Duh

There is a moment in the continuum of learning something brand new that causes a momentary "what the hell" moment. You hear the words, you moderately understand the vocabulary and the concept, but the pieces don't fit, and there seems no way to get to the complete understanding and cross the intellectual abyss to "oh yea, I know that". I was having one of those moments yesterday at the end of genetics. Just couldn't get it to save my soul. So, in my earnest student mode (the one I required of my students), I visited the professor after class.

Now he's a genius at the stuff he teaches. He is clearly on a level that I can't hope to achieve. No I WON'T ever achieve. I'm ok with that. I'd just like to know enough to do some decent counseling in practice and recognize the reasons for all those funny looking kids out there (FLK's). Genetics in primary care is mostly about that. But I know that there is some mandatory minutiael component that I'll have to regurgitate (in all it's backwash glory) to the national board folks.  So I seek his patient tutoring. I was over-expectant.

"It's easy when you know it," he said as he searched for the thickest book on molecular biology I've ever seen. I bit my lip to hide the laughter. Well duh! If I knew it, it WOULD be easy and I wouldn't be sitting here! And then I heard myself say "outloud"...I appreciate that, and I hope that I will find it easier with your help.

Aaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhh..., I've crossed to the dark side of suck up, apple polisher...striving to become a "pet". No, not really; But I got tickled none the less and felt my lip part into a smirk. I seem to find ways to entertain myself even as I struggle to figure out how knowing the 5 prime end from the 3 prime end of the DNA of a little known, rare disease will help elevate my bedside skills and compassion. I do know one thing, I can ID a FLK from a block away. But can I figure out the disease? Hopefully I will after this class.