#24: Facepalm

So, this whole to vaccinate or not to vaccinate fiasco. Michelle Bachmann told a possibly false anecdote about a mother whose child became mentally retarded because of a vaccine. Ok, well, not fine. I'm tired of this whole sensationalized crap about anti-vaccination. For Pete's sake, the study linking the measles vaccine with autism was debunked by the medical profession. Heck, some participants even reported of data/observation fabrication, collaborators eventually jumped ship, and the principal investigator of that research had his license revoked.

I understand why, in discrete cases, individuals would object to vaccination. However, I don't understand why people would preach anti-vaccination when a ton of epidemiological data indicate not only has vaccination nearly eradicated several diseases, but also show that not getting vaccinated has increased the incidence of these diseases.

Question
I would like to hear stories of the opposite. Stories of misfortune, regret, and we-told-you-so. Have you ever heard of stories or anecdotes or read literature or news articles about parents who decided not to vaccinate their child(ren) who consequently suffered the same diseases for which they should have been vaccinated?

#23: Open Letter

Dear 2nd Year of Medical School,
First, you've taken tens of thousands of dollars. Second, you've taken away my social life. Third, you've taken away my libido to mate. Would you like my first born too?

Sincerely,
Exhausted MS II

PS: Ladies, the libido thing was a joke. Ladies...?

Question
Have you seen New Girl with Zooey Deschanel? You haven't? Shame on you. 

#22: Pick Up Your Phone and Call

If you have a friend or family member or someone you care about in medical school, please pick up your phone and give them a call. They might not pick up or even return the call in a day or two or three. You might feel that you're intruding or bothering them. You're truly not. They will most likely say, "I'm busy. I have to study" or some variation thereof. They might tell you a horrible event in the clinic or at school. They might break down and express doubts that you may not understand.

Just call anyway.

Question
Did you call?

#21: Unexpected Surprise

Some days, I just need Mumford and Sons to get me through at med school. Other days, it just takes a good looking Senior Resident giving a lecture. Eye candy, you know? But, that's like once every blue moon...

Question
Which type of music or band just gets you through the most banal days?

#20: Still Amazes Me

Scene
Each medical student has graduated undergrad with a bachelor degree (or multiple ones). Some have gotten a Masters or even a Ph.D. degree. Some have done a post-bac program. Some have published scientific research papers. For a huge majority, we're all going to get an medical degree.

But, this still amazes me: it's, its, there, their, they're, your, you're, won't, wont, want, err, air, very, vary. Other notable ones: wit, dat, shouldof, wouldof, couldof, I'mma.

I cringe every time. I'm a hypocritical grammar police, I know.

Question
What is one of your pet peeves?

#19: Spleen

Scene
Last year in the Foundations of Clinical Medicine I class, our class was roughly taught a few physical examination techniques, one of which was how to palpitate for the spleen. To do so, you ask the patient to take a deep breath to push the diaphragm down and consequently push the spleen down past the last rib. Once the patient has taken a deep breath, you push your hand up from the abdomen under the last rib and feel the spleen with your fingers.

I volunteered as the guinea pig for my small group. I thought I was going to be the model for just the professor to demonstrate to the group. I was wrong. I was the model for any other student who wanted to try. It was painful enough to have an experienced professor forcefully push his fingers up against my spleen. It was even more painful to have a handful of students trying over and over and over again. When one student couldn't feel the spleen, the professor encouraged "to push up harder." Apparently, harder meant hard enough to elicit a groan and retraction into the fetal position for me.

Today is the start of FCM II. Cringe.

Question
Which part of a doctor's visit hurts the most?

#18: One of those Blah Days

Scene
Some days, med school just sucks the life out of me. It's all fun and games until I realize I've spent about 6-8 hours studying. My brain is sore. For Immunology, I don't care which cytokine does what. For Path, pretty much every prognosis includes death. Chyeah.

Oh, my butt is numb and my back aches from sitting and hunching over while studying for hours on end. Prognosis? Secondary hypermeducational fukitallitis.

Question
Tell me a happy story of what happened in your life today.