatric wing at the hospital to do arts and crafts projects with the kids monthly. I attend meetings on health policy in an attempts to learn more about this world I will become a part of. I study. I read. I exercise (recently got cleared to begin running since my knee injury). In fact I ran one mile yesterday- it took 15 minutes and was rather painful, but nonetheless it felt good to be moving at a speed faster than walking. I sleep and I eat (of course). During my 10 day study-free break, I spent time with my amazing sister who was down from Afghanistan, where she bravely serves our country in the US Marine Corps, as well as with other family and friends. I occasionally shop... I call it retail therapy for when I am stressed and upset :)

Furthermore, my life tends to revolve around the happenings and constraints of medical school. I find myself frustrated because I often lack a social life. I am often faced with having to chose between studying and doing something else... and more often than not studying wins. But in the end I am content that I can wake up everyday to pursue a dream I've always yearned for. The reality of it all surprises me, energizes my soul and keeps my productivity ever flowing. I love learning. I love hearing about something and being able to apply a recent lecture to it. Medical school is for me.... I can't imagine doing anything else.