Revisiting the Orient (-ation, that is)

One week down, 207 to go!

During the first two days of orientation at Baylor College of Medicine, 179 first-year med students went on an overnight retreat. I met many of my new classmates, enjoyed getting-to-know-you activities, and jumped off a telephone pole. I had to catch myself early on because I kept thinking, "Last year it was like X." So, I tried to focus on creating new experience with new people instead of reminiscing about the past and making comparisons. This will be my mantra for the next three weeks.

Following the retreat, we had three days of general information about the curriculum, getting around Baylor, and dealing with the administrative and financial components of BCM. I especially enjoyed the student-chosen faculty speaker's address. He's an OB/GYN and shared a homemade video clip montage of a patient's L&D experience. It was very moving and reinforced my interested in the field. I'm still interested in emergency med and oncology, but I can't help but think about how cool and miraculous it would be to participate in childbirth everyday... to be there when people become parents, when belly bumps become crying infants full of life, when newborns see the world for the first time, when a child gets a new baby brother or sister, etc. I digress...

I have decided to join the Baylor gym because my condo complex doesn't have a workout facility. For me, it will be cheap and convenient, which should fit in nicely with my new lifestyle and routine. I also got a work study job, which will start bright and early on Monday morning. I should preface this by saying that I am intentionally hesitant in making non-class commitments (especially early on) because I know I'll be dedicating a lot of time to studying during basic sciences. Conveniently, my job will actually take place during and in class. Initially, I had hoped to be the class 'board eraser,' but I was encouraged to take on the A/V tech role. I was assured that I didn't need to be tech-savvy, just adept enough to keep microphones charged and powerpoints loaded on the big screen. Since I am planning on attending lectures everyday anyway, this will be a pretty painless addition to my schedule. I'll find out more on Monday.

Other than that, I am continuing to expand my social circle in the realm of med students. I saw Mamma Mia! today with three of my classmates. Though the movie was entertaining overall, I found myself cringing at Pierce Brosnan's singing, the studio feel of the set, the over-the-top dramatizations and dance sequences, and Colin Firth's character at the movie's end. Definitely wait for video; it's a fun flick, but it's no Chicago. Well, that's it for now. Until next time... :)