Week 12: Friends and Family, Formalin Free!

I got suckered by the 3M Littman Reps and by peer pressure into getting a Cardiology III stethoscope, although we were thoroughly convinced that the limiting factor for the four years of medical school would not be what went in the ears, but rather what was between the ears. Sage advice that I ignored, should've went with the cheaper stethoscope.

Anatomy this week comprised of dissecting and learning the axilla, upper limb including flexors and extensors of the arm and forearm, as well as the hand. We were also introduced to the brachial plexus and all the nervous injuries to the nerves in the upper limbs can produce. It was fascinating looking at our arms exposed - I never would have imagined how many muscles there are that control this region of the body, I guess never appreciating that all our articulation of the upper limb is attributed to various muscle combination that I appreciate in function - now in learning in three days was another story. Our return on investment from an early start to anatomy matured this week as Thursday and Friday were off as it was Friends and Family weekend - more on that in a second. Instead, we had a selective lecture by Dr. Bachman which focused on family practice and an introduction of virtual visits that the doctors have been using here to try to save on visitation costs and to follow up more directly and more efficiently. It was an interesting concept, but I don't think the office visit proper will ever be totally phased away. This does help out though for getting that seasonal allergy prescription visit or a follow up to say that "everything is fine."

Friends and Family weekend is an open house that Mayo Medical School runs for our parents in lieu of a white coat ceremony. As Mayo Medical Students are never given white coats (our clinical interaction with patients is always in suits and business attire), we don't have the traditional presentation of a white coat at the beginning of the year. Instead we are presented with a plaque with a commitment to human values that we take. It felt like graduation, but maybe four years too early - three and a half now I guess. We were also invited to the Foundation House in a nice reception dinner that we enjoyed and it was nice to have my father and mother in law (Paul and Jan) who came up for the occasion and also to visit us. Wish it were four years in the future and we were getting our medical degrees, but alas - just a glimpse of future I hope.