First Year Complete!

Well, we did it! The first year is over--somehow, we managed to get through every system of the body, learning the intricacies of the heart, the lungs, the brain, the muscles, and what happens if things misfire. It was an amazing and difficult journey--without a doubt, the most challenging year of school I have ever had, but I leave it knowing still, without question--medicine is my calling. I love this.

Five things I learned in my first year:
5) Cadavers really aren't creepy. They are all over medical school memoir as the first teacher, first patient we will encounter, and though it is probably cliche at this point, it is true. We learned the body by using our hands to move through this one--we learned her muscles and nerves, held her heart in our hands (that really was an amazing moment), examined her liver. She was ever-patient with our lack of finesse, tolerated each misstep with ease. By the time we finished, I knew where each of her major arteries hid, what tendon I could tug to make her fingers curl, and how arthritic her knee was. It was amazing. And you do get used to the smell.
4) What the brain lacks in first impressions, it makes up for in function. The brain is less than two pounds; looks really just like a series of gray curves and valleys, has sort of a gelatinous texture when you touch it. Hard to believe then, that this object is the seat of consciousness, emotion, higher thought, and coordinates basically every function. But delving into the minutiae of the brain...wow. Tiny regions the size of my fingertip coordinate language interpretation, and vision is way more than I expected (and the cerebellum is larger too...and is quite beautiful, if you bisect it!). Somehow, our brain controls everything--every breath, every thought, every beat of our heart.
3) Camaraderie develops just prior to exams. It's amazing. We all make our friends, have the people we hang out with, but before an exam, it doesn't matter who you are; it only matters that you're in the same class, have been in the library 8 hours to0, can't figure out what we need to know from the embryology lecture, can't quite keep these nerves straight... There are looks of collective understanding, wishes of good luck in the stairwell, a constant willingness to answer questions. I think we all are grateful.
2) There is nothing like patient contact. Whether it is ambulatory care or one of the doctoring classes, anything that gets me in my white coat and interacting with people is a reminder of why these four years are totally worth it. Everyone has a story. I've had patients make me laugh, put me at ease, and move me powerfully. Perhaps my favorite moment was when a man who had been through hell simply looked at my interview partner and I and said when I come to the hospital, I put myself in God's hands and He puts me in yours as my doctors, and another who had come in to speak about her kidney transplant told us you doctors are the answer to so many prayers.
1) We truly are fearfully and wonderfully made. If first year has taught me anything, it has given me a genuine and deep awe for the body. Just the fact that I am able to type this right now, watch a movie, sleep, and then wake in the morning is nothing short of miraculous.

Sorry for the hiatus, all :) I promise to be back, at least through my summer in Cambodia, and if you're lucky, during second year as well. Blessings to all, and thanks for reading :)