Great Expectations

Expectations are a double-edged sword. If something/one lives up to them, then you experience the fantastic feeling of having your desires met - the way you've always dreamed. But if expectations are put too high, you are only setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. So what do you do? Enter into situations without any expectations? Impossible.

I figured I would lay out my naive, ignorant expectations of medical school now, so that I could look back on this and get a good laugh in a couple of years.

I fully plan on everyone in my class becoming good friends. My parents' med school class gelled quite fantastically, and I want nothing more to have a cohesive class that can find fun in all the madness. For instance, my parents class made up a student, Nick Pavona, that went through all 4 years of school with them. Classmates would trade off taking the tests for him. His scores were posted along with every one else's. The teachers had no idea that he didn't exist. The funniest part about it is that during their rotations, people would page Nick Pavona over the hospital loud speakers, telling him to meet up with Dr. so-and-so pronto. Classic. Example #2 - one of my parents classmates, Louis, married a girl in the year behind them after his 2nd year. One day in his wife's class they were discussing topics of sexual nature, and the teacher asked how big a typical male penis is. His wife, a newlywed, eagerly raises her hand, dying to give the answer to something she had just discovered. Of course the teacher calls on her, and she confidently says, "9 inches". Rumor spread, and for the remainder of Louis' medical school career, he was called King Louis the IX.

I expect to be quite busy, but still have free time. Some friends have told me that if you study all afternoon after you get out of class, then you will have most nights off to relax. While others say they study almost 10 hours a day, with breaks only for meals. I can't do that. For some reason I am expecting medical school to greatly enhance my social life. I envision me hanging out with my new friends at my apartment, having Grey's Anatomy parties, dominating them in game nights, and cheering the Cats on to victory behind BCG.

Speaking of Grey's Anatomy, that's what I expect the hospital scene to be like. Drama, drama, drama. And I say this in a good way. Never boring, trying to figure out who's sleeping with who. And I will find my McDreamy (I am Meredith, for all those who don't know...not Cristina, who some joke that I am because of my super-competitiveness).

I am looking forward with great anticipation to the first day of med school - 4 weeks from today. I am excited about meeting new people, seeing what I am capable of medicinally, and starting a new chapter of my life.

"Now, I return to this young fellow. And the communication I have got to make is, that he has great expectations." ~Charles Dickens