"Welcome.... the next 4 years are going to suck"

Sorry about being MIA for the last week, but between orientation and trying to get internet in the apartment it's been a little hard to get online. As for the title, it is basically what we were all told all week.

Some of you are probably wondering what I've been up to for the week, so I'm going to try and recap:

Monday: FIRST DAY of Orientation!
All of us pre-meds finally become med students! We all gathered in nervous anticipation in the cafeteria and, after awkwardly asking an unknown class mate if we could sit next to them, started making introductions. "Hi, I'm ______" "Where did you do undergrad?" "Are you from Michigan?" "Where are you living?" End of knowing what to ask besides expanding on those topics until someone new sat down. I love awkwardness.

We then followed the crowd upstairs to the M1 (aka 1st year medical student) auditorium and got the obligatory "Welcome to Med School. You should all be VERY proud that you've gotten this far." Ad nauseum.

From there we broke up into groups that we would rotate through different activities all week. I had the *lovely* experience of the co-curricular presentation, after which I proceeded to let anyone who had yet to go to skip... the reason? They took 2 hours to tell us about a program that they could have done in 30 minutes. Granted, it's a great program (I'll be participating) that incorporate 50 hours of community service and 25 hours of seminar (outside lecture) for the 1st 2 years of school, but still.... a little much to try and extend it that long.

We then had a huge scavenger hunt to acquaint ourselves with what we need to know about important places and where everything is in the building and associated hospitals. This was lots of fun and another great chance to meet people.

The day ended with a horrible lecture on financial aid.

That night there was a huge party at one of the local bars (aka not suburbs). So my roommate and I headed out and got the chance to meet a whole bunch of people from our class. It was a lot of fun!

Tuesday:
Special day... Diversity day. They basically spent the whole day telling us not to stereotype and to treat everyone well, no matter there socioeconomic status, gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation. I did not enjoy this day and felt like I was in primary school for a bunch of it. We had another breakout session in the afternoon where I got my official @med.wayne.edu address.

Wednesday:
First, we had the chance to have breakfast we the year 1 course directors. I then got the chance to go on rounds with a doctor. We got to see a metal trach tube, which is a tube that opens up your respiratory passages and it placed in the throat. We also got to see the radiology oncology machines and how they work. And we also got to look through a scope at the vocal chords and at where the bronchi split. All in all. Very cool morning.

The afternoon was spent in some general meeting (we were reassured about the safety at our campus and told that it was a lot better here that in a lot of the surrounding suburbs (and better than the other state schools even)). And then my group went to a town hall type meeting where some M3s told us about our year 1 courses and we could ask any question we wanted.

That day after school there was also a really fun picnic at one of the local parks for CMA (see below). I got to meet some of my classmates and talked to some others more in depth. It turns out that the faculty advisor is an TU alum! Good fun and fun games; We were there basically until it was time for the park to close!

Thursday:
We had a *wonderful* meeting about the attendance policy and academic honesty in the morning.... complete with a 30 slide powerpoint presentation on professionalism that we only got 2/3s the way thru... I think I fell asleep at one point. After which our group had the chance to get a tour of downtown, which was GREAT! I learned a lot and am now more excited about living down here.

When we got back from the tour my roommate, Sarah, and I all headed over to Matthews Medical Bookstore where the three of us got our books (I love this part of the year. New textbooks truly makes me slightly euphoric): Grey's Dissection Guide, Grey's Anatomy for Students, and Netter's Atlas of Anatomy. Amazingly, I used the same histology book in my undergrad and already had it at the apartment. I still have to get at least one more book for embryology (but that doesn't start until after our first exam).

After lunch we had another horribly boring and long lecture about blood-borne pathogens and how we should NEVER EVER recap needles as we will most likely end up with one of these diseases. Yeah, most people slept thru that one as well.

But then I FINALLY registered. And finally got my student ID card. And finally got my notes (I'm a dork and have wanted them since they were available, but seeing as my name is at the end of the alphabet and I couldn't get them until I registered...)

I then went home and looked through all my books and read a few of the notes (yeah, I'm a dork... but at least I know it and freely admit to it).

Last night was a TON of fun! We went out to another local bar for a party hosted by some M2s. A bunch of M1s where there and we had fun socializing and dancing until about 1 am (at which point my roommate, Sarah, and I decided to leave).

That brings us to today!
Today was fun. I got the obligatory "This is how you use the library" informational session but also a really cool one on all the AMAZING art is in the hospital right next door. SO cool.

We then went to the student organization fair. Oh bad for Katie who over commits. Let's see:

• I joined CMA (Christian Medical Association)... which I'm planning on being involved in regularly.
• I joined AMA (American Medical Association)... from which I got a Steadmans Medical Dictionary, a Nalgene, and a subscription to JAMA.
• I signed up for Arie, which goes and plays with kids at the children's hospital (I'm going to use it for my co-curricular service hours)
• I signed up for info from WHSO (World Health Student Organization)... which does medical mission trips to third world countries.
• I signed up for info about the pediatrics interest group
• I signed up for info about AMWA (American Medical Women's Association).... only because they said all they were doing was like a few brown bag lunch meetings.

I think that's it, but who knows, it was all a blur.

Another AWESOME thing that happened today was the ultrasound seminar. I guess that our school is pioneering the way in teaching ultrasound to med students. So we got to play with the machines today. We got to see joints moving on the screen. I volunteered my carotid artery (in the neck) to watch blow flow, a surgery resident showed us the heart. It was SA-WEET!

Tomorrow is a big day... White Coat Ceremony Day. It is the day during which I first officially don the white coat of the profession and say the Hippocratic Oath. Mom and Dad are coming down for the occasion. Exciting times.

Now that I'm sufficiently (sorry) updated to you my life, it is time for me to start reading all the material for Monday.

Coming soon: What classes and I taking? And what they actually mean for all you non-medical types out there. Also, pictures of the "decorate" apartment.