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Resolutions of a Fourth-Year Med Student
Anna Burkhead -- It’s finally 2009! This is the year that fourth-year medical students across the USA (and final year students all over the world) have been anticipating and dreading for untold amounts of time. It’s the year we get a diploma, the year we stop paying tuition and start paying income tax, the year we become doctors.
But before we get there, we have to survive the hardships and obstacles presented by the final year of medical school: the long hours… the never-ending exams… the…
Who am I kidding? The fourth year of med school rocks.
With the new year and the approaching graduation date in mind, here are my 2009 New Year’s Resolutions.
1. I will take the time to really look at the cities in which I’m interviewing for residency, as the schedule allows. Yes, I’ll be a resident at that program. But I’ll also be living in that city!
2. I will thoroughly enjoy my last “official” Spring Break.
3. I will not fall so in love with my iPhone that I forget how to use a computer. Admittedly, I did attempt for all of 30 seconds to write this entry on the iPhone, to avoid getting off the couch (again, fourth year rocks) but even with mini, stubby fingers, it was a bit daunting.
4. I will use my Step 2 CS trip to visit friends, with a minor interruption for that pesky test.
5. I will conquer my fear of airplanes -- an apparent necessity when flying somewhere practically every three days. I am tired of looking like a crazy person during the take-off!
6. I will try to attend every medical school class function between now and graduation. We’ll be scattered all over soon enough!
7. I will learn how to pack all of my interview necessities in one small (-ish) suitcase… Why is this one so hard for me?
8. I will enjoy my LAST MEDICAL STUDENT ROTATION EVER (February -- Outpatient Medicine)
Match day in 2.5 months! Graduation in T minus four months!
Now back to my very, very stressful fourth year. :)
January 6, 2009 in Anna Burkhead | Permalink
Comments
Ahh...4th year! One more year! Cant wait!
Posted by: Alexandra | Jan 6, 2009 8:03:25 PM
hi anna......glad to see you almost done your rotation. well actually i'm a little bit confused 'bout the system of studying at medical school.i'm coming from Indonesia,in here we must through about 7th years to get tittle doctor.4th years for usual college activity like clasiccal tutorial, discussion at class, theoritics exam and 3 years for clerkship and co-assistant at hospital.is it the same as yours?
Posted by: martha | Jan 12, 2009 5:25:23 AM
Martha, thanks for the question! In the United States, we do a total of 8 years after high school to become doctors. Four of these years are in a college or university, and the studies can be in almost any field. Then you apply to medical school, which is another four years. So the difference between your training (7yrs) and ours (8) is really not much, with the exception of the fact that for us, the college part and the medical school part are completely separate and independent, whereas it sounds like they're part of the same program for you. Hope that helps!
Posted by: Anna | Jan 12, 2009 5:52:37 AM
Congratulations Anna!
Just to confuse you even more Martha, its different in England, where Lucia Li posts from. We leave school at 18, apply to do medicine which is a 5year course unless your course make you do a year out to get another degree (like mine does and Cambridge and Oxford do). But I think its prolly good, in other countries where you have to do something else first, there are people who want England to move to graduate medicine only so that people are more mature. I'm 18 now and will start practicing around my 24th birthday.
Posted by: Imogen | Jan 19, 2009 9:04:21 AM
well imogen,it works.you makes me more confused.I think your system little bit the same as mine.i graduate high school at 18 and sign up at medical university, it is my 4th year in it.what makes me different from yours are time to take the education and functional tittle of the education. in england called it wih course and mine is official education just like other university commonly.I'm really happy to get to know and share about this stuff around the world.I would like to say so much thank you to you and anna for the share. By the way,I really really want to work in england. is it possible??? I guess not :)
Posted by: Martha | Jan 20, 2009 4:54:25 PM
Hi, I must say a big congrats to you. Over here in Nigeria it is a different ball game,you spend a minimum of 6 years in Medical School after high school. 4th year and you just entering the clinical side of your posting
Posted by: Ayodeji Borokinni | Jan 31, 2009 5:27:46 PM
If I could encourage just one of your resolutions...it would have to be to have everything packed in one carry-on. After making the serious mistake of believing in the airline, to get my (crucial) luggage there on time, I gotta say - the carry-on is the thing. Unless you like wearing airline-offered freebie t-shirts to interviews. :)
KL
Posted by: Kell | Sep 17, 2009 11:01:25 PM
