Whoa!

Any indication of slowing down, or break in the information stream that is the "infolanche" of medical school, was purely delusional. It has, in only 2 days, come with a vengeance as we enter this 2nd "block" of instruction moving toward midterms in 2-3 weeks. Public health is moving forward with it's "mini MPH" approach when we know that USMLE and the real world don't require this depth of knowledge. The facts, figures and equations are useless the way they are being presented without the benefit of clinical practice, microbiology, understanding of the literature etc. I am fortunate in that sense. Histology is already layering scores of slide to "identify" on the next exam in connective tissue, blood, muscle etc. Another totally useless skill except for pathologists and other microscope doctors.

Anatomy is working on both embryology and the entire lower leg (every muscle, nerve, artery and other structure). It is the class that I am most interested, and most applicable to really understanding pathology. A mentor once told me that command of normal anatomy and physiology was the key to good diagnosis skills and disease comprehension. I've applied that rule over the years, and believe it with my whole heart and soul. But the volume is truly unbelievable and really beyond the facile, complete understanding of most humans. But the key is laying a foundation for later learning in clinical education and repeat exposure in the other science classes.

Dr. Stead was completely right about medical education though. It is an educational system that is forged in distant history that has little application to the real world of using the information clinically. The world has changed in significant ways and the "infolanche" we are experiencing, in the method most medical school receive it (lecture), is mostly wasted time. I was sitting in lecture yesterday (except for breaks of 5-10 minutes) for nearly 11 hours. How much did I really learn, and how much "real learning" (reading and studying on my own) did I lose by having to be in class (mandatory attendance) assuming that presence is learning? For now, it is what it is and I am what I am, even if there is no ski patrol available for rescue if the infolanche overtakes me.