So far it's all about the medical exam. Formal study for the surgical exam is at an all time low because the discrepancy in knowledge expectation is driving me absolutely nuts. My understanding of the 'Core Curriculum' is that all of it could really be summarised by saying just read and learn all of Tjandra's Textbook of Surgery. It's a nice textbook, but so summarised that it feels like the author was slapped a few times with a mallet before he wrote it. Most of the enthusiastic surgical students have already read it, some have summarised the entire textbook (scary). I'm stuck between reading it and correlating its 'chapters' with Bailey & Love's Short Practice of Surgery. That book's title is so deceiving; Short Practice. The authors must have had a good laugh when they named their baby after measuring it to be several inches thick.
I'm stuck in a rut. I want to study harder but I can't process more. I need rest but I want to study. I try to rest but I can't because I'm guilty.
It's all very scary and I hope by Friday I'm at the point where I don't care. At this stage, I am caring more than anything else. I just need to keep persisting. It can be so demanding sometimes.
The thing that's really slapstick hilarious is the fact that I'm almost 75% through this program and apparently completion of this program (mind you most of it is self-directed) correlates reliably with medical and surgical competence. Supposedly my opinion will be empowered with authority and I will be able to prescribe medications, counsel patients and break bad news to their families.
All I can say is that I have a long way to go and I'm far from ready for next week's assessments.
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