Orientation Pt.1

At 9AM Monday morning the check-in and welcome tables were staffed by bright beautiful second year medical students ready introduce us incoming first years to our new lives. I had moved in the previous Saturday night, and so like everything else in my life I tried to be early, or ahead, or upstream. See, even if it doesn't matter, even if there could be no possible benefit, I strive to be prepared, or ready. Because, what if it could somehow matter? There are a lot things of which I'm blissfully unaware, so what if this is another drop in the bucket of "I knew not"? Its this type of reasoning that among other decisions most recently informed my choice for the ultra small, ultra cheap 7'x15' "railroad suite" with indirect river view dorm room. Anybody could sense my delight as I skipped down the hallway smugly feasting on the thought of my future savings and humming, "I'm paying half of what everybody else is, and at such and such interest rate compounded annually I'm saving..." In any case, I was present before the table promptly by a quarter of nine and received my schedule for the week's events. Among the highlights were billiards night, dinner and theater (Broadway of course), boat cruise with dental, Hippocratic Oath, and finally the "master" promissory note signing. Interspersed between these events were scavenger hunts, upper class and faculty lunches, administrative lectures, field day competitions, trivia nights, interest group fairs, and exploratory trips (think museums, harbors, shopping). One of the second-year staffers was able to identify me because she was my sister's college roommate and recognized my name. It felt nice to have made a connection, no matter how small.

The first event of the day was to meet with our orientation group and team leader... at 2:30PM. So much for being ready! I used the time to buy a fitted sheet for my mattress, wander around the Dominican Republic... I mean the Heights, check on produce prices (peaches are cheap), and see about acquiring that hot plate I needed to make instant espresso in my room every morning. With time to spare, I played basketball with a newly acquainted first year. Finally at 2:20 PM, I found myself in a classroom as my fellow classmates began to shuffle in, I was so excited to meet our group. Our leader introduced himself. We have an Olympic athlete in our class, a swimmer. One guy worked for the Department of Defense for ten years before coming here. I asked him if he thought our current war was necessary. What do you think he said? He said, "its a terrible waste" Another girl was a child star and singer. This guy right here, he played at Carnegie Hall. This other guy grew up on an oil compound in Saudi Arabia. Everyone was very accomplished and interesting. To break the ice we played a game called "two truths and a lie". Its actually a pretty good way to get to know someone, you say two things that are true and the third is a lie... then let everyone else figure it out. Good class.