Charlie goes to Medical School

Another year has passed, in more ways than one.

Three years ago, I was ready to start out on my new career. A change that I was not completely ready to make, but wound up having to make a quick choice. Luckily at that point, I had thought about medicine for a long while. The choice that I had to make was an easy one. Wife was by my side. For my birthday that year, she took me to one of those themed restaurants where the knights joust and sword fight each other. I entered school unprepared mentally and struggled a bit under the stress. However, thanks to some hard work and the well-stuck lessons taught to me by my high school science teachers, I succeeded at transitioning into my post-bacc work.

Two years ago, I had finished my first year of my post-bacc work. I was excelling at my classes, and was starting to prepare to take one more class over the summer before studying for the MCAT. When that did happen, it was me, a card table and several very thick books. I was strung out and playing video games every 4-6 hours just to maintain my sanity. One evening, I cooked Wife a meal and sliced through my left index finger. Wife was not there, so I had to drive myself to the quick care where Wife met me. Wife nearly passed out because she was so concerned for me. I did well on the MCAT. In the fall, I started to take some of the more recommended courses. And I applied to many, many medical schools.

One year ago, I got accepted to one of those medical schools. Wife found a new job and followed me here. We moved here over the summer and I matriculated. I ran headlong into a wall of knowledge. I tried to absorb everything. I drank from the fire hose. I did well in class. I did well in group discussion. I did well in lab.

Today, Wife and I have been married for three years. I have finished my first year of medical school. We are struggling to get our old place sold on a soft market. She drives longer than she should for a job that is not quite what she wants to do. She definitely could have found an easier life for herself. She has stuck by me as I picked myself up from a career that I hated and stumbled into a new career that I love.

Happy anniversary, Wife.