third year lessons: part 1

I think I've mentioned this before, but the first two years of med school are strictly book learning. Third year, the student becomes part of a team of doctors who actually diagnose and treat patients. The courses are split up into different rotations, such as OB-GYN, surgery, psychiatry, etc.

Y just finished his first rotation, Pediatrics, which he went into with a mixture of fear and hatred towards children. He came out of it with an appreciation for kids and 1 sillyband.

He also started making pancakes. In shapes. You don't do that sort of thing unless you are under the influence of kids.

I've learned a few things so far during third year that I think are imperative for any med school spouse to know:

1. White coats throw up. It looks like this:

2. Med students don't like it when you call their short white coat (the coat that indicates that they are students) their Doctor Costume.

As in, "Hey Y, you forgot your doctor costume at home". Or "Hey Y, is the doctor costume fairy going to clean off the shelf?"

3. if your med student spouse is anything like mine, his common sense started slipping away the moment he started studying for his MCAT. I'm here to tell you it will not return. Y can recite the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for appropriate flotation devices backwards and forwards, but that didn't stop him from sneaking up on my 6 year old nephew, who can't really swim, and throwing him across the pool.

But if there was ever anything wrong with my nephew's reflexes, Y would be on it, thank goodness.

4. A positive to nights on call: The less amount of time the alpha male is around, the more likely the dog is to hang out with me.

But when the hard working student doc wants to sleep after he's been on call, Ike's loyalty is obvious:

5. At some time during the med school process, you will reach a point when talking about med school becomes a form of torture. Third year was most definitely when I hit that milestone. But more on that later.

Other med school spouses are documenting their experiences here. Theirs are probably much more insightful than mine, but, if you haven't noticed, I'm better at Ike pictures than I am at insight.