Liz's Medical School Journey

One of my classmates and faithful readers (thank you Ilana!) reminded me that my description of Physical Diagnosis cannot be complete without telling you about one of my funniest days in medical school.  And I’m positive you would rather read an entertaining story than read about my final exams.  Plus I need a mental break from Boards, so here goes…

That Wednesday it was a dark, rainy morning, especially dark considering it was 5:30am.  I got dressed as usual, trying to turn-on as few lights as possible, so my husband could keep sleeping.  I put on brown slacks, and gathered my white coat and medical tools.  Ready!

It was pouring while I walked to the subway, so I was trying to stay dry.  I commuted by subway 45 minutes to get to my bus.  I picked up my usual Chinese milk-tea and almond bun on the way.  We had the spacious bus that day, so I had a seat to myself, where I could relax and put my feet up.  And as I was doing so, I gasped.  I was wearing two different shoes!

Two very different shoes: different shapes, styles and colors.  One was brown and the other was black.  One was pointed, the other was round.  One was Clarks, the other Ecco.  How could I not notice earlier?!  In fact, they suddenly felt different on my feet too!  Apparently I was more exhausted than I thought.  I’m pretty sure I’ve dreamt a similar scenario, but I always woke up thinking, “Thank god that was only a dream!”  That morning there was nothing I could do.  Home was hours away, and nobody packs extra shoes for the hospital.

So, I was stuck with one brown and one black shoe all day.  The first thing I decided to do was tell my classmates because I knew somebody would notice eventually.  Besides, it was pretty hilarious, and an honest mistake anybody could have made in the early morning hours.

Everybody did find it pretty funny.  After a round of “Let me see!” and giggling, one person suggested I could snag a walking boot at the hospital, take off one shoe, and pretend like I injured that foot.  Fortunately my patient was a 6-month old baby.  He didn’t care about my shoes.  In fact, despite being sick, he was cheerfully cooing and grabbing his feet.  Infants and young children can be so refreshing when they don’t have societal qualms that we do.  His mom noticed at one point- at least I saw her look at my feet, then look up, then scan back down quickly.  I wished I could have tuned in to her thoughts, which probably began, “Wait, are those… YES they are…”

In the afternoon, I was assigned to give my oral presentation to the head of the pediatrics department, a tall fellow who takes things very seriously.  As you can imagine, I felt about 2 inches tall while giving my presentation.  I stayed seated, with my legs crossed (hoping to make my feet less noticeable). But, he didn’t seem to care, and if he did, he never said anything.  Therefore, I made it through a whole day with two different shoes, one of the most embarrassing things I could do to myself, and I survived!

In the future l will be checking my shoes very carefully, especially next year during surgery when I have to get up in darkness daily.  Now, however, I feel more prepared for future embarrassments.   At least I know I can make it through a normal day, even if I look weird.  Most people really don’t notice the things that we feel the most self-conscious about, or if they do, they don’t really care as much as we think they will.  So maybe someday I’ll see a medical student with two different shoes, earrings, socks, or a shirt on inside-out, and I’ll understand.