I guess I might just have to resign myself to the fact that life is the way it is.

Health changes so drastically in relation to our surroundings.

In high school, I didn't really know how to manage my weight, appearance, etc well. (or at least I believe relative to now). I was taking 7 AP classes, President of x club, Treasurer of Y club, volunteering on the weekends, studying, playing the violin, everything. Life was pretty hectic, and I didn't pay much attention to my appearance.

Then came in college.

I got more time to myself and could devote more time to myself, choosing things I felt that were interesting to participate in and choosing classes that were super fun to be in as well. Dance classes even! My skin got a lot better and my complexion seemed brighter. I also learned a lot more about skincare (websites, blogs, primary literature articles, Youtube, etc) and learned how to better take care of myself. Dress in clothes that fit my body type, all that stuff. Yada-yada. I got more sleep, was more well-rested, and was happier in general.

Hooray! Blossomed out of the shell. College is definitely the place where I truly grow up.

Medical school changed things. I underwent a surgery shortly after college graduation and spent the summer recovering. (Yeah, definitely one of the least fun summers I've ever had.) Now life is so much more different. I'm taking the bus or rail to school instead of walking or going via a yellow school bus; I carry my books around campus, read them on the computer, etc instead of just leaving them at home or in a locker; I even have a car that I can use on the occasion that I drive. My life seems more structured, but at the same time, more hectic. I'm learning things that I have never even fathomed of learning; at the same time, I'm trying to absorb so much more stuff than I've ever really tried to absorb anytime before.

According to the University of Richmond, the national acceptance rate for medical schools is 46% for first-time applicants. For second-time, third-time, etc applicants, the rates are even lower. I guess there is a reason why it's so hard to get in. It's hard just to get through, just to pass. One has to make quite a decent effort to pass everything.

Anyway, back to the health business. I've noticed things regress in my health because of this whole medical school thing. I'm sleepy a lot of the time, not perhaps due to lack of sleep, but because I have to concentrate so hard during the time I study that my brain "farts out", literally. I break out a lot more as well, to the amount that I broke out during my peak acne phases in my late middle school/early high school years. And I guess my time spent indoors/use of sunscreen/use of DIY facials has made my skin a lot paler, apparently, according to people who've known me for awhile.

However, I think still this is just a small price to pay for the incredible stuff I'm learning right now. Hearing patients' stories while they explain to me why they got to where they are today, hearing those heartbeat sounds on different parts of the chest, testing reflexes, being able to feel the liver and spleen, understanding why people have acid reflux and how to prevent it, understanding how medications work and why certain med combos don't work -> this opportunity is so incredible.

I will eventually get used to the life of a medical student, fully get into "the swing of things". I might not be a savant but I will learn things and work hard. I am so grateful for this opportunity and am humbled by the patients every time I go into the hospital. It is my pleasure to learn to take care of them. And eventually, perhaps my skin will get used to it too!

(Still working on everything!)

~Med School Girl