A Classic from the MMN Vault, originally posted on March 18, 2010
Three years ago, on a cool and cloudy day in Irvine, California, I accompanied McDoc, then a fourth year medical student, to his Match Day Ceremony. Every year in the third week of March, soon-to-be MDs across the country find out where they’ll be doing their residency training. And many schools hold a ceremony where students can open their magic envelope and announce their assignment in front of gathered classmates, family and friends. Because med school isn’t stressful enough without a little public humiliation thrown in! 😛 (Reading one’s match results aloud is optional, I’m told.)
When McDoc’s turn came, he strode to the mic and cheerfully announced that he had matched to the Emergency Medicine program at Detroit Receiving Hospital (his first choice), the expressions on the faces of those Southern California kids was quite a sight to behold!
Well, it turns out that Emergency Medicine did not actually match McDoc, which is why we are no longer in Detroit; when he decided to switch to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the best open position he found was here in Boston. And I’m thrilled to bits to be here, though I don’t regret our two years in Detroit. But that’s another story.
Anyway, fourth year med students all over are breathing a sigh of relief today, hopefully, for even if they didn’t get their first choice of residency assignments, at least the nerve-wracking wait is over. Oh, just wait til you start your intern year, kiddoes — you don’t know from stress!
They say that music soothes the savage breast, and I think that applies to the stressed out one, too. I know it soothes the stressed out McDoc, anyway! So here are some medical-themed tunes for today, some of which are devoted to particular medical specialties!
Surgery:
Weird Al Yankovic – Like A Surgeon
Anesthesiology:
Amateur Transplants – Anaesthetist’s Hymn
New residents have only limited medical licenses, but they can write you one of these:
Iko-Iko – Prescription for The Blues
Don’t get too attached to your doctor — you might get sick!
Robert Palmer – Bad Case Of Lovin’ You (Doctor, Doctor)
As it turns out, musicians seek medical advice on a regular basis:
Iron Maiden – Doctor Doctor
Thompson Twins – Doctor Doctor
Your turn, music nerds — know of any medical music? What music cures what ails you?
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