Holy Writ

Medical school is a cult. Everyone on the inside knows it, and I've referred to it in my own writing as such. The doctor/professor who lectured us during those last ten days of UMBR joked about the concept - we have our cult robes (the white coats), or own secret-language (Bigeminy, aorticopulmonary septa, subluxation, borborygmi, melena, etc); our own saints (Galen, Sir William Osler), specific rituals (abdominally speaking: inspect, auscultate, percuss, palpate), special commandments (Primum Non Nocere) and a dedication that rivals all major religions. We have tremendous faith - that this mountain of accruing debt will someday be whittled to nothing, that we can, infact, shift the balance of disease and health in favor of those upon whom we lay our hands. However, rigth now, I'm going to address our holy text. From these we diligently study our daily devotionals, "studying, to show ourselves approved". I only bring this up right now because my 17-pound box from Kaplan arrived today, and I am in my period of cleansing - for tomorrow I will begin my preparation for the tribulation of USMLE step 1. These will be the lamp unto my study, and the light unto my road to the score I want.

I don't have a definite schedule mapped out yet, but it's supposed to include at least a hundred questions per day. That's a lot of questions, given that this test is more than 70 days away.