My strengths

When I first came to med school I was incredibly concerned about being so much older than my colleagues. My student advisor told me that it was unlikely to be a problem and that I would find that my fellow students would be coming to me for advice and help with their social problems. She was right

I'm used to being the one that people turn to with academic problems, so having this shift in perceived ability is a bit strange.

So far I've chatted with class mates about misunderstanding partners, working too many hours, family discord and now divorce. It's like I have a neon sign suggesting that they come discuss this stuff with me, or maybe it's that advisor telling them to come see me, either way, I'm finding the new role to be sometimes overwhelming.

Since I'm older than these guys I can see my younger self in them. This is pulling up a lot of things that I hadn't considered in some time and many mistakes I've made but was happy to "forget". It's a bit exhausting.

While it's incredibly gratifying to know that I do have a helping role within the class, I should maybe consider investing in a chaise...

Shoulda' bought shares in Starbucks

We bit the bullet and bought me a car. I think it's about time since it was taking an extra-ordinary amount of time to take the bus to school and every person who comes to visit my home feels they've left the county. But I think they may be slightly exaggerating.

The car has been lovely, I can make it to meetings and observerships without any worries. I can stay late at night and study with my colleagues. I can get tasty Starbucks whenever I like.

Have I defined observership yet? Partner o'mine hates it when I use words he doesn't understand. An observership is when a kind doc lets me come and watch what he/she does. These are usually a few hours long, and aren't repeated unless I'm very lucky. I've seen an osteoporosis clinic, a rehab ward in a hospital and an outreach program between a psychiatrist and community GPs. Pretty cool.

But about this car. It means that I'm suddenly spending a lot of money on gas (well, not a lot I guess relatively speaking since it's such a tiny car), but it's not cheap. Plus there's insurance and maintenance etc, and my sudden car induced craving for Starbucks.

I'm pretty sure that where ever I decide to practise, there needs to be a Starbucks nearby.