I was talking with one of my friends early in the quarter about the friendships we’ve made here at KCOM.  We both agreed that the friendships we’ve made in medical school are unlike any friendship we have ever had.  There isn’t a whole lot of calling back and forth (although there are facebook comments galore).  In fact, I can’t tell you if I’ve ever even hugged any of my KCOM friends other than when I’m setting up to perform an osteopathic manipulation.  I can assure you, however, that our friendships aren’t cold or standoffish.  I think that these relationships differ from other relationships we’ve built throughout our lives because they are built on the premise of mutual respect and admiration.  Not to say that we don’t respect our friendships we’ve previously developed, just that there was probably a stepping stone that led to a friendship and developed into respect.  Here, we all fought tooth and nail to get into medical school, and now we are all trying to prove ourselves worthy of such an opportunity.  We all recognize that time is a valuable commodity, and as such, we can’t have movie nights or Dairy Queen nights every single night.  We get by, and we ALWAYS have someone to lean on when we need it.

Yesterday I was having lunch with a few prospective students and I somehow got on the subject of “making it work.”  I was explaining how you have to make time for yourself (see Post #1) and how there will always be a way to make your schedule work.  I looked across the table at my friend, the new mom.   She is a perfect example of the “making it work” speech and the “respect and admiration” topic.  I mentioned in the last post (see Post #2) that she went into labor early and delivered her beautiful baby girl on a Saturday night.  Since her baby was premature, there were associated health issues that kept the new family in the hospital for a week.  As a result, my friend was excused from a Pharmacology test, an Infectious Diseases test, and an Infectious Diseases case presentation (all to be made up upon her return to classes.)  The following week, my friend returned to classes just in time for a Neuroscience test on Monday and an OTM technique critique on Thursday.  Just in case you weren’t keeping track:  let me tell you what HER schedule looked like this past week:

Monday: Neuroscience Test

Tuesday: study study study

Wednesday: Pharmacology Test

Thursday: OTM Technique Critique

Friday: Infectious Diseases Case Presentation

Saturday: Infectious Diseases Test

Yes, you saw that right.  A test on a Saturday (ew!)  As you can see, she found a way to make it work.  I’m not sure I could, but she did and that’s what matters.  Remember what I was saying earlier about medical school friendship being based on respect and admiration?  This takes that to a WHOLE new level!   I guarantee that no matter where you go to medical school, you will meet people who will make you a better person.  They may not come in the same form as any of your previous friendships, but as long as you are open to them it will make the medical school journey so much easier and (*gasp*) possible even enjoyable.

As an added bonus this week:  The new mom gave permission for me to post a picture of her pride and joy.