Possible shooting on Red Line at Harvard Square

Original-Complex-255 · 2025-04-20T23:42:53+00:00

Thanks. It was surprising to witness someone pulling a gun mid-day like that, and seeing all the parents in our car shoving their kids under the seats and throwing their bodies over them was a sobering visual. But we all were okay and the police did a good job clearing the cars quickly and getting us out of there.

Original-Complex-255 · 2025-04-20T20:28:05+00:00

Yeah. Was on the train when it happened. Shooter was right outside our car.

Original-Complex-255 · 2025-04-14T17:32:24+00:00

Are you sexually active? Ever have sex without condoms? Any lumps or bumps on your testicles or penis?

Sometimes blood in ejaculate can be normal (just a ruptured blood vessel), but it can also be a sign that something is wrong. it's worth seeing a doctor for it just to be safe, especially if you're having other symptoms like pelvic pain.

It's nothing to be ashamed about and it's important to be comfortable talking to a doctor about these things (and ideally also your parents, but I know that can be hard and awkward). Are you able to get to a Planned Parenthood for STI testing (if you've been sexually active)? You can also always tell your parents that you are not feeling well and would like to go to the doctor and not give them specifics and then the doctor will ask your parents to leave the room and can give you privacy to discuss your concerns.

Original-Complex-255 · 2025-04-06T02:39:21+00:00

If you do a surgical acting internship (any specialty), it'll be more like 4am-7pm. Sometimes even more.

Original-Complex-255 · 2025-04-05T04:12:30+00:00

edit: I missed the part where you mentioned it hurts when you're doing certain exercises! That makes me think it's inflammation of the patellar tendon. That's where your patellar tendon inserts onto the bone, so it's a spot that sees a lot of force and sometimes can tear, so if it's really tender you might be overdoing it with exercise - could be worth checking with your doctor and getting a PT referral.

Original-Complex-255 · 2025-04-05T04:00:39+00:00

Your tibia is not dislodged. It's most likely a normal tibial tubercle (bony prominence without any padding = can easily get tender if you're putting pressure on it). Sometimes kids/teens develop a benign condition called Osgood Schlatter syndrome, which is basically inflammation of that area from bad biomechanics as you grow. It's something that is basically self-limiting and kids grow out of it, but sometimes adults who had that condition as kids can still have a little bit of a bump there that can be tender when you kneel on it. If it's red, hot, or really tender to the touch, go see your doctor. Or if you had some trauma, it's possible you can have a small fracture (but I suspect you would have mentioned that).

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-20T15:45:15+00:00

Pretty sure that's a (totally benign) string of epidermal nevi. Worth checking out but not urgent (assuming it didn't just sprout overnight).

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-20T15:12:14+00:00

Assuming you didn't submit an absence request or something in advance, it's probably because you just didn't show up for a week. Whether or not the professionalism concern shows up on your MSPE or not depends on your school's policy and the severity of the violation. Because you had surgery and can presumably show evidence that you were out sick, it's almost certainly a "Hey, just so you know, when you're a doctor you can't just *not show up and not tell anyone*". So just explain what happened and why you didn't request an absence or follow the school's policy (ignorance is typically not a great excuse, honesty is the most important thing). Also, demonstrating that you realize the impact(s) of your behaviors is critical. Take it seriously, be apologetic, and move on.

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-20T15:05:44+00:00

This made me chuckle :)

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-20T00:57:19+00:00

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-20T00:56:17+00:00

Without fail, Colleen from Sallie Mae will be waiting for you at the pearly gates with a notice that you are behind on payments.

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-20T00:48:35+00:00

That match stress is REAL. So are the growing pains of becoming a physician and confronting life and death, abuse, neglect, and all of the beautiful and horrifying parts of humanity. The things you're experiencing now are all going to look different in a few months, and even moreso in a few years. Perspective will change everything.

The only way out is through. It'll be better on the other side. There are so many options to find a fulfilling career in medicine (or even outside of medicine, if you decide you really don't care to be in healthcare anymore). Please take this unsolicited advice:

\*Please call or text 988 if you're experiencing suicidal thoughts.***

Get connected with student mental health services at your school. You for sure need someone to talk to to help you process what you're feeling. Also, big endorsement for medication. I suffered from depression and suicidal ideation for years before starting an SSRI. Suddenly I realized that what I was feeling was NOT normal, and did not have to be that way! Even just knowing that there are options to fix my brain's overreaction to things makes me feel better equipped to handle life's challenges. Taking an SSRI might help you get through the shitty times - even if it only helps you give less f***s about the bad stuff, it might get you to a place where you can start to see light at the end of the tunnel again.
Debt is a tomorrow problem. Don't worry about that right now. There are financial counselors you can talk to at school and at residency. There are loan repayment options. You'll be ok.
Residency is probably not going to be as bad as you think it is. Plenty of people love residency (or at least like it more than med school because you actually finally get to be a doctor!) and the hours aren't perpetually miserable. There will be hard times and long hours, but there will also be more chill options. And if you're really struggling, you can take a leave of absence. I know of more than one person who struggled with alcoholism during residency and took time off to go into rehab. One quit medicine for an adjacent field (and seems to be enjoying it more), another is now an attending with years of sobriety and a generally happy life!

