Get a LIFE!

Crane Beach, Ipswich, MA

Yes, I realize the irony of telling you blog readers to get a life, but I am actually referring to the social lives of medical students (another oxymoron you might think). In these first two weeks of class, we are being "introduced to the profession." This translates into CPR training, computer simulation, and small group discussions about various issues such as professionalism and cross-cultural communication. It also means that besides a daily journal, we have very little work. Instead, the second years have planned a whole schedule of social "life" events which allow us to get to know our classmates and Boston, and to provide happy memories of free time when we finally hit the books.

These life events have included trips to restaurants and bars in various parts of Boston, a bowling debacle in Fenway (a debacle because I managed to score just half the points of everyone else there), and a pop symphony orchestra on the banks of the Charles. It all brings back fond memories of freshmen year where we traveled around in hordes of forty or more people and having to reintroduce onself as "Michael, from Columbus... in Ohio" to every other person. Note: yes, I know I am from Dublin, but really I'm just happy enough if someone doesn't require the "in Ohio."

Tasty New England Food

The highlight of our adventures so far has been last Saturday's expedition to Ipswich, on the North Shore outside of Boston. We took a one hour train ride out of the city, and the forty of us piled into an Ipswich tourist bus that looped between the train station, a berry farm, Woodmans' seafood restaurant, and Crane Beach (all the essentials). Although I enjoyed picking blackberries while being assailed by mosquitoes and swimming the chilly Atlantic Ocean, the best part was the food. There was warm apple cider and donuts, blackberries and blueberries off the vine at the berry farm, watermelon ice at the beach, and finally, meaty clam strips with onion rings and fries at Woodman's. We really could not have asked for a better summer day in New England.

Footnotes: I've added two features to this blog's sidebar: the Scut List and Bloggers in Arms. Take a look.

A real scut list is commonly used by medical students and interns as a checklist on the ward while working with patients. Here, it is a compilation of interesting articles that I share through my RSS feed (which I will explain in my next entry).

Bloggers in Arms is a directory of some blogs from my friends and is listed by who updated most recently. If you have a blog that's not listed, please let me know!