What should I be doing over winter break?

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

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Yep. I've been able to go that speed at night, when few cars are around and I can really pay attention. Doing that during the day would be reckless because there are too many other people out for you to have room to react. I don't generally like going above 85 on the freeway even at night though.

I'd agree with this. I can imagine a situation where on an 4 lane low traffic highway with minimal turns and potholes one could safely travel at 95 mph. Provided one has proper tires and has a valid drivers license.

I've definitely flown to the hospital at 95mph at 0300 for a crash section on a two-lane highway. It can be done safely. Of course the speed limit was 85, so I was only going 10 over. 😉

 

[787593]

Yep. I've been able to go that speed at night, when few cars are around and I can really pay attention. Doing that during the day would be reckless because there are too many other people out for you to have room to react. I don't generally like going above 85 on the freeway even at night though.

Agreed, and tbh I probably pay more attention when I'm speeding a little. Passing people and switching back to the non-passing lane helps keep drivers occupied. Cruising at a steady 65 mph with no overtakes = highway hypnosis

 

[BombsAway]

 

[Lost in Translation]

Distracted driving continues to be the number one leading cause of car accidents in America. Talking on the phone, texting, eating, reading, grooming, and talking are just some of the ways drivers get distracted behind the wheel.Feb 19, 2013
Drivers.com: Top 3 Causes of Car Accidents in America

Suck it 😉

This. It's outrageous that I get pulled over for going 80-85 on the freeway (that's a 65 for you townies) and some bimbo in an SUV 3-times too large for someone that tiny to control who's on her phone/doing her makeup/drinking a coffee/yelling at her kids and barely staying in her lane can get a free pass because she's going 65-70. Yea, I'm the one that's going to cause an accident. The one with 2 hands on the wheel at 9 and 3, the one who is constantly scanning 100 yards in front of them, the one who can predict with near perfection when a jackass is going to make a dangerous lane change. Not the ***** who all of a sudden drifts into my lane and cuts me off because they can't drive worth ****. No, not them. Me, the one doing absolutely nothing wrong other than going 15-20 over.

 

[787593]

This. It's outrageous that I get pulled over for going 80-85 on the freeway (that's a 65 for you townies) and some bimbo in an SUV 3-times too large for someone that tiny to control who's on her phone/doing her makeup/drinking a coffee/yelling at her kids and barely staying in her lane can get a free pass because she's going 65-70. Yea, I'm the one that's going to cause an accident. The one with 2 hands on the wheel at 9 and 3, the one who is constantly scanning 100 yards in front of them, the one who can predict with near perfection when a jackass is going to make a dangerous lane change. Not the ***** who all of a sudden drifts into my lane and cuts me off because they can't drive worth ****. No, not them. Me, the one doing absolutely nothing wrong other than going 15-20 over.

**** just got real. Activate SDN panic button!

 

[libertyyne]

This. It's outrageous that I get pulled over for going 80-85 on the freeway (that's a 65 for you townies) and some bimbo in an SUV 3-times too large for someone that tiny to control who's on her phone/doing her makeup/drinking a coffee/yelling at her kids and barely staying in her lane can get a free pass because she's going 65-70. Yea, I'm the one that's going to cause an accident. The one with 2 hands on the wheel at 9 and 3, the one who is constantly scanning 100 yards in front of them, the one who can predict with near perfection when a jackass is going to make a dangerous lane change. Not the ***** who all of a sudden drifts into my lane and cuts me off because they can't drive worth ****. No, not them. Me, the one doing absolutely nothing wrong other than going 15-20 over.

Be careful, in certain states 15 over is a misdemeanor.

 

[Lost in Translation]

Be careful, in certain states 15 over is a misdemeanor.

Part of awareness is looking far enough down the road to spot speed traps, most commonly those emergency connections in the median but sometimes under/past overpasses and freeway exits. Of course, this only works during the day, but at night highway patrol isn't as numerous and they're often not going to nab someone going 15 over because they're busy looking for the DUIers. In fact, recently (but not so recent, let's say d+1 where d is the number of days that the statute of limitation on speeding is) I blew past an unmarked cruiser at night (I actually noticed the dark car parked weirdly on the side of the road and initially thought it was one of the those abandoned/ran-out-of-gas ones and it wasn't until I was maybe 50 yards from it that I realized it was a cop) going 85 in a 65 and he didn't chase me. This was at like 12AM.

I also have some gadgets and gizmos that help *cough* radar *cough* WaZe *cough*. Though the former has only spotted a cop when I couldn't once, and that was because he was parked in an emergency pull off that was around a long sweeping bend and I guess his radar was bouncing off the median divider.

 

[787593]

Part of awareness is looking far enough down the road to spot speed traps, most commonly those emergency connections in the median but sometimes under/past overpasses and freeway exits. Of course, this only works during the day, but at night highway patrol isn't as numerous and they're often not going to nab someone going 15 over because they're busy looking for the DUIers. In fact, recently (but not so recent, let's say d+1 where d is the number of days that the statute of limitation on speeding is) I blew past an unmarked cruiser at night (I actually noticed the dark car parked weirdly on the side of the road and initially thought it was one of the those abandoned/ran-out-of-gas ones and it wasn't until I was maybe 50 yards from it that I realized it was a cop) going 85 in a 65 and he didn't chase me. This was at like 12AM.

