Medical school has given me not only the gift of knowledge and skills for healing, but also the gift of friendship. The friends I have made in medical school are going to be lifelong. There’s something to be said for sharing these transformative years together. We cram our heads day after day with new knowledge, celebrate the highs, support each other through our failures, commiserate about the challenges of third year rotations, stay up late talking about what we want out of life, out of our careers, what we want to give to this world, who we were, who we are becoming. Plus, there’s the incredible benefit of each of us having different passions both within and outside of medicine. I love hearing about what each of them cares about, because they inspire me to do more myself too. And if I ever have a question about a particular field that one of them is entering, it’s so easy to get answers!
I remember when my sister was going through medical school (she’s now a full fledged doctor), she said the same thing–that the friends she made then were always going to have a special place in her heart, and indeed they still do. I’m so happy to feel that way now too. At the end of a long day on the wards, I know I have them to text, call, or hug. They’re home away from home, and family when family is far away.
