Medicine: 4 years later

Four years...

How fast time flies...

It was back in 2009 when college life ended for me. It was a time when the dreams of becoming a medical student was a fresh one. It was a time when I left the comfort of my hometown to venture into another city to reach a dream some people say only a few can achieve...

To become a Doctor of Medicine..

It was the first two weeks of medical school when I first tasted the reality of medical school, that it was more hard than college life. Later, there was that temptation of quitting. For the first time in my life, I felt sad because I entered medical school without looking at how hard it was to become a doctor. My parents were very supportive of me, even encouraging me to just have fun in medical school, and quit if I cannot take it anymore.

I guess I had to give it a try. So I began to walk the road less traveled back in..

First year.

First year medicine was memorable, for it was a time that I gained new friends and gained new knowledge beyond the bounds of Nursing. There were those usual ups and downs, such as failing examinations, being involved in misunderstandings with friends, arguing with group mates, and a lot more. But, it was in freshman year that I learned that medical school can fly so fast. So fast that in a few months time, I entered...

Second year.

Second year medicine was the most chill of the 3 year levels except 4th year. It was true when our preceptor said that it was the easier than the 1st and 3rd year. I met new friends, who would later become my buddies until now. It was that year when I learned the basic skills of the physician. It was similar to Nursing, but it was more in-depth. What made it memorable was that t was in second year where I met a simple, down-to-earth girl, wherein I became so much comfortable with her, my emotions couldn't control my rationality. Our friendship eventually led to a better friendship, but it later ended up in a sad turn. That of which happened during...

Third year.

Before I even talk about that, third year was the most stressful because it was the preparation for Junior Internship/Clinical Clerkship, or fourth year. It was then when I felt so stressed, that there were times that I would have bouts of mental and emotional breakdowns, up to the point of entertaining thoughts of quitting again. My solace that time was teaching kids Bible stories on Sundays, and most especially, spending time with the girl I met back in second year. About her, she was just the comfort from the stress, the happiness that made me smile despite the sea of sadness. It was that year, during that cold November evening, when my college past caught up with me, and our friendship got strained completely. It was a emotional downward spiral for me, in which the thoughts of her keep on catching up with me until internship.

But enough of that. Third year was a bumpy ride, wherein I thought I would fail some subjects, that I wouldn't be able to make it into internship. The months that ensued during third year had my anxiety levels increase to insurmountable levels because of the uncertainty of becoming an intern. But, during that chilly March evening, I learned the greatest news: I was promoted to...

Fourth year.

I have to admit, fourth year, or Junior Internship (JI)/Clinical Clerkship (CC), has been the BEST thing that has happened to me. It was this year that I felt like a doctor. Admit it or not, this is the year where we start from the bottom of the medical totem pole. It's true about what someone told me before, that internship unleashes the 'natural' in you. It was here that I learned about the true nature of people, the 'real' them in the face of reality. On the bright side, it was in internship that differences were settled, and friendships rekindled. It was here where the textbook learnings sprung to life. It was here where we learned to keep our emotions to ourselves whenever someone dies right in front of our eyes. It was here where we were given demerits, where were learned the pains of being scolded at and being embarrassed in front of a lot of people. It was here where we met new people in the form of friendly residents and staff members. It was here where I met new people. It was here where....

Okay, enough of that.

After so many years, it all boils down to the last few weeks of internship. Much as I want to tell my medical school story in detail, it will not be enough for 1 post to share it all.

I just wanna graduate.

I really want to become a doctor.

It'll almost be over. It's just these eyes on the prize.