There is a never clear cut path to MD/DO
I finished my chemistry class on Wednesday. I have been going to class since January, so it feels good to have a break from the daily grind. Now I can relax and read the large War and Peace.
My final grade turned out to be a respectable B. UAF gives pluses and minuses, but since the professor did not know that when writing his syllabus, he just put down letter grades. That means he has to honor his syllabus and not follow the UAF academic policy. I am relived that I got a B in the class. After failing the second test, I thought both my grade and goal to become a doctor was in jeopardy. Going into the class, I only wanted an A and nothing short of it. But this experience showed many things to me that bring out the true character of a student and doctor.
I know I could have used many ways to achieve an A in the class. I could have cheated like a fellow classmate, studied my ass off to the point where I would only get a few hours a sleep a night without enjoying the class, or focused primarily on what will only be on the test.
One student in the class really pushed for only knowing what we needed to know for the test. They were nice, but also very annoying. They had taken a chemistry class before and would challenge the professor about some of the examples he would give. If he ever gave an incorrect answer, they would be the first one to point it out and say to the professor: “you are wrong”. Sometimes the professor would give hypothetical examples during lecture; it was obvious that the student would have a hard drive conceptualizing them. Sometimes they would whisper over to me and ask: “Do we need to know this for the test?” and I would just shrug and say: “Who knows”. They had only come to one study group session; they were never open to helping the other students understand the material, they just got tired up with us struggling to understand some of the material and studied on their own.
After each test, they would say they received a perfect score and show the test grade. Great, they received a perfect score, but did they really understand the material by knowing what is behind each theory or mathematical step? I do not know this, but did the material become apart of them? By making the material apart of you, you not only have an understanding of it, but have a connection between each theory. So if you only know what is on the test, how do you know the connecting material and optional supporting material?
When I was shadowing the hospital’s radiologist earlier this week, I asked him about how he can diagnose a problem from just looking if things are symmetrical in x-rays. One statement that he made to me that has been reoccurring from the doctors I have shadowed is that: “You are a life long learner. Not everything will fit in a textbook example or has been encountered before. When you are faced with that, you then go to your colleagues, your mentors in residency, your medical school”. If I am just studying for the test like my fellow student, I am preparing to only recognize the example, but never see the whole picture.
If I just study for the test to get that perfect grade in order to get into my dream medical school, will that make me a great doctor? I do not believe so. Not every patient is the same test or that model practice test. Doctors need to see the whole picture of the patient, not just the small pain complaint.
When I encountered chemistry problems that did not fit that perfect example the professor gave in lecture, I did not just sit back and solve it on my own, I asked my study group members about the problem, and we bounced ideas and possible solution steps with each other. I feel confident with the path I am taking to become a doctor.
