I recently reconnected with some classmates from med school and it unlocked a flood of old memories. Medical school is four long years of intense emotions and experiences. As a med student, one is a participant in the wonderful triumphs of modern medicine, but also its shortcomings. One has a first row seat to the birth of a new life, the end of life, and everything in between.
Some specific memories are so clear in my head. I remember being so nervous yet excited on the first day of anatomy lab. I remember sharing a meal of takeout Chinese with my patient who was dying from amyloidosis. I remember the joy of delivering my first baby. I remember coming home at night, mentally and physically spent from my Surgery rotation, only to wake up at 4am the next morning to do it all over again. There were so many late nights when I passed by this sign, exhausted and dragging myself home, and too tired to look up.
Even though many years have passed, it’s been wonderful to reconnect with old friends from this time of my life. The neat thing that I’ve found is that old friends don’t really change much, despite being older and at a different stage in our lives. Friends are still friends. They are equally excited to catch up…and always willing to lend a helping hand! (it's quite handy to have friends in different medical specialties. Makes it easy to get medical advice for family members!)