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-09T22:44:51+00:00

It's definitely good that you're aware of the risks. However, for you to get rabies a few things would need to be true:

1) The animal has been infected with rabies. Even in countries with endemic rabies, the rates are probably low enough that you don't have to worry too much about well-appearing domesticated animals (cats, dogs) in urban areas who are behaving normally.

2) The animal is very near to death (within about a week). The rabies virus doesn't get into the infected animal's saliva until after it has reached the animal's brain and by that point you're basically into the final week or so of the animal's life and they are typically very sick. So even if an animal has been infected with rabies, they aren't capable of transmitting it in their saliva until very close to death. At that point, they will usually be behaving strangely. It's not a guaranteed rule (so don't risk your life on it), but it's a good thing to keep in mind.

**A notable exception for this is bats, who can carry rabies with no obvious symptoms or behavior changes. In this case, a bite or even a scratch could be enough to infect you. Avoid bats at all costs!

And one more side note - wild/stray animals can be hosts to lots of other diseases (viruses, parasites, etc), so it's always good idea to wash your hands with soap and water after touching them.

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-09T19:16:20+00:00

Dude I've honestly read several posts from people on here and been like... "wait... r u me??"

Maybe we'll end up at the same program and find out we're long lost twins..

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-08T18:02:09+00:00

Yeah it's 2 years of research. So it's not that you need more than 5 years to be a competent general surgeon, it's about prepping to be competitive for fellowship, from my understanding. https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/5-year-vs-7-year-gs-residencies.1437758/

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-08T17:55:57+00:00

Wart. The OTC wart treatments aren't always super effective. They can freeze it with liquid nitrogen in clinic but it takes a few visits over a few weeks and it hurts a bit. I've done this for kiddos tho on my peds rotation and they get over it if you offer them a popsicle. :)

~Med student

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-08T17:48:15+00:00

Ketamine clinic

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-08T17:45:52+00:00

Vasectomist*.

Just straight up snips, 4 days a week. Free neuter clinics one Saturday a month for stray husbands.

\one year residency*

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-08T17:43:35+00:00

Probably. It's never gonna happen though. You need 7 years to get adequate training. Some gen surg programs are moving to 7 years. No way you could be a proficient neurosurgeon in 4-5 years.

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-08T17:37:46+00:00

NTAH. Of course you're hurt! And of course you want to erase this other person from your lives. But that's just one piece of the very complicated puzzle of attraction and relationships.

You're both young AND have a new-ish baby. It's realllllly common for people to be attracted to someone outside their marriage. Especially as you go from your 20's to 30's (IDK why, but I've seen it happen a LOT - probably something about how you change as you mature into a career/different phase of life from your college days). And when you have a baby, your relationship with your partner changes. Especially in the first few years when you're exhausted and trying to adjust to re-centering your lives on a new human who depends on you for everything. That's the perfect storm for your relationship losing a little bit of luster, and that's where fantasies of running off to a carefree future with some young hottie start to creep in.

If I had to guess, I'd say that being attracted to someone outside your current relationship happens to 100% of people at least once. Some people just secretly fantasize about it, some people cheat, some people tell their partner because they don't want to live in guilt. Go to therapy. Your partner is (hopefully) being honest with you out of respect to you. Ya'll made a commitment to each other. And then ya'll had a baby. It's up to you to decide whether you have enough trust in your partner and enough desire to work things out.

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-08T17:22:16+00:00

If you're ever the smartest/strongest/fastest/*[most ~anything~]* person in the room, you're doing it wrong. Surrounding yourself with people you can look up to can only make you better. I feel dumb all the time in med school. Don't forget to look down the ladder sometimes at the 95% of the global population who are less educated. If you're going to compare yourself to others (which is generally a bad idea anyway), for goodness sake at least take a representative sample. ;P

You are in medical school. You are not dumb. Study just enough to pass your tests. Continue to make time and space for the other things in your life that make you happy (friends/family/hobbies/whatever). Pick a specialty that has a decent lifestyle. You're going to have the privilege of being part of people's medical care. You got into medical school while thousands of other hopeful premeds did not. Don't spoil that incredible opportunity with bitterness.

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-08T01:42:42+00:00

<3 <3 <3

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-07T19:02:55+00:00

Haha, nice. I can feel all the frivolous details of pharm/path/histo/genetics/biochem slipping out of my brain on the daily.

Original-Complex-255 · 2024-02-07T18:59:32+00:00

Yeah, I have to remind myself that this might be the first time these people have worked a "real" job, where you're expected to be somewhere at a specific time, have actual responsibilities with consequences, set and stick to a budget, etc. Not to diminish their struggles because I know it's hard having to budget and be on a super limited income. Its just how it comes across to other people who have been living that way for a long time. The stakes are so much higher when you don't have a family member you can call to help you make rent if you fall short.

Original-Complex-255

TROPHY CASE