A break from it all

Sometimes, I find a time to listen to the silence. These times are rare, and most commonly occur when I'm writing, blogging, singing/playing the piano and just contemplating stuff. Though right now there are voices, sounds of shuffling, people's feet making muffled noises over the carpet, and the presence of hundreds of people around me, but while I'm writing, I feel like I'm in a bubble. 

This is an interesting time for me, a time that I have been thinking about for a while, a time where I'm putting myself out there and hoping that someone or something will be there to catch me when I walk the plank. Tomorrow is my first interview for medical school and though I've thought out most of what I want to say, gotten tips and pointers from those who have gone through the process, I don't really know what to expect. Yes, what I do know is that the format will be as such.


Wake up, early, at 7:00ish


Respond to nature's call


Shower


Shave if necessary


Get dressed up all shmancy in my new suit, make any adjustments or changes to the tie. 


Walk a few blocks from where I'll be staying to the building on campus where my interview will start


Put my best foot forward.


I'll repeat this again the following day with a different school, hoping that I haven't sweat too much from the day before to make buying a new dress shirt necessary. 


I think the best advice that I've gotten from someone is this, which I got in an email and was told to me before when I met with him. Let's call him Tom. Tom was introduced to me by a mutual friend who knew that I was applying this year. Tom is currently a practicing radiologist in DC and went to one of the schools that is near the top of my list. I met with him a few times, first just for lunch and to chat, and another time for him to give me a bit of a mock interview so that he could write a kind letter on my behalf, which going back to the previous post, is one of those gifts that doesn't come on Christmas or on my birthday. 

Listen - don't be nervous, be confident, you have a remarkable story which you should not forget. This is the time to think very highly of yourself, but not arrogant.

Make sure to show your personality and be charismatic! Really shine and be upbeat and smiley. Good eye contact, mimic your interviewers body language. Don't be awkward or fake. Strike the right balance. Show energy. when all else fails, ask the interviewer questions about their life.

I think this about sums up what will be going through my head during my interview, as I'm sweating under my hopefully composed exterior. 

Right now I'm about to board my flight, watching planes take off, people watching (but making sure never to hold eye contact - creeeeeepy) and letting my fingers and mind do a little exercise.

Overall I would say that I had an amazing break, both Christmas and New Years. For a change, I threw out the plans that I had to go to New York and had an amazing time with some new friends as well as with someone who means a lot to me. It was so last minute but ended up being all the better. I enjoyed the time that I spent with family and friends in Woodinville, and probably drank more coffee in the one week I was home than the two months prior. Starbucks, I'm sure, enjoyed the business.

In the New Years, it makes you think, or at least makes me think, where I was 10 years ago. 2000. It was the year of Bush's election, it was the year that Y2K was thought to bring our civilization back to the stone ages. I was in Junior High, an awkward ginger kid who was inspired by a teacher, Mrs. Vincent, or V, to pursue science. I played soccer for a select team and made the switch from the clarinet to the French Horn. All these things which I'm able to remember, after not thinking about them for God knows how long.  I feel like I'm dusting off those old neurons and firing them up all over again. I was confused with life, thought that if I just thought hard enough and used "the force" i could levitate objects. I didn't want to grow up. I stressed over what would happen after junior high. I didn't want to go do senior high, and be the little kid all over again. Junior high was bad enough socially for me, I literally had nightmares over this stuff. All these things, and more, happened a decade ago. What will I think in another 10 years, what lessons will I have learned?

Who knows, but I'm ready to dive in head first.