food tray

Nobody likes it when they have to go down to the mouse colony, to find that a lab mate's pups have died and shriveled because he forgot them in the food tray after taking their toes for genotyping.

EWWWW.

I find myself in the between space. Everything feels surreal when I sit down at my lab bench. I'm moving on with my life. I'm moving on!

What will happen to these people when I leave? I've been with the oldest one for close to 4 years now. I was talking to the oldest grad student in the lab- she had wished that I would stay longer haha. Oh dear, I really can't stay for the sake of others. I have to start thinking about myself for a change.

I was partially offended by Poorneel's comment that I would be a two-and-screw. Janey explained this to me yesterday, that a two-and-screw is someone who enters a MD/PhD or MSTP program for 2 years just to get the free tuition before dropping that career path and finish with solely an MD.

He told me this in relation to my interest in surgery. Janey tried to reason that it was his cynicism. Still. I wonder if we had just experienced different programs during our interview routes. Everywhere I've been, some of the students had decided on pursuing surgery for residency. Every program director told me that they would support whatever path I chose to take, since it would be a ridiculously long route. Nevertheless, as long as I end up where I want to be, the program and its directors are willing to support me.

This is why I find it so confusing, and accusatory, that Poorneel would think such a thing of me. Just because I have an interest in neurosurgery does not mean that I would choose operating over research. That is not the reason I would go into an MD/PhD program. I also told myself that if I did not believe that I would enter a program and see it to completion, I would not apply for dual degrees. I'm not the type of person to take a spot away from another candidate for a free ride.

I wonder if I'm annoyed by that comment because it seemed like an attack on my integrity/character...