Source: pixabay.com
One of the first people I met when we moved for medical school was the wife of the medical school dean. The first of many pieces of advice she gave me was to think of the whole medical school process as a "we". She laughed and said my husband wasn't the only one in medical school. We went to medical school together, residency together, fellowship together, and from job to job together. Her rationale is that saying we creates a sense of teamwork and togetherness that gets you through the "oh my goodness you are studying late again?!" moments.
I was reminded of this again at this year's OMED conference talking to several physicians and their spouses. The ones who seem to have the strongest relationship view life (in and out of medicine) as we. Life in medical school isn't all roses. I don't say this to make it sound horrible because it's not. It's just a rollercoaster of a journey with lots ups, downs, and twists. So I continue saying "we" as a reminder that we are in this together, on the same team.
We are not sitting in class or studying for an exam together but we spent a summer flipping through so many MCAT flashcards that by the end I was pretty sure I could have taken the test. I have read so many personal statements I could recite them. I have held my breath while she taken three 8 hour exams and then again while we wait for the test scores. I have tossed and turned right along with her thinking about the residency match and all of the what ifs that go along with it. We moved 2,500 miles away from everything and everyone we knew and created a life together in the rural south. We have celebrated the victories, mourned the losses, and sat up at night talking about all of the "what ifs" this medical journey brings.
When she graduates in May, she will be the one walking across the stage while I watch from the side beaming with pride (and probably some tears of joy). We will celebrate the culmination of many years of hard work and then get ready for residency, the next step in our journey.
I was reminded of this again at this year's OMED conference talking to several physicians and their spouses. The ones who seem to have the strongest relationship view life (in and out of medicine) as we. Life in medical school isn't all roses. I don't say this to make it sound horrible because it's not. It's just a rollercoaster of a journey with lots ups, downs, and twists. So I continue saying "we" as a reminder that we are in this together, on the same team.
We are not sitting in class or studying for an exam together but we spent a summer flipping through so many MCAT flashcards that by the end I was pretty sure I could have taken the test. I have read so many personal statements I could recite them. I have held my breath while she taken three 8 hour exams and then again while we wait for the test scores. I have tossed and turned right along with her thinking about the residency match and all of the what ifs that go along with it. We moved 2,500 miles away from everything and everyone we knew and created a life together in the rural south. We have celebrated the victories, mourned the losses, and sat up at night talking about all of the "what ifs" this medical journey brings.
When she graduates in May, she will be the one walking across the stage while I watch from the side beaming with pride (and probably some tears of joy). We will celebrate the culmination of many years of hard work and then get ready for residency, the next step in our journey.
