I completed my orientation to medical school this week, and in a few days I will begin my studies. As I expected, it was an overwhelming week. There were lots of new people to meet (178 people in my class), and lots of new information about our M’12 (Medical class of 2012). Additionally, I was adjusting to a new commute and new schedule, which didn’t feel routine yet.
We learned about safety… what to do in case of fire… in case blood splashes in our eyes. We heard many compelling welcome messages which congratulated us and described the gifts and responsibilities of being a physician. We heard the goal was to make us excellent clinicians, which is the part of medicine that excites me the most. We read and signed a statement about HIPAA- the government’s act to ensure patients’ privacy. We lied on the floor, did some deep breathing, and learned about stress management. We were certified in adult, child and infant BLS (Basic Life Safety). We learned about student activity groups, and purchased stethoscopes, ophthalmoscope (to look into the eye), otoscopes (to look in the ears), and sphygmomanometers (blood pressure cuffs).*
*I didn’t understand these words when I first heard them this week. Medical terminology is like a foreign language, and I will obviously have to learn more before I can use these terms without feeling self-conscious.
The most interesting day was spent on a field with small group activities including wheelbarrow racing, balancing an egg on a spoon, and water-balloon tosses. I discovered I am terribly out-of-practice at wheelbarrow racing, and my shoulders are sore.
We discussed diversity, and issues of language, race, religion and all the many things that make the doctor-patient relationship so complex. Overall I feel good about being in my medical school. Lying on the floor, frolicking on a field, and kind words were evidence that my medical school is more of a touchy-feely place than I thought it would be. I am the kind of person who is thrilled about that.
