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Apr 17, 2008

Final

Today was the very last lecture of the year. There were five lectures originally scheduled, three were canceled, and I showed up for the last one. Probably 90% of my class was there and the air was full of "How ya been? I haven't seen you in ages!" and "How's class been?" "No idea! I haven't been in a month!"

Apparently I am not the only one who has been pulling the classic med school tactic of skipping class to study.

The last lecture was not even that good. It was "What Comes Next" and was supposed to inspire us about 3rd year and how great it will be. As much as I want to be excited about next year, THERE IS SO MUCH THAT I HAVE TO DO AND LEARN BEFORE THEN.

It occurred to me today that I have now "learned" everything that I need for boards. HA! If they only knew how little I know, they would throw me out on my rapidly expanding bum. Man, oh, man.

(HEE HEEE HEEEEEEEEE!!!)

4 Readers rock!:

~Ashley said...

who gave that lecture? i don't know if we got one of those lectures! ... about third year that is. anyhow, you won't know everything even after you take boards, and it all quickly seeps out of your head anyhow. just take boards studying one day at a time, do questions, don't freak out too much over the tiniest details. breathe.

The Shrink said...

How many more years is it?

In the UK it's 5 years as an undergraduate. After almost 2 years preclinicals there's usually one big set of exams (to then enter in to clinical training). At the end of the 5 years there're final exams, to pass and graduate as a doctor.

Then you have Foundation training as a junior doctor.

Then you have higher specialist training (which needs further exam success to allow you to progress).

I'm muddled 'bout your system, what hoops do you have to jump through?

Katie! said...

Shrink: Thanks for your comment (and all the rest as well!) Our system is very similar to yours, but the timing is a little different and it is less integrated. We have 4 years undergrad, which can be totally unrelated to medicine. (Yay music degrees!) Once you're admitted to med school, there are 2 years of preclinical classes followed by Step 1 of the USMLE (U.S. Medical Licensing Exam). Upon passing, there are 2 years of clinicals in med school and Step 2 of the USMLE before graduating and becoming an M.D. However, only having an M.D. is not enough to practice. After med school comes residency in whatever specialty you choose, be it Family Practice (3 years) or Neurosurgery (7 years). After one year of residency you are eligible to practice as a General Practitioner, but not many people do this anymore. During residency, you complete the USMLE with Step 3. At the completion of your residency you take "Board Exams" specific to your specialty and become "board certified".

So, if I decide to do Ob/Gyn, I have two weeks left of this year, Step 1 of USMLE this summer, 2 more years of medical school, 4 years of residency training, Steps 2 and 3 of USMLE, and Board Exams for Ob/Gyn. Then, if I want to do a fellowship, it's 3 years and more exams after that. The answer, then, is 6-9 years from now I will be a practicing physician. If I'm still alive.

The Shrink said...

12 years in the UK from start to finish, so I guess it's comparable, then.

Sorry about your 'puter, hope you're back online soon!