Itching!

Today my friend Dr. J asked me to pick up his kid at school because he was stuck in GI. I was supposed to pick him up at his fancy schmancy private school at 12:30.

As I'm driving there, at about 12:25, I get a sudden and intense itch attack on my legs. Both legs, all over. I just took a shower, so maybe I soaped and shaved my legs in the wrong order? Who knows? But I'm going crazy and despite the fact that I'm going to be late I stop at Walgreens to get some cream. I actually have an awesome concoction of a couple products I use for anti-itch, so I picked them up and paid for them in the pharmacy section. I immediately ran to the pharmacy waiting area after I paid and started slathering on the stuff, cause I was about to explode.

This little old man is watching me and he says "is that good for itchin'? I been itchin' and I can't stop! I think I got into some ivy!"

So I sit down next to him and offer him some of my concoction and explain how it works. He seems happy when it works almost immediately and he says "You should be a doctor"

I smile and reply "You think so?"

I'm reveling in this moment when I realize I'm in Walgreens putting itch cream on a stranger and I forgot Dr. J's kid at school. Crap!

Bone Marrow Donation

The New York Times posted an article on an important topic today. Bone Marrow donation. All it takes is about 5 minutes to register and swab the inside of your mouth. You can save someone's life. I'm on the list. You should be too....

Well, it's true

So yesterday we had a group problem solving session on bleeding and coagulation, etc. The professor starts talking about warfarin, and asks the question "So where do we see warfarin?". And everybody is dead silent. Kind of a weird question. Um, at the pharmacy? In patients who just had a PE? In Nazi Germany?

No one answers.

Of course, OF COURSE, he looks at me and repeats the question. Me. My brain is thinking where do I SEE warfarin? Shit, I'll take my best guess.

ME: Um, rat poison?

PROFESSOR: (Slaps his forehead and guffaws in disbelief) No! No! Do you want to be a doctor??

Apparently the answer he was looking for was in clover. A special kind of clover. Of course!!! I'm such an idiot!

PMAD - Pre-Med Associated Depression

Yes, I'm writing about it. Generally PMAD doesn't kick in until about October (when one of the following things may happen), but I thought I'd write about it a little early... just for pre-emptive purposes.

1) You've had an "oh shit" moment in (insert ridiculously difficult pre-med class here). Probably you failed the mid-term, you are totally behind, or you have no idea what the fuck is going on. You then start awfulizing and realizing that you really only have about 8 chances (your pre-med class grades) to really prove yourself though your GPA. The fact that you are barely passing (or outright failing) Physics and Gen Chem are not good for your overall pre-med momentum. Now you have to work extra hard to pass the classes. And extra hard in your remaining 6 classes to make up for your less than stellar grades. Uh.

2) You may be already in the application process. By October you haven't gotten any interviews, and you no longer can deny that you aren't getting in this year. A cascade of "what the hell am I going to do with my life", "I'm a loser", "I'm going to law school", "I can't think of ANYTHING else I want to do with my life", "F&%$#@G MCAT!!", "My parents are going to kill me", "What am I going to tell everyone????", and a few more rounds of "I'm a loser" all ensue. And repeat.

3) You got your late results back from a summer MCAT, they suck, and now you have to stand around scratching your ass until January to retake. Another year of your life down the drain.

Don't worry. This happens to all of us. It's part of the med school game. Bad news? It doesn't really stop after you get into med school. Good news? In med school you'll NEVER have to do a freakin' physics or o-chem problem EVER!!