The interview process was crazy. It's the best way to do it all though. Flying across country from one to the other gets quite expensive. Total cost for applying to programs was about $3,000. That's including all of my 8 interviews.
I started in July with my first rotation. Moving and setting up was crazy. I totalled a car on the way over, which is just great. Once I got here though, I started in the lab meeting people. I worked on a few different projects and generally didn't get anything done in the five weeks that I was there. The people are great though. I wouldn't mind doing my thesis there. The rotation process is really chill. I just had to tell the MSTP who I was rotating with and all was done.
In August, med school started and my life in the lab got put on hold. Med school is harder than I thought it would be. I know a lot about math, not about cell bio and diseases. The main challenge for me is learning drug names and actions. That and memorizing all the clinical decisions that need to be made. The pathways, demographics and genetics are really not that bad. Of course, that's what the straight med people don't like. The anatomy is really not that bad. We're a prosection based school, which means that I learn all the structures on well dissected bodies and don't need to waste my time with fascia. I'm planning on going in during the summer to do the dissections for the next year's class. That way I can do all the dissections when I have the time to do them and know what's important and what I shouldn't be cutting.
I do, however, have a reasonable amount of free time on my hands. I have time to tutor and do competitive sports. I go out most Friday and Saturday nights. There's totally a med school social bubble which is hard to get out of but I'm not left desiring anything in terms of social contact. Med students are fun.
I do miss science though. Med school and activities don't leave a lot of time to get anything done on the "rotation" that I'm currently in. I feel so bad for it, but I'm trying to make up for it during spring break and summer. It'll be good to get back into the lab and remind myself that science is great.
