Med School Exceptionalism

[ellorie]

My take on the OP comes from an analysis of privilege.

 

I'm really proud of some of the things I've done... like writing the mcat over an incredibly busy (work, classes, volunteering, a family death, new relationship) summer and ultimately getting into med. In my case, I was able to work because I wanted to minimize my undergrad debt, but I also lived at home, had no dependents, had a supportive family that valued and enabled my education, and am white and middle class.

 

The result of my hard work is that I have access to a professional degree, one that affords my already privileged self a career that really just perpetuates my privilege. For other people, the same amount of work could result in a high school degree, or a job (any job), the ability to survive, the ability to care for those around them (and so on), depending on their circumstances.

 

I dno, I'll continue to check myself. Pride is fine, but if it's centred around becoming a med student or a physician without examining your challenges and privileges, then it's problematic.

 

I actually think about this a lot when I think about clerkship, and I think it's a great point.

 

There are people out there working multiple crummy jobs with terrible hours for terrible pay who get far less appreciation and reinforcement than even a medical student gets.

 

If they can do so much for so little, surely I can too.

[chicagoschool]

My take on the OP comes from an analysis of privilege.

 

 

 

Something like that, I suppose. I have just seen a lot of people spend so long in the academic bubble that their outlook becomes warped. "Difficulty of one's life" and "social status" and even "self worth" become entirely a reflection of how many intense degrees you've completed, which is bogus when you consider all of the other amazing/challenging/productive things that other people are doing.

[Leon]

I think my first year at UofT was the hardest thing I've ever done. I've been a varsity athlete, studied MRI/quantum physics and have worked a few very demanding jobs (such as hospital research coordinator). Yet the mental effort / tons of time I had to put in studying this past year was really really hard for me.

 

Kudos to people who might think medical school is easy for them, but for me it really felt like a Herculean effort.

 

Second year is supposed to be easier than first, but I'm not sure by how much. Structure and Function is supposedly the most difficult module.

[future_doc]

Were you at UofT? I was hoping it gets better

 

No. A French speaking school in Quebec.

[Laika]

Were you at UofT? I was hoping it gets better

 

I found first year to be the worst at U of T. Second year's easier, with more free time (mind you, DOCH2 is less fun than a root canal without any anesthetic). Clerkship can be busier, but it's more fun.

[lost__in__space]

I found first year to be the worst at U of T. Second year's easier, with more free time (mind you, DOCH2 is less fun than a root canal without any anesthetic). Clerkship can be busier, but it's more fun.

 

Every year the MD/PhD students try to get DOCH2 waived for us... hopefully by the time I reintegrate for 2nd year we have succeeded!