how do you measure.....measure a year??

One year ago today, I was getting ready to take the MCATs AGAIN...not a bad score thing mind you - an expiration thing. I had decided to go forward with taking the exam and taking a (last?) chance at medical school very, VERY late last summer and I was left with two weeks to study - one of which I spent on vacation! :O Not exactly a recommended course of preparation, but I knew my previous experiences would pull me through the exam. Thankfully, they did.

After the exams, I went straight to my friend Jaime (female) and Tom's wedding reception. Happy Anniversary!!! Not like they'll read this though. lol. It's crazy that they've been married for a year already. Married....sheeshhh! That's a different discussion altogether.

So, in the past year, I've filled out assloads of applications for schools, spent thousands of dollars on fees for those applications, drank a bit of alcohol because of those applications, went fishing, went racing, bought another car (cheapo-bucket), and spent every second on the rollercoaster of "will I/won't I get into medical school". I wish it wasn't such a long process, but at least I'm done with that and the year's toil was fruitful. But again....it's crazy that I'm finally here.

Sometimes, I feel like I'm going to "WAKE UP" and not be in medical school or get the letter that says, "We made a mistake on your application." But that is fading now and everyday I gain more confidence in my abilities.

I am happy that I am here and I will make a great doctor.

August 5th - Backdate this entry

I don't really know much about blogging. So, if someone knows how to backdate an entry, by all means let me know how. Thanks!

Anyway....

Orientation started 'yesterday' on the 4th of August. Saturday's events included some optional tours/sessions. The one that I went on included a drive around the area to investigate Alternative Study Spaces (A.S.S.es as I suggested). I'm not much of a 'library guy', so I thought it would be useful....turns out there's nothing really close to the Queen Lane Campus - no little coffee shops on the corner, bookstores...

During the tour, I sat in a car with a 2nd year and 3 other 1st years. That was the more useful part of the excursion. We got to pick our "sage's" brain on a more intimate/informal setting. It was kind of a long afternoon and I started fading out. The radio was playing and The Fray came on...sometimes I feel this way and I blurted it out loud, "Does anyone else feel like the refrain?" I think it's a normal feeling of......anticipation? excitement? anxiety? Maybe a little of everything, but I know it'll be good.

"Everyone knows
I'm in Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind"

wooohooo! 1st post

It was an awesome moment in my life. Yesterday, Drexel University College of Medicine's Class of 2010 received our white coats!

For the uninitiated, the White Coat Ceremony is a newer tradition in the medical community where a few speakers comment on the profession and discusses the tenets of science, education, compassion and ethics that are important to a career as a physician. The class recites the Hippocratic Oath for the first time as new initiates into the profession.

Our keynote speaker was Dr. Richard V. Homan.
http://www.drexelmed.edu/med/news/newsprint.asp?ID=51
His speech focused and stressed Humanism in Medicine and for me it was an emotional moment...the culmination of years of perserverance, desire and a little bit of luck. Today, it all came together in the realization that I am in the right place at the right time to start my career in medicine.

As IF I needed any more affirmation of how perfect everything is coming together, I was driving home on the Schuylkill Expressway and the traffic was light and the sun was setting in the west. I flipped around on the radio stations and landed on U2's "Beautiful Day". The lyrics might not apply or make sense, but the refrain is......Perfect.

It's a beautiful day
Don’t let it get away
It's a beautiful day
Don’t let it get away