A Med School Memoir

Last night I got a big packet from my med school. They send one out around the same time every month, and even though I keep expecting it to be my financial aid notice, it’s usually just a promotional magazine about how super-awesome their cancer research center is, or something about how their alumni save African babies at a higher rate than the alumni of other med schools–you know, cliché PR/marketing stuff. While I never really find these magazines very interesting, I will admit that I derive an unprecedented, and perhaps perverse level of joy in finding them in the mailbox every month. I’m a little ashamed to admit that the only reason I can come up with to explain why I get so worked-up over receiving a glossier, more expensive version of a Domino’s coupon mailer is that it strokes my ego to be reminded–via highly official-looking snail mail, no less–that I am going to be a doctor. Okay, not really–it’s more that I’m just super excited to start classes. I’ve been waiting for this moment for years and years, dammit! I want to start now! (I know I’ll regret saying that before too long, but at this point, I can’t help it–I just want to start class!)

Along with the magazine, they enclosed a stock letter about how excited they are to meet me at orientation in the fall. Considering that a couple months ago I received pretty much the same letter, only mistakenly addressed to the wrong person (they put his letter in my envelope), I kind of question their sincerity. It’s a nice sentiment, at any rate. Considering that I will soon be paying them multiple tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege of attending their school, the least they can do is pretend to give a rat’s ass about me. Along with the letter, there was yet another invitation to attend the summer pre-matriculation program, where students will learn the lay of the land before starting classes–kind of like an extended, week-long orientation. Since it starts a few weeks before classes, however, I can’t go. I really wish I could, but unfortunately, I have to stay at my job until a few days before classes officially start.

I’d imagine that if I had just graduated from college a couple weeks ago, and had a free summer to lounge around and do nothing but drink and play in the sprinkler like a kid retarded on happy, I wouldn’t be quite so excited (i.e. anxious) to start. But instead, I did the whole “gap year” thing, which turned into like, 3 years, and now I have a job and I have to spend the summer before med school pretending to care about doing research when really, all I want to do is go outside and lay in a hammock and let the breeze rock me back and forth while I read a book and doze off under the afternoon sun. That would be cool.

Instead, I have to go start a reaction.

Can you sense my enthusiasm?

Tags:   MS-0 · summer plansNo Comments