The 4th Quarter
I've made it to the 4th quarter, of third year. In football, the 4th quarter is the quarter that counts. Games are won or lost in the fourth quarter. (Just ask Eli Manning. Stupid Eagles.)
But in third year, many students, myself included, are hoping to slide through their 4th quarters. I'm not hoping to win; I just want to survive. We've all had 9 hard months of being the kid sibling (med student) who has to play with older siblings (residents and interns) but is never told the rules. AND, those older siblings, and thus rules, change every 2-4 weeks. Then there's the pimping (i.e. interns/residents/attendings asking you harder and harder questions until you get it wrong and feel completely inadequate); if only pimping didn't happen every 5 minutes, then I might not feel completely inadequate all day, everyday. Let's not forget that during all of this, our actual goal is to transform our minds from being encyclopedic to being clinical; we're supposed to figure out how to actually be doctors, starting as 2nd year encyclopedias of disease and transforming into 3rd year clinicians treating disease. No wonder I'm tired.
The 4th quarter (and 3rd year) ends on my birthday. My present to myself will be to get to that day no more wounded/hurt/tired than I am today. The name of the game now for these last 3 months is survival. Wish me luck.
But in third year, many students, myself included, are hoping to slide through their 4th quarters. I'm not hoping to win; I just want to survive. We've all had 9 hard months of being the kid sibling (med student) who has to play with older siblings (residents and interns) but is never told the rules. AND, those older siblings, and thus rules, change every 2-4 weeks. Then there's the pimping (i.e. interns/residents/attendings asking you harder and harder questions until you get it wrong and feel completely inadequate); if only pimping didn't happen every 5 minutes, then I might not feel completely inadequate all day, everyday. Let's not forget that during all of this, our actual goal is to transform our minds from being encyclopedic to being clinical; we're supposed to figure out how to actually be doctors, starting as 2nd year encyclopedias of disease and transforming into 3rd year clinicians treating disease. No wonder I'm tired.
The 4th quarter (and 3rd year) ends on my birthday. My present to myself will be to get to that day no more wounded/hurt/tired than I am today. The name of the game now for these last 3 months is survival. Wish me luck.
posted by Christina at 6:50 PM
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