Chicken Soup for Medical Students

Chi ckenSoupf orMedi calSt udent s& "Doct orsUnderConst r uct i on":

Theh uma nmi ndhast hei n cr edi bl ec apac i t yt or epr e sst hos eun pl eas antas pe ct sofl i f eal t er i nge xpe r i enc esl i k e c hi l dbi r t handmedi c al t r ai ni ngi nor dert oc oaxt hebodyi nt odoi n gt h es amet hi n gag ai n.Thati swh yours pec i esi ss o s uc c es s f u l ,a ndwh yp eo pl ec ans t i l l g r a du at ef r o m me di c i n ea nds t a ya sd oc t o r s . Ne x ty e ar ,mo sto fy o uwi l l ma t c h heads t r ong( orheadfi r s t )i nt ot hef r ont l i neoft hatbat t l efi el dc al l edi nt er ns hi p.Thi sbat t l ei saboutf ac i ngoneofour wor s tf ear s-c onf r ont i ngando ver c omi ngy ourv u l ner abi l i t i esandi ns ec ur i t i es .Thei nt er ny eari sl i k el yt hef as t es ty e ar o fg r o wi n gu pt h atay o un gmi n dh ast oe v erg ot hr o ug h.Th er e sp on si b i l i t i e st h atc omewi t ht h eh on oro fb ei n g add r e s sedas“ Doc t or ”mus tne v erbeunder es t i mat e d.No t h i ngwi l l f ul l ypr epar ey ouf ort heemo t i o nal r ol l er c oas t er r i det hatent ai l s .Hopef ul l y ,t hi sar t i c l emi ghtj us thel pt hatal i t t l ebi t .

  Po i n t1 :Kn owt h yl i mi t a t i o ns .Th ati s ,k no w wh aty o uc and oa ndwh aty o uc an ’ td o.Th i si n v ol v e sab al a nc i n ga ct ofmai nt ai ni ngyours el f c onfi denc ewhi l er e s t r ai ni ngan yt enden ci est o war dsbec omi nganar r og ant“ k no wal l ” ( ort he p r o v er b i a l“ s ma ma r t a ss ” ) .Hu mi mi l i t ydo eson eal o to fg oo d,a ss omer e l i g i o usbo ok swo ul dt e l l y o u.Re co gn i z ewh eny o u n ee dh el p ,a ck no wl e dg et h ats ome on ea l wa y skn owsbe t t er ,a ndmo mo s ti mp or t a nt l y , a skf o rh e l pwh eny oun ee di t .I ti s n otas ha meore me mb mb ar r a s s me me ntt oas kf o rh el p .Ag oo dd oc t o rn ev e rs t o psa s k i n ga ndl e ar n i n gb ec a us easy o ug r o w ol dery ouwi l l l ear nt het r ut hi nt hatc l i c he–“ t hemor ey oul ear n,t hel es sy ouwi l l r eal i z ey ouk new” .

  Poi nt2:Behones twi t ht h ys el fandbehones twi t hot her s .Dono tmak eupt hi ngsori n f or mat i ont haty oudon ’ t k no w orar eno ts u r eof( e. g .bed10’ sbi l i r ubi nl e v el f r om t heo t herda y)bec aus ey ouf eart hato t her swi l l fi ndoutho w l i t t l ey ouk now.L yi ngwi l l under mi ney ourc r edi bi l i t yasadoc t ori npeopl e ’ smi mi ndsi nt hel ongr un.

  Poi nt3:L ear nf r om t h ymi s t ak es .Thi si saha r done ,andIs ome t i mest hi nkonl yas ai ntc andot hi sr i ght .Fac eup t oy ourf ai l ur es ,ha vet hec our ageofadmi t t i ngi tt oy our s el fandhopef ul l yt oot her s .Don’ tbr us ht hem as i de.I ti sonl y b yd oi n gt h i swo ul dy o ul e ar nan dfi n dr e s o l u t i o n,a ndmo mo v eon .Re me me mb mb er ,o nedo esn otd e fi neah er obyh owh i g h hec l i mbs ,butho w qu i c k l yhep i c k shi ms el fu paf t erhehasf al l en.

  Poi nt4:I ft houwantt obet r eat edwi t hr es pec t ,t houha vet oear ni t .Wor khar d, andot her swi l l wor khar df ory ou. T r e aty ourpat i ent s /nur s es /p eer s /c ons ul t ant s /ex ami ner s( PS:noti nanypar t i c ul aro r d er )n i c el y ,andt he ywi l l t r eat y ouwel l .Ther ei snof r eel unc h,a ndt her ei snos hor tc ut .

