Invisible Medical Studentitis

Picture the eager medical student, left to watch "Seinfeld" on a couch in the L&D on-call room while the residents gossip and then leave the room suddenly, without inviting her to tag along. Picture the OB residents passing out hot chocolate packets without offering one to the student, or apologizing for not having enough. Picture the student feeling more and more frustrated--after all, I can sleep in my own bed much more comfortably than on some nasty couch at a hospital.

I will never be a resident or attending like that. If an overeager medical student shows up, I will either be straight from the beginning--"It's a slow night, go home and sleep"--or I'll take them with me to see some gore and guts. I'll acknowledge their presence in the room instead of ignoring them. These residents were all like, what are you doing here? I'm all like, this is a freaking teaching hospital, I'm here to see some gore. I'm here to watch a delivery. I'm here to see if I'm really willing to stake my future on a specialty that involves low sleep and high malpractice. I'm here to be inspired so I can hopefully make it through the upcoming 6 tests I have starting Dec. 9. Above all, I'm NOT here to be ignored. I know how to stand in a corner, I'll be quiet and out of the way.

And who cares if I'm just a second year? Who cares if I'll "see plenty of OB next year"? It's NOW I'm worried about! I'm scared to death I'm going to get as burned out as I did last year, and want to quit school or worse.

Bah. Time to get some sleep and quit my whining.