Sunday, March 22, 2009

The Late Lament

I have 7 weeks left in college.

I realise that this is highly unoriginal, but where did my five years go? It was only last week that we placed our brains inside buckets of formalin, how can I be on the brink of doctor-hood? I don't know where the origin of the pectoralis major is, and that was the very first thing I learnt. What am I doing here?

I didn't know anyone when I joined, and now they are the people I'll be the happiest to run into in the future.
Reminds me of that terrible joke that was doing the rounds in my third year.
Joe: Meet my wife.
Sam: I know her.
Joe: How?
Sam: I've slept with her.
Joe: WHAT?
Sam: Ten years ago. In pathology class.

I could cry oceans.

Why?

Because I could have been spent more time with my books?
Because the library could have been more than a quiet dormitory?
Because I could have poked at more patients?
Because I could have stayed awake in class?

Jeez, who cares about all that? There are plenty of people who do that, and they wear the same harassed expression that I do.

Could I have had more fun?

I remember all of us taking down notes diligently in classes when even the hardiest souls were in NREM sleep. Notes of the lecturer's atrocious grammar and pronunciation.

Once The R and I decided to explore the corners of the campus ordinarily hidden to good, law-abiding medicos and came up on a swing. It so happened that we were both just five years old that day.

The A was watching the river Cauvery (en route to Coorg, on a batch trip) flow by gently, and decided to wade in it. Later that evening, The R and I had a time trying to prevent The A from coming down with pneumonia.

All of us setting out for a lecture five minutes before it began, to reach the class late and breathless, only to find out it had been cancelled.

I remember Eli screaming when her pithed frog showed signs of being un-pithed.

All of us arriving well in time for a class: the lecturer was young and handsome. :)

Singing loud, off-key versions of Chhalak Dhikla Jaa along with the blasting TV enough to disturb the rest of the floor at the hotel in Mysore, and then have the management ring up the guys in the next room to turn down the volume, who had just switched on the telly to 'drown out the unholy din'. Take that, chauvinistic hotel manager.

Grinning across a crowded ward at each other in the middle of yet another night.

Survived the labour room together, with our sanities intact. Or as intact as they were prior to the internment.

Collectively developing vasovagal attacks in the middle of watching autopsies.

Catching the late show of Guru while at Hyderabad, and squeezing each other's hands when Madhavan (ooo, HOTNESS!) kissed Vidya Balan (the BITCH!).

Having nothing to talk about, and sitting around silently like characters from an art movie, and bristling with stories the moment exams are announced, with the peak occurring just outside the exam hall. Always.

Man, I LOVE college! Damn you, for being only five years long.

17 comments:

broca's area said...

u will surely miss it!!:)..whens internship?

--xh-- said...

you are just starting to miss the college.. :) believe me, you will miss it more with each passing day...

Unknown said...

:-) "I didn't know anyone when I joined, and now they are the people I'll be the happiest to run into in the future."

Yep. That is the truth. Enjoy the 7 weeks. Memoirs of college never fade.

Gauri said...

Good luck with your internship :)

Dragonfly said...

Its getting a bit like that... Me going, "oh crap, next placement in ED I won't need to get someone else to sign my forms for me...............crrap. Heaven help us all"

totalliemeh said...

4 days left. for me. to complete college.

i duno y,but i go YIPPEEE!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

truly the best time :), the world after that sucks.

suhās said...

It was years ago when I read your blog first - from another ID from another continent.

I am following your writing again... I am sure you will live and relive all those memories till they become one with you.

good luck with all your future endeavors.

-S

Synapse said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Synapse said...

well there is still internship! it is a period of intentse feelings! you will be half dead with work. you will have plenty of fun too!
- from a man who has been there.

~nm said...

all the best girl! It must be a mix of excitement and nervousness..right? :D

And that joke was really funny .

BrownPhantom said...

Consider yourself lucky. We, engineers have just 4 years. And you know what, the real fun starts only after the third year. So your great era has been twice as long.
Don't flunk, even though it's tempting enuff :).

Arps said...

aww.. Make the most of the 7 weeks left.. (bet u will..coz its exam time right :P).
College is definitely the BEST!!!
Cheers!

todays writer said...

just stumbled upon your blog......you write very well!

I am a med student in the final year with 3 months of college left, so I am in a pretty similar position.

Enjoy the last 7 weeks !

rm said...

we will miss it too.

Suburban Correspondent said...

Where are you? Canada? Here in the US college for doctors is 8 years, 6 if you get into a special program.

And that joke? I don't think non-doctors get it.

Saw you at NavelGazing and had to click over to find out why? Why Adorable Pancreas?

DPhatsez said...

all this while still in college!
Once you graduate, we gotta yell,
"Is there a doctor in the house?" :)

Oh man! my ALMOST-Vasovagal episode! They were showing a video of a heart operation on TV. (shiver!)

I have white coat syndrome.Doctor would be half my size but my bloody heart just won't listen :)