Television

I'm back!

Let me re-introduce myself. My name is DC Med Student and I am a TV addict.

The smartest decision I ever made was getting rid of my television two years ago. While I was home on vacation, I swear I spent the majority of my time in front of the new 42" plasma television with Direct TV. Who needs to go out into nature when you can sit comfortably on the couch and watch Planet Earth in HD surround sound on the Discovery Channel? And boy do I love it when networks decide to do series marathons! I was able to watch a season of The Biggest Loser, the latest season of Kathy Griffin: My life on the D-List, as well as the latest season of Little People, Big World. I also came close to earning my master's degree in Egyptology from watching the History Channel. And then there were all of the home improvement shows on HGTV. . . (How I wish I had the money to redecorate my apartment.) Oh, but my favorite show. . . Judge Judy! I know, it's sick.

I would have failed out of medical school last year had I had a television with cable. Seriously, I cannot tear myself away from that thing. And now that there are a bunch of shows that highlight obesity, another one of my interests, I know for sure that I would have convinced myself that it was of educational value to watch shows like Big Medicine, Honey We're Killing the Kids, and Plastic Surgery: Before and After.

It is really important to know yourself well before entering medical school. You need to know what works for you and what doesn't. The sooner you can identify your weaknesses, the sooner you can make the necessary changes that will make you stronger, more effective, and, ultimately, more successful.

I'm not going to lie. It's hard. I mean, right now all I'm thinking is, "I can't believe I'm going to miss the season premiere of Flipping Out (on Bravo) today." It's true. This, when I should be preparing for my second year of medical school. I need to buy books; I need to pay rent; I need my loan disbursement money. Thankfully, now that I am back in my DC apartment sans 42" plasma television with Direct TV, it won't take long before I've switched gears and focus again on all things medical school.

Vacation

Tomorrow I head out to the Rocky Mountains for some much needed rest and rehabilitation. I will be there (at a base elevation of approximately 5,400 feet) for three weeks before I return to D.C. to tackle my second year of medical school.

Some planned activities are white-water rafting, hiking (peak elevation approximately 10,200 feet), jogging, and plenty of TV-watching (I have much to catch up on). I will have limited Internet access, so my posting will be less frequent.

The next three weeks will likely be the last three-week vacation that I take for a long time to come. Next summer I will be studying for USMLE Step 1, and the summer after that is only a two-week break. You don't get much time off during medical school. Even on this trip I will likely spend some time reviewing first-year material and previewing second-year material. Nevertheless, when that vacation time rolls around, make the most of it. Do something. Do nothing. Just be sure that you come out feeling refreshed. You deserve it!

Attendance

Some mornings you wake up and just don't want to go to class. Many mornings were like this for me during my first year of medical school. I would have Jill Scott's "Gotta Get Up" playing in my head:

I don't want to go to work today
I'd rather stay home and play video games
I'd rather chill for real / I don't know how you feel
But sometimes I feel like I'm
Workin' for nuthin' / tryin' to get sumthin'
Everywhere I turn there's a bill standing out
Swim the river climb the hill
Complacency you ain't gone get me
no no no no . . .

I want to say that most days I made myself go to lecture, but there were plenty of days when I felt I needed a break from the lecture hall and remained in the quiet comfort of my apartment.

You may ask, "Don't you have to attend every lecture to do well in medical school?" My experience so far tells me, No. In fact, my exam grades improved in some units when I did NOT attend lecture. It all depends on the subject being taught, your learning style, and the teaching style of the professor(s). Besides, you could always watch the recorded video lectures or listen to the recorded audio lectures for the days you missed if the guilt (or, perhaps, fear of missing something important) was really getting to you.

If you are not getting anything from a series of lectures, that time can be better spent on any number of things. My top ten alternatives (in no particular order) are listed below. Please feel free to add your own favorites in the comments.

1. Catching up on sleep
2. Catching up on grooming
3. Catching up on sleep
4. Catching up on laundry
5. Catching up on sleep
6. Catching up on "Grey's Anatomy"
7. Catching up on sleep
8. Catching up on "Ugly Betty"
9. Catching up on sleep
10. Catching up on life outside of medical school

Language

According to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2000, roughly 17% of D.C. residents aged five years and older spoke a language other than English in the home. Of that 17%, nearly 55% spoke Spanish in the home. Nationally, the figures are similar with 18% of people aged five years and older speaking a language other than English in the home. Nearly 60% of those spoke Spanish in the home. Furthermore, a 2003 U.S. Census Bureau report on language use and English-speaking ability showed that nationwide, just over half of those who spoke a language other than English in the home indicated that they spoke English "Very well" (the other categories were "Well," "Not well," or "Not at all").

Being able to speak Spanish will help me during my medical education and career. This I know for sure. I have heard plenty of stories from friends in medical school about the difficulty of working with translators or of being the only person who is able to speak some Spanish and getting "stuck" with all the Spanish-speaking patients.

In addition to the gripes from some of my friends (and the gripes I've read on other medical students' blogs) there have been other moments that have reminded me of the key role I could play in the clinical setting. This past year of medical school, during our course on patient care and the practice of medicine, we discussed the many barriers to health care that immigrants face in Washington such as language, cultural, and economic barriers. The top three languages, after Spanish, that are most sought-after from medical professionals are French, African languages such as Amharic, and Chinese.

I did not always believe that being able to speak Spanish was an asset. In fact, from about age ten to fourteen it made me very self-conscious. During that time I was attending a private school full of rich kids; I wasn't rich. In my mind at the time, rich people didn't speak Spanish; only nannies and house-keepers and gardeners spoke Spanish. I wanted desperately to fit in with my classmates. I was young and foolish and ignorant.

I look forward to the day when I will be part of a Spanish-speaking patient's health care team. To be able to care for them in their native tongue will be a very proud moment for me.

Dear Mom,

Feliz cumpleaños! Today would have been your 55th birthday. Gosh you're getting old! ;)

I know it's been some time now, but I still find myself wanting to call and talk to you about what's going on in my life. I miss the comfort in hearing you say, "Todo va a salir bien." But I've learned that, for the most part, things do turn out okay.

What did you think of the fireworks this year? I know you loved them; you always did. I like to think that now you have the best view of all.

Happy 55th! I miss you. Tu sonrisa vive en mi por siempre.