  Poi nt5:Av oi dl o si ngt h ys el fi nTheSy s t em.I ti sv er yeas yt obe comedeper s ona l i z edi nt hec hao t i chos pi t a l e nv i r o nme ntb ec au seo ft h es t r e ss f u la t mo sp he r ean ds t e r e ot y pe dr o l e se ac ho fu sh ast op l a y .Ve r yo f t e nt h e demand i ngpat i entf a i l st oseet h att i r ed,di s c our agedy oungper s onbehi ndt hesur gi c al mas k ,andcon v er s el y , t he i mper s onal doc t orf ai l st os eet hatonc eabeaut i f ul y oungmo mo t h er no wt u r n edbal dan dbl oat ed“ c as eofl y mphoma mp d ay10p os ts t e mmt r a ns pl a nt ”T r ypu t t i n gy o ur s el fi n t os ome on e’ ss ho es *( n ot e * :afi gu r eofs pe ec hf o rCOMPASSI ON,j us ti nc as e)f orami nut e,t heny oura nger /pr ej udi c e/f r us t r at i on/di s gus t. . et cwi l l di s si pat e.

  Po i n t6 :Th ous ha l l l e ar nt oha nd l es t r e ssi nt h yownwa y .On eo ft h ewa y swh enIg ett o oo v er wh el me dwi t ht h e s t r es sofasi t uat i oni st ost andbac k,t ak eadeepbr eat handt hent el l my sel f ,“ y es ,Iam hav i ngar eal l ybadda yr i ght

now.Butoneda yIam goi ngt ol ookbac kandt el l my sel ft hat ,gee,t hatwasar eal l ybadda y ,butIgotov eri tj us tl i k e an yot herr egu l arb adda y si nmyl i f e” .Thef ac ti syo us houl dn otbo t t l eups t r es sbec aus ei twi l l weary ouo uti nt he l o ngr u n.Yo un ee dt owa shi ta wa yl i k eab adod ora ss oo na si th ap pe nst oy ou .Goan dd eb r i e fwi t hy o urf r i e nd s/ peer s /par ent s /pet s /i ndoorpl ant s /t ax i dr i v er /t hec as hi ergi r l atCaf éaboutj us thowbadyourda yhasbeen.For t h os ewh oa r emo r er e se r v e d,g oa nds ma sht h atb al l i n st e ad ,t u r nt h atl o ud sp ea k eru po rj o gt h ate x t r a1 0k i l o me t e r s al s ohel ps .I td oesno tmat t erho wt oc ombats t r es s ,r emember ,j us tdon ’ ts i tt her eands ul kandr u mi nat eandl e t s t r es sme t as t as i z eswi t h i ny oul i k eac anc er .

  Poi nt7:De ve l opas ens eofhumor .Bl ac khumorhel psal o t ,es pec i al l yi fy ouar eanonc ol ogi s t .Youwi l l fi ndt hat mos tonc ol ogi s t sar ei nf ec t edwi t hal i ght hear t eds ens eofs ar c as t i chumor .I ti sper f ec t l yheal t hyt ol aughaty our s el f t o oe ve r yn owandt h enbec aus ei ti sar eal l ygoodwa yt obeats t r es s .I ti st hr ought hi sbl ac khumort hatmo st onc ol ogi s t s ,It hi n k,c anhan dl et hewor s ts pec t r um ofpai nan ds uff er i ngt hathumani t yhast ooff ero nadai l ybas i s . Theo t herwa y ,o fc o ur s e,i st ob el i e vet h atGodan dal l Hi sen t our agee xi s t s( i . e.guar di anangel s ,c her ub i ms , ar c hangel s ,. et c ) , butt hat ’ sanot herc anofwor msal t oget herandIwoul dl i k et ok eepr el i gi on( andpol i t i c s,t oo)outof t hi sar t i c l e.

