Mr. Brightside (no © infringement intended!)

A few months ago, I received a text from my cousin and former roommate asking me "what was the word you used to describe yourself?" She was making reference to the practice answers I'd given during our comedic attempts at prepping me for the med interviews.

"Malleable?" "YEAH! That's the one".

I like to think I'm a pretty darn adaptable person who goes with what life throws at him. Reading my blog from 2 weeks ago, I guess it's arguable. It seems like the institution (i.e. med) drags you along with its intrinsic ups and downs. But don't fret. With every down (i.e. 2 weeks ago), the pendulum eventually swings back up (i.e. today!). No, I'm not a victim of bi-polarism. Sometimes just being engulfed daily by incredibly bright folks 1000x more adept and quick to think than you just puts a damper on your day. I guess that's the thing with medicine - everyone's on his/her A-game at any given moment.

So what was it that suddenly flipped my POV? I'm not one to spill my man guts out, but it was definitely the support of my friends. 12 months ago, I was offered a spot at Canada's most prestigious university but I turned down the offer in favour of staying at home. I had no idea then how large an impact staying linked with my life would have on my education. I guess all the girls that tell us to "open up" aren't completely out to lunch. I admitted I was closing in on burnout to many of my friends and that realization itself took a huge burden off my shoulders (or maybe it was the venting). I can't possibly imagine how those that go abroad feel when trying to learn the nuances of metabolic pathways and pharmacological interactions sans support of buddies, sisters, and mentors. So to all my med colleagues out there - remember, you are human and it's ok to admit that you're tackling a mountain often tougher than you can handle.