So the thing is…

I’ve been somewhat discouraged in keeping up this daily journal of my life in art and medicine. Part of the reason comes from the fact that I’ve been doing poorly in the medicine portion. Well, actually only on standardized tests if you want to be specific. But still. I’ve been struggling to keep track of every single day like I used to. I have been writing behind the scenes but the problem with this is there is no accountability. If I miss a day or five or ten, no one says, “hey man, you haven’t posted in a while”. And I really need that accountability because, typically, I have a good many things to say but at the end of the day I feel to drained to type them all out, especially if I’m the only one who’s going to be reading them for the next couple years. And I really do want this thing to continue. I plan on publishing it in a different format one day as I believe it is the most complete record of the medical school experience from a student’s perspective to be created thus far. Wow, that sounds incredibly ambitious/egotistical/Ron Burgandy level of conceited. I know. I know.
You might know, if you’ve read this blog before, that I strive to be completely honest about myself, about the school I attend, about the situations I come across, and about the interactions I have with people. And that kind of thing (I’m talking about the honesty) runs the risk of getting you in trouble with all sorts of people when you’re inside this machine (er.. institution) called medical education. That’s why I’ve kept “silent” for so long and that’s also why if I start posting publicly again things are going to have to be a little bit different.
If you decide to read this from now on, you’re going to be reading a disjointed narrative. Not everything is going to stack up. Pages will be missing, characters will be left out, and it’s probably gonna sound like I’ve gotten pretty darn soft. But let me assure you, I will be writing the whole honest to goodness truth of this story as it happens whether I post it here or not. And one day, if you care to, you will be able to read the entire thing, worms and all, unedited (except for maybe my terrible spelling).

Alright, well, if you’re on board, here are a few facts to get you up to speed:
1. I passed the USMLE Step 1, successfully putting the nail in the coffin of my first two years of medical school.
2. I had a very exciting six or so months of third year in which I completed my Neuro/psych clerkship and my surgical clearkship except…
3. Half-way through my Primary Care clerkship I was asked by a review board to take a couple months off to study and retake the surgical and psychiatric NBME standardized exams which are the only parts of the previously mentioned clerkships that I did not pass.
4. All of those setbacks combined with the extra time I took to study for the Step 1 exam put me at risk for not graduating on time with my beloved class of 2013. It is even less likely (yet still remotely possible) that I will be able to start residency at the same time as my fellow classmates (then, my fellow physicians (crazy!)).

Alrighty, I think that is more than enough for now. If you’re still reading, you deserve a taco and/or a cookie. Thank you (all two of you) for allowing me to once again fill your computer screens with photos and words about my often mundane (but occasionally exciting or at least interesting!) life.

sincerely,
the Culprit