  Poi nt8:Thef ut i l i t yofc ons t antwor r y i ng .Ther ei snopo i ntwor r y i n gab outt hi ngst hatha v eno ty ethappenedand t h i ngst hatar ewel l i nt hep as t .Cons t a ntwor r y i ngwi l l onl yweary ououtandt u r ny oui nt oas l e epl es szombi e,andt he wor s tt hi ngi s ,wor r y i ngs t opsy ouf r om f oc us i ngont hePr es ent .I t ’ st r uet haty oucanpr epar eyour s el fbet t erb y ant i c i pa t i n gt hef ut ur e,butt her ei snopr i z ei nmul l i ngo v erwhaty ouc an no tc o nt r ol ( e. g.wor r i edabou th owy ouc ou l d ha v edo nebe t t eri nt hate xa m,a boutbei nga bl et oge tt heNob el Pr i z e. . e t c ) .Th ef ol l o wi ngpa r a gr a phi sapar abl eand t ar ge t st hos ewhol i k ehi k i ng.Youc ans k i pt oPoi nt9i fy ouha v enoi d eawh athi k i ngi s( ori fy ouc anno ts t andt he s ent i ment al i s tt one) .Li f ei sl i k eal ongmou nt ai nh i k e,an dt hep eakal wa y ss eemsi mpe ne t r abl ef r om adi s t an ce. Howe ver ,t hec l os ery ougett oi tt hemor el i k el yyouar egoi ngt ofi ndal i t t l epas soras i det r ac kt hatwi l l l eady out o t h et o p.Th er ear ema nyr o ad st ot h et o p,t o o,s omear es t r a i g hta ndea sy , b uts omear et or t u ou san dd an ge r o us . Ma nyat i me sy o uwi l l fi ndy o ur s el fa tac r o ss r o ad ,wo nd er i n gwh i c hp at ht ot a k e.Wh aty o u’ v eg ott od oi st ot a k et h e p at hwh i c hy o ut h i n ki st h emo s ta pp r o pr i a t ea tt h et i me ,t h eny o us t e ad i l ymo v ef o r wa r don es t e pa tat i me .Don ot bl amey our s el foro t her si fy ouge tl os torge ts t uc kbec aus enoo nec anf or es eet hef u t ur e.Youj us tha v et opi c k y o ur s el fu pa ndmo v eo nt oad i ff er e ntp at ho rt u r nba ck .Fo rme ,d oi n gme di c i n eh asbe ent h eb es th i k e( a nds t i l l i s ) i nmyl i f ebe ca us ei thasen r i c hedmyl i f eandmyper s pec t i v esont h ewor l dar oundme.Li k eman ypeopl e,Ihadl i t t l e i d eaofwh atIwa nt e dt obe co meatt h eb eg i n ni n g.Is t a r t e do fff o l l o wi n gs ome bo dye l s e ’ sr o adan dt h ensl o wl yma de myo wnt r ac kasIwental ong.Some t i mesIt ur nedbac kt oo,f eel i ngdef eat ed,butonl yt or e al i z el at eront hatbe ca us e Iha ddec i dedt ot ur nbac k ,Ic oul dfi ndne wero ppor t uni t i eshi di ngi nt hec or ner ,wai t i ngf o rme.

  Poi nt9:Rewar dt h ys el faf t eral ongda y ,bec aus et houdes er v ei t .Lookaf t ery our s el f .I fy out hi nky ouar e Ў st p hy s i c al l y/e mo t i o na l l yno t1 00 %,g oa ndge th el p .I t¦ h eb ar emi n i mu my o uc andof o ry o u r s e l f .Wh ys t u dy

medi c i net ohe l pot her swhenyouc oul dhar d l yhel pyo ur s el fi nt hefi r s tpl ac e?

  Po i n t1 0:Ma k es ho r t t e r mg oa l st h att h ouc anr e ac h,a ndmo s to fa l l ,h av eh op e.Al wa y sh av et h eBi gPi c t u r ei n y ourmi ndi . e.wh ydoy ouputy our s el ft hr oug hmedi c al s c hool i nt h efi r s tpl ac ea ndwh atdoy ouwan touto fi t .Don ’ t bur nyour s el foutt oosoon.Youar eonl yi nyourt went i esandyouha veal otmor el i f et oc at c hup.St at i s t i c al l yy ou’ v e go tatl eas t5060mor ey ear st ofi xt hi ngst h atdi dn ’ tt ur noutr i ghtf ory oui nt hepas t .Ha v ehope.Lea r n i ngt obec ome

adoc t ori sst i l l anobl et r adi t i onr egar dl es sofwhatt hec yni c ss ay .Don ’ tf or gett o“ t ak et i met opaus eands mel l t he r os es ” ,ast hes ay i n ggoe s.T r yt ofi ndb eaut yi ne v er y t hi ng,e v eni nt hemos tor di nar yt hi ngs .

Al l t h eb es tt oo urn ewPGI s! ! ! ! En j o yan dl e ar ne v e r y t h i n gy o uc a n. . . GODSPEED!