Those following along at home may have noticed a slight delay in my posts (read: 18 months). While I cannot say such a hiatus is excusable I like to think justifiable explanations exist, predominately the clinical years of my medical training, the application and acceptance process of residency, attempting to not be an awful husband, and the minor time sink of fatherhood. Pun intended. So what might I say about the past 18 months?
I think I now understand the concept of Stockholm Syndrome.
I say this because for the past two hours I have been free of the yoke of education for the first time in twenty years. Today I finished my last required day of medical school. True, the small details of some paperwork and actual graduation must occur, but for all intents and purposes I am no longer a proper student.
And I have no idea what to do with that.
There have been moments, days, weeks, and months that were pretty awful over the course of the past four years, but I'm having a surprisingly difficult time identifying them. All I can think is that this is traumatic bonding. Everyone else who has sat through countless powerpoint lectures (sometimes at the speed of 160 slides/hour), spent hours hacking their way through anatomy lab, study on white boards in study rooms (sometimes while dancing to headphoned music and having friends unjustly laugh at you), and dragging themselves through clinical rotations probably knows what I am talking about.
I've never really been anything other than a student, so what does one do in the wild working real world? Work, I suppose? All I know is that I am excited to find out. I also have a sneaking suspicion residency will still involve a plethora of learning, lectures, and superfluous activities just with a paycheck and real risk. Which is also pretty cool, because let's be real: while I have actually *gasp* enjoyed medical school, I am pumped as hell to be done.
I have to note, however, that I could not have finished the past four years without the help of my ridiculously supportive and loving wife. I guarantee she has bore the brunt of more useless medical facts than she thought existed; sometimes so far past her line of acceptable discussion that I couldn't identify it if I tried. To her, I give a million thanks.
In addition to the better half, I have to thank my parents for always being around to talk or offer a break, my sister and her family, my in-laws, my extended family, and my friends/class mates. I am convinced that all of you, and no doubt your parallels to those other students reading this, are what make medical school enjoyable and worth it for all of us. Thank you immensely.
So I suppose this is it. The end. Or more accurately: the end of the beginning. Which might take some getting used to.
Until next time.
(Because let's be real, when have I ever not had more to say?)
