Positive Reinforcement

Walking up with the kids to the Georgetown Medical School building, a bunch of first year medical students who showed up on campus this week were walking by with their families.  I think they had their "white coat" ceremony today, a big banquet-y thing where they get their first white coat with the Georgetown seal and their name in cursive.  Everyone was dressed up super preppy and fancy.  I saw a few moms wearing those ridiculous hats you see women wearing at horse races or in Pretty Woman.  The first thing I thought was, thank God I'm not going here.  Then, as I kept walking, a guy passed by me and he looked strangely familiar.  It took me about a minute to place his face and then I realized it was Adam Money, a 2011 Yalie that I took premed classes with my freshman year.  He was always the fratty athlete type, though I heard he met some Christian girl who completely turned him around.  It was crazy to see him just walk by me, especially in a Georgetown sealed white coat! He looked more clean and put together than I had ever seen him.  I barely recognized him without the fratty beer-reeking jersey, backwards baseball cap, and the ever-classy high white socks with sandals look.  Though he hasn't lost the "my hair is too long because I forgot to get it cut...a year ago" look.
     When we got to the med building I jumped on a computer and looked him up on facebook to be sure that it was actually him.  He had Georgetown Medical School on his facebook.  Once I knew it was him, a whole new feeling hit me.  THAT COULD BE ME!? It was an insane feeling.  I can't imagine going straight back to school right now.  I am so nostalgic for Yale, and mourning my graduation, but I am not at all prepared to go to school for a career right now.  It's insane that people my age are old enough to go to medical school and graduate schools, to have sophisticated jobs.  It's crazy.  And yet, I guess I am crazier than everyone because I'm not only going to have a job, but I'm going to live abroad in poverty.  Yeah, I guess I'm the nut, but I would MUCH rather be doing that, I feel much more prepared for that, than graduate school and taking big strides towards my future career.  I'm doing what I'm supposed to, what I'm ready for, what is right for me.  It's nice to feel that way, to know that I was right.  I would have died if I had gone straight to medical school.  It's the shoe that doesn't fit me right now.

I don't really get why people go straight to vocationally focused graduate schools like law school and med school.  You're going to be doing that career for the rest of your life...why rush it?

Don't worry. I'ma take my time! :)