The first social event of orientation was an ice-cream social I might have mentioned in my previous post. I walked in there and was immediately mortified. Imagine about 100 people, averaging 23 years of age, all talking at the same time, all of them meeting each other for the first time, everybody asking the same few questions: where are you from, where did you go to undergrad...? After the first 5 of these conversations, I started to desperately look for people who looked older. I met a few, who were 25-26, most of them married, not even living on campus. Now, I know that I will have to get over this idea that I am older and therefore, I somehow don't fit. Once we are all in the same classes and learning the same things, it will no longer matter, I am 100% certain. We will all be study partners. We will all be sharing the same experience. But this first week was a little tough. I also had my birthday during orientation, entering the last year of my 20's. While I really don't think it's a big deal at all - in fact, I feel way better in my skin than I did at 22 or 23 - it did make me feel especially old when looking around the room this whole week.
With all that said, I did meet a few people already who I really like. Perhaps not surprisingly, they are originally Chinese, Korean, Russian and Pakistani. My roommate is the nicest girl; when she found out it was my birthday on Wednesday, she went and bought an ice-cream cake, which we've been munching on all week.
On Wednesday night, however, all I wanted to do was to get away and hang out with some old friends. I took my newest Russian friend, Maia, along with me to my favorite Upper East Side dive bar, and it was lovely. This whole week, most of the people in my new class have been wanting to just go out and drink and drink and drink. I guess that's what happens right after college. I suppose I used to go out a lot more, to awful places where you can barely move and can most definitely not hear anybody talk. It no longer appeals very much. But at least I know that now, and can chose not to do that.
One evening, we went on a really nice harbor cruise around Manhattan. It included a very yummy dinner and 2 drinks (half of the class being young Asian girls, I managed to collect a few extra drink tickets for myself, which made the whole experience a lot more enjoyable).
My roommate
Then the best part of the whole week came: we got our white coats (that we'll be wearing as medical students when we see patients) and other doctoring equipment. The white coat ceremony is a big deal at most schools. It's sort of like a reverse graduation. Everyone went up on the stage individually with the white coats, and one faculty member literally helped us into them. It's a nice gesture: they are handing down their knowledge to us in the next 4 years, and also putting on our white coats, which symbolize being a physician. The keynote speaker for the ceremony was a historian named David Oshinsky, who wrote a book titled Polio: An American Story a few years back, which won the Pulitzer. I loved that the speaker was a humanities PhD; well spoken, very interesting, he gave such an amazing and inspiring speech! I didn't know before that both Sabin and Salk, who were responsible for two different Polio vaccines, attended NYU Medical School back in the 1930's. He gave a nice overview of the history of the medical school, and Bellevue Hospital in particular, which is the oldest public hospital in the US. It's pretty amazing that I am going to be training in that hospital in less than 2 years time! After we were "cloaked", we also took an oath - sort of like a pre-medical school Hippocratic oath:
I solemnly pledge to devote my life to the service of humanity;
I will give my teachers and faculty mentors the respect and gratitude which is their due;
I will carry out my studies and training with conscience and dignity;
My studies and the health of my patents will be my first consideration;
I will maintain by all means in my power, the honor and noble traditions of the medical profession;
I will not allow consideration of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, politics, or social standing to interfere with my relationships with my patients of colleagues;
I will maintain the utmost respect for human life and death and will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity;
As a physician-in-training I make these promises freely and upon my honor.
It feels like I already have a lot of responsibilities.
May I say that this white coat looks pretty good on me?? :)
On the last carefree weekend of the year, I wanted to do fun stuff - besides having had to run a million errands still, and whatever did not get done by tonight, I know will not get done for a very long time to come! After having avoided a sunburn all summer, through sightseeing in various European cities and spending days at the beach in Dubrovnik, I managed to burn myself on an overcast NYC day, at the Governors Island Jazz Era Lawn Party. Anyway, it was fun! Imagine a whole bunch of New Yorkers dressed in 1920's era clothes, swing music playing in the background, people having a picnic on a relatively isolated island off the coast of Manhattan.
Apparently, half the city was there because I ran into three people I knew whom I didn't go with. One of them had VIP access and got me delicious champagne cocktails. Another girl, I used to fence with at a NYC club for a few years after college, tried to convince me that I should come back and go fence with her sometimes. Very appealing actually, when I think about the frustrations that might be coming my way, the thought of going to hit people with a weapon sounds like a good way yo release some stress and anger. I will think about it in the coming weeks.
Governors Island view of lower Manhattan
Well, it's getting late. And I just had two Mojitos, last night of carefreeness for a while. Tomorrow, a new life starts :) How freaking exciting!!!!
2 comments:
Jaj de szép:)
Just in short as I have to run :)
- you seem to have the best roomie, she really looks like a great person to be around
- that Jazz party must have been super-cool, New Yorkers are fun
- you may say it as it's true, that white coat does look good on you :)
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