Med School excitement strikes again

Sorry for the long absence, but I've been busy with a lot of things lately.

The last weekend of April was Stony Brook Med's Revisited Weekend. This is when a bunch of accepted Stony Brook Med students are invited to the campus for a day or two of information sessions which serve to give accepted candidates a better idea of what the next 4 years could be like at Stony Brook. It was geared mostly for students who are choosing between different schools that have sent them letters of acceptance, portraying what makes SB stand out from other med schools, and explaining what opportunities are available through the school.

One of the things that got me extremely excited was the strong push for international health. One small regret that I have from undergrad is never having studied abroad. But, it seems I'll get my chance to do so at Stony Brook, either as a summer experience and/or a 4th year elective. My plans are to hit both El Salvador and Japan within my four years of med school. The projects and foundations available through SB are extremely flexible, so I may be able to use my contacts in El Salvador to establish some sort of program or collaboration with my country's School of Medicine to help under-served communities. How awesome would that be?! And I've always wanted to visit Japan, so why not as a med student? :)

Another point of excitement was meeting my future classmates, who were incredibly down to earth. The fact that everyone there comes from such distinct backgrounds is pretty fascinating. The age range was somewhere between 20 and 35 years old for incoming students, which included fresh-out-of-college students, single moms, and career-shifting businessmen. Crazy, huh? Also, there was a drastic change in atmosphere than what I've come accustomed to during my stay at college. The mentality from an Ivy League undergraduate institution and the medical school mindset could not be more different. The pre-med program at Cornell fostered this horrible, horrible attitude of competition and survival of the fittest, whereas in medical school, most people, if not all, realize that everyone's in the same boat. They've made it this far, and at this point, you're only competing against yourself. Rankings are still somewhat important, but the stress is on learning the material, making sure you understand what's being taught, and the ability to apply the knowledge and skills learned in a clinical setting. That's way more important that just pure memorization of facts and cramming as much material into your brain in the least amount of time. The student body at SB Med is small enough, only about 140 students per class, that it becomes a familial unit. I can't wait!

Another highlight of the weekend was the clinical skills/simulation center, which is a part of the educational program for MDs. It's a building wing specifically designed to simulate multiple doctor/patient interactions in the examining room. There are two components, the first being a reconstructed patient examination room in which hired and trained actors are brought in to exhibit a plethora of symptoms depending on the unit currently being studied. These are used to judge students on their patient interaction abilities, as well as their newly taught procedural clinical skills, such as taking histories and checking for certain ailments. The other half of the center is another mock exam room that contains a really fancy mannequin named SimMan. It breathes (chest moves up and down), has a pulse, exhibits a blood pressure, has places for IV lines and defibrillator paddles, AND it can talk. It's hooked up to a NASA-like control center nearby in which an evaluator or technician can speak through a microphone to simulate an actual conversation. In our little showing, our patient went into cardiac arrest and we had to perform CPR and bring him back to life. It was pretty intense, let me tell you. When he stopped talking and suddenly flat-lined ... well, let's hope we will all be ready if that happens in real life. A creative and effective way, I think, to teach and prepare doctors, wouldn't you say?

All in all, I'm extremely excited to start medical school. Granted, I'm a little uneasy and nervous about the intensity that comes with med school, but I have a feeling I can take it. It's something I've been working towards for so long, that it doesn't even seem like a legitimate concern any more. I've gotten in, and now, it's just a matter of survival. I can do it, I'm sure.