I also have some gadgets and gizmos that help *cough* radar *cough* WaZe *cough*. Though the former has only spotted a cop when I couldn't once, and that was because he was parked in an emergency pull off that was around a long sweeping bend and I guess his radar was bouncing off the median divider.

Waze is awesome but it doesn't help in places with few motorists...

I'm currently living in a place where radar detectors are illegal 🙁

 

[BombsAway]

Yes but my question was when I go outside should I be doing it for other people or myself lol. I wasn't sure when most pre-meds get started with their volunteering (related to medicine)

You should be doing everything for yourself.

All my volunteer activities are things I absolutely love doing. If you find yourself doing any voly stuff you don't like you should stop, then think about why you didn't like it. Maybe its something simple and you try something else, or maybe its a clue that you should consider more than just medicine. I had no idea what i wanted to be when i grew up at 18.

Use every experience as a confirmation that you do or don't like medicine. In my case, i sought out all the things i was nervous about (dealing with doo-doo, getting puked on, the smell of c-diff, kiddos, and ungrateful a-holes) to make sure I could handle it for 30 years.

good luck, and don't be surprised if life takes you somewhere unexpected.

 

[Lost in Translation]

Waze is awesome but it doesn't help in places with few motorists...

I'm currently living in a place where radar detectors are illegal 🙁

They're not too useful TBH. Just look further down the road for potential speed traps. A cop still needs to see your car if he wants to nail you for speeding. A radar will only tell him that a car in the pack is speeding, not which one (until he dials in the beam, but by then you should have spotted him and slowed down).

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

You should be doing everything for yourself.

All my volunteer activities are things I absolutely love doing. If you find yourself doing any voly stuff you don't like you should stop, then think about why you didn't like it. Maybe its something simple and you try something else, or maybe its a clue that you should consider more than just medicine. I had no idea what i wanted to be when i grew up at 18.

Use every experience as a confirmation that you do or don't like medicine. In my case, i sought out all the things i was nervous about (dealing with doo-doo, getting puked on, the smell of c-diff, kiddos, and ungrateful a-holes) to make sure I could handle it for 30 years.

good luck, and don't be surprised if life takes you somewhere unexpected.

Great post. I'm the same way. I started out doing voly activities that I thought would look good, and I just couldn't find the motivation to keep them up because I didn't enjoy them. I started doing things I actually enjoy, and it was so much better. I get more out of it, the orgs get more out of me, and it looks better because I have a higher quality experience. Been doing it that way ever since.

 

[xsoppy]

You should be doing everything for yourself.

All my volunteer activities are things I absolutely love doing. If you find yourself doing any voly stuff you don't like you should stop, then think about why you didn't like it. Maybe its something simple and you try something else, or maybe its a clue that you should consider more than just medicine. I had no idea what i wanted to be when i grew up at 18.

Use every experience as a confirmation that you do or don't like medicine. In my case, i sought out all the things i was nervous about (dealing with doo-doo, getting puked on, the smell of c-diff, kiddos, and ungrateful a-holes) to make sure I could handle it for 30 years.

good luck, and don't be surprised if life takes you somewhere unexpected.

Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely keep that in mind. I'm pretty much nervous about the same things that you were so I'll try to experience them while I'm still making up my mind about what I want to do.




This thread has certainly taken off into something that I wasn't expecting... luckily for the general population I didn't have the money for the mustang I wanted as my first car lol

 

[787593]

Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely keep that in mind. I'm pretty much nervous about the same things that you were so I'll try to experience them while I'm still making up my mind about what I want to do.




This thread has certainly taken off into something that I wasn't expecting... luckily for the general population I didn't have the money for the mustang I wanted as my first car lol

Don't get a mustang! Get something flashy and european. Like an Audi S4!!!

 

[787593]

Yeah, just keep an open mind. It doesn't do you or anyone else any good to stick your head in the sand and proclaim medicine or bust. You may miss out on what could be your true passion. Thats why you should shadow and volunteer, its for you.

As far as quick cars go, I had a subaru STi and that was pretty fun. Then I got a ducati monster and that was fun-er.

More funner 😉

 

[Astra]

waiting for santa

 

[IlDestriero]

Party like a rockstar. Or go on vacation if you can afford to travel. Traveling gets harder the further you are along.


--
Il Destriero

 

[fball22]

I drive a 10 year old Pontiac vibe hatchback with two car seats in the back... if you're looking for speed, look elsewhere.

To OP, for me winter break is all about taking a break. Spend time with family, relax, don't think about school. I'm talking about future Christmas breaks as well, not just this first one. Although I do like the comment about maybe shadowing a few days, just because your schedule should be freed up enough to match with a physicians.

Here are some ideas from the AAMC:

https://students-residents.aamc.org...eer/article/seven-ways-to-spend-winter-break/

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Don't get a mustang! Get something flashy and european. Like an Audi S4!!!

Psh. Get a real car.

 

[787593]

Psh. Get a real car.

Perfect for med school? Hahaha

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Perfect for med school? Hahaha

Perfect residency/fellowship graduation present.

 

[freak7]

I got my info from a highway patrolman and crash investigator. Maybe he was talking about CA specifically. Or he might have just been wrong.

And if you think speeding isn't dangerous, you're mistaken.

CA: If you aren't going 85+ in a 70, you're holding up traffic.