Constructive Avoidance
It's been a while since the last post, but that's mainly because there's not a whole lot to report. Medical school is, not surprisingly, pretty all-consuming, and doesn't supply lots of room for postable hijinks. I've figured out that a large part of the whole process is cultivating a high degree of forbearance. For example, today we had our Objective Structured Clinical Examinations, in which we were given 8 minutes to interview a patient who graded us on our ability to elicit information. This activity, along with other delicious tidbits such as the Community Elder Experience, is part of a course called Introduction to Clinical Medicine (i.e., Learning how to Act Like a Doctor). They don't teach us the key elements of the profession, such as how to keep people waiting and write illegibly, but I suppose those will come with the on-the-job training.
The whole thing is actually pretty entertaining. What I am doing, in the strictest sense, is acting like a doctor, and the patients, be they fake or real, engage in this role-playing scenario with a surprising amount of forbearance themselves. They likely know that my endless questioning will bear no fruit in their treatment, but will only serve to help me 'memorize my lines,' in the script that I've been handed.
Yesterday I met with Dave, my boss from this past summer. As yet another task set before me, I must present my inconclusive summer research project before a faculty panel, complete with poster, and for this I will need Dave's help. We were discussing the new gym at UAB, and I mentioned that I'm exercising now more than I ever have before. Dave's reply? "I find that the times in my life when I've exercised the most have been times when I've had a lot of things to do that I didn't want to do, such as...study for anatomy. I call it constructive avoidance."
Constructive avoidance. It's an elegant concept, a swift sword that cuts to the heart of most of my extracurricular activities. It encompasses Spinning class, experimenting with new recipes in my Crock-Pot, and in this latest installment, posting to the blog to update friends/family/passers-by on our goings-on.
Hanging out with The Bobster is one of my favorite ways to while away a few hours, even if it's of dubious constructiveness. Brief update--the lucky guy has a much-deserved week off from school, but is exhibiting his Midwestern work ethic by picking up a few shifts at the restaurant. 'Mr. Bartelt,' as he's known now to some 60-odd middle schoolers, is having his own challenges, in the form of 'exploratory' (i.e., remedial) students, hyperactive sixth graders, proselytizing preteens, PTA meetings and the like, but seems to be handling it with his characteristic goodwill and cheerful attitude.
That's all from this neck of the woods. Oh, except I heard of a really cool website the other day called www.postsecret.blogspot.com. Check it out if you have a minute.
The whole thing is actually pretty entertaining. What I am doing, in the strictest sense, is acting like a doctor, and the patients, be they fake or real, engage in this role-playing scenario with a surprising amount of forbearance themselves. They likely know that my endless questioning will bear no fruit in their treatment, but will only serve to help me 'memorize my lines,' in the script that I've been handed.
Yesterday I met with Dave, my boss from this past summer. As yet another task set before me, I must present my inconclusive summer research project before a faculty panel, complete with poster, and for this I will need Dave's help. We were discussing the new gym at UAB, and I mentioned that I'm exercising now more than I ever have before. Dave's reply? "I find that the times in my life when I've exercised the most have been times when I've had a lot of things to do that I didn't want to do, such as...study for anatomy. I call it constructive avoidance."
Constructive avoidance. It's an elegant concept, a swift sword that cuts to the heart of most of my extracurricular activities. It encompasses Spinning class, experimenting with new recipes in my Crock-Pot, and in this latest installment, posting to the blog to update friends/family/passers-by on our goings-on.
Hanging out with The Bobster is one of my favorite ways to while away a few hours, even if it's of dubious constructiveness. Brief update--the lucky guy has a much-deserved week off from school, but is exhibiting his Midwestern work ethic by picking up a few shifts at the restaurant. 'Mr. Bartelt,' as he's known now to some 60-odd middle schoolers, is having his own challenges, in the form of 'exploratory' (i.e., remedial) students, hyperactive sixth graders, proselytizing preteens, PTA meetings and the like, but seems to be handling it with his characteristic goodwill and cheerful attitude.
That's all from this neck of the woods. Oh, except I heard of a really cool website the other day called www.postsecret.blogspot.com. Check it out if you have a minute.
