Increasingly, I find myself apologizing for being a medical student. It has gotten to the point where my reflex is to give a detailed schedule out through September and an account of what I'll be doing so people don't think that I'm blowing them off...I really am that busy and not going to be in town or free until September! It could be Mother's Day (Sorry Mom!) or my brother moving into his new house (Sorry Bro), or my friends marriage that falls in the middle of my surgery rotation (Sorry Guys! Enjoy my gift!) or my girlfriend's graduation ball (Sorry Hun), but it's always the same story...I have school, I cant get away. Yes, I have to study for a straight week before my exams, no I'm not stupid. Yes I have to study for 6 weeks straight for the boards, it determines a big chunk of my career. No I can't go to Vegas with you because I have to work 60 hours that week, I'm probably staying late most nights and I'm probably on overnight call that Saturday too...yeah, I'll see you at Christmas too.
One of my friends has been in town for work on and off for the past few months and I've turned down his invites for drinks a few times now. He's VERY understanding of the whole thing, but I'm just wondering when understanding runs out like it has with so many others...
What other career can you rack up $260k of debt and lose your personal life all before your first sub-minimal wage paycheck?
3 comments:
You have my sympathy. I received one Masters degree in engineering studying part time and working full time, and now am 70% done with a second Masters in a different engineering discipline, also done part time. Plus I spend over two hours a day in my car commuting to work. I have blown off so many family/friends events over the last 6 1/2 years that I lost track a long time ago, and my social circle is almost nonexistent. My fiance' keeps telling me to hurry up and be done with school or else. My Dad doesn't even bother asking me to do anything anymore (cue up Cat's in the Cradle...) because it has been the same story for so long.
It sounds like that pales in comparison to med school though.
-M
PS - Has Scarlett Johannson shown up to have her hooha tuned up yet?
I feel your pain. One thing I am finding now that I am at the end of this is that some people have been so damn busy themselves that they are not offended by my falling of the face of the earth for 4 years. And text messaging to say hello occasionally has also been a good staying in tough tool when there is not time for a long conversation or hanging out.
M- Scarlett Johannson has not shown up for her 30,000 mile hooha tune up. I'm boring to talk to on the phone as well...usually the conversation goes something like "What's new Bostonian?"
"Just studying, same shit different day..." At least I'll have cool stories next year, but I doubt anyone but my mom and newly minted M1 friends will be interested.
LC-I text a little too much as it is. I just don't like the feeling of falling off the face of the earth. It's isolating and not having contact with the outside world and normal people for weeks at a time just leads me into a place that feels like the twilight zone. I'm kind of hoping that the nurses/patients will keep me a bit more grounded next year than this year.
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