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deleted1208015
As a pre-med, I often felt like I just wasn't allowed to be human. To be fair, I was a first gen US college student who didn't have any parents in medicine. Some of the things that happened to me as a pre med:
-I was fired 2 weeks into a scribe job at a cardiology office for saying "I don't think cardiology is right for me" and one of the cardiologists working next door overheard
-I was declined a job from a pancreatic cancer advocacy network because I used the wrong version of they're/their/there in an email (the HR rep confirmed this)
-I was put on probation as a hospital volunteer for showing up 15 minutes late for my shift twice in a row (despite having a perfect record for 18 months)
-I joined a research lab in my third year only to find out that they'd done all the research already and just wanted an undergrad to join to basically do lab tech work whilst they were getting the paper peer-reviewed. Did not get my name on there (which is fair since I didn't actually get a chance to contribute). What is NOT fair is that I was threatened with the classic "you signed up for a one year commitment and we will make sure no med school accepts you if you quit" and actually fell for it.
But now, as a resident, it's different. The other day I sent an email to one of the attendings in my department I had never met before about joining their research project. Within 24 hours, I was sitting in her office and coming up with plans on how to get started and how to coach and supervise med students and undergrads. When I am on my off-service rotations, I make it very clear that I am there to learn but I am NOT interested in the speciality so the on-service residents can take what they want and I'll just see the patients that are left over. When I am on service and it is my turn to be "short", my attendings let me leave several hours early if it's a slow day so that I can go home to be with my wife.
As a resident, I am ALLOWED to be human. I am allowed to be tired. I am allowed to love and care for my family without being gaslighted that "I should care more about my career". I am allowed to make mistakes as long as they aren't negligent or egregious and I learn from them.
As a pre-med, you feel gaslighted. And that's because pre-med culture is filled with gaslighting. But to be honest with you, I am much happier now for it. I LOVE residency so much. It's absolutely amazing. I think going through the torture as a pre-med made me appreciate and love residency so much. I love my specialty. I love taking care of patients. I love learning medicine. I am so happy with my life. I hope if you are reading this, and are having a tough time as a pre-med, that you get there one day too <3
-I was fired 2 weeks into a scribe job at a cardiology office for saying "I don't think cardiology is right for me" and one of the cardiologists working next door overheard
-I was declined a job from a pancreatic cancer advocacy network because I used the wrong version of they're/their/there in an email (the HR rep confirmed this)
-I was put on probation as a hospital volunteer for showing up 15 minutes late for my shift twice in a row (despite having a perfect record for 18 months)
-I joined a research lab in my third year only to find out that they'd done all the research already and just wanted an undergrad to join to basically do lab tech work whilst they were getting the paper peer-reviewed. Did not get my name on there (which is fair since I didn't actually get a chance to contribute). What is NOT fair is that I was threatened with the classic "you signed up for a one year commitment and we will make sure no med school accepts you if you quit" and actually fell for it.
But now, as a resident, it's different. The other day I sent an email to one of the attendings in my department I had never met before about joining their research project. Within 24 hours, I was sitting in her office and coming up with plans on how to get started and how to coach and supervise med students and undergrads. When I am on my off-service rotations, I make it very clear that I am there to learn but I am NOT interested in the speciality so the on-service residents can take what they want and I'll just see the patients that are left over. When I am on service and it is my turn to be "short", my attendings let me leave several hours early if it's a slow day so that I can go home to be with my wife.
As a resident, I am ALLOWED to be human. I am allowed to be tired. I am allowed to love and care for my family without being gaslighted that "I should care more about my career". I am allowed to make mistakes as long as they aren't negligent or egregious and I learn from them.
As a pre-med, you feel gaslighted. And that's because pre-med culture is filled with gaslighting. But to be honest with you, I am much happier now for it. I LOVE residency so much. It's absolutely amazing. I think going through the torture as a pre-med made me appreciate and love residency so much. I love my specialty. I love taking care of patients. I love learning medicine. I am so happy with my life. I hope if you are reading this, and are having a tough time as a pre-med, that you get there one day too <3
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