Shortest Day

Winter's finally here--the season, that is; it feels like it's been
winter forever. Yesterday marked its return with the solstice, the
shortest day of the year. From now on, the sunlight will stick around
longer and longer each day, until that day in April when it's 7pm and
you're walking home and realize it's still bright out. That's always a
nice feeling, isn't it?

Yesterday was also a very short day at school, marking the first day
of winter break. Which means: I'm currently on winter break! I
finished the final of my finals yesterday at 2:30 (standardized
patient exam), and promptly skipped home to relax over dinner with
friends. I'm headed off to Mexico tomorrow with my sister, and after
that I'm headed home for three short days to spend New Years with the
fam-fam. And on the first day of 2007 I'll head back here to good ol'
Pittsburgh to kick off the second half of MS1, hopefully refreshed and
rearin' to go.

The first half of MS1 was... fun? Yeah, fun. I really enjoy school,
but I think for awhile I hit a period where I felt frustrated at the
level of learning we were doing. All of my classes here have been less
challenging and more poorly taught than any of my college courses.
While I realize that I went to an excellent undergraduate institution
where I majored in what might have been the most scientific of majors,
and therefore I shouldn't be so picky and snooty, it still makes me
sad that this first year of medical school is more rote memorization
of the most basic of basic sciences. The multiple-choice format of all
exams leads to less understanding and more cramming of material. A lot
of things are poorly written and wanting for organization. I keep
hoping that each next course will be an improvement, but so far I've
only really been let down; after Anatomy, it all really plummeted
downhill.

That's what it is, really, my problem with these past few months--I'm
dying to get my hands dirty, like I did in Anatomy. Instead I'm
sitting on my hands, poring over books and filling my brain with
things it already holds.

But still, I still say that the first half of MS1 was fun. Despite the
ennui of courses and exams, there were and continue to be little rays
of sheer awesomeness: hanging out with great people, clinical
experiences, the upcoming shadowing experiences, the ability to do
real exams on real people.

Here's looking forward to all that next year may hold. Happy holidays,
and have a wonderful winter break!