Morning Rounds and Evening Musings

I know from first-hand experience that (with the exception of my husband, and maybe Jesse, too) med students are the highest strung people you will ever meet. They will often talk for several minutes at a time about the strategies for guessing on multiple choice tests. They will agonize about a non-mandatory class they're missing and what the possible consequences are for their future in neurosurgery (I don't even know how to spell that word). They will write compelling evites when inviting friends to parties, knowing they have to make a pretty darn good argument to convince their friends to be NORMAL HUMAN BEINGS and take a study break to eat a hot dog and drink a beer. Trust me. I know these people. They are a rare breed.

So, you want to know the best way to totally freak out 93 med students who are currently studying their asses off for the most important test of their career?

I know! Close down the testing center where they're scheduled to take said exam without telling them. And then, when they find out from another classmate (a fluke!) leave them to fend for themselves to find another testing center in Somewhere, America with an open test date that doesn't cost a million dollars to get to. HA!

Wanna know how I know this splendid trick? Because it happened. Today. And Wes is one of the lucky ones who only has to drive 2 1/2 hours to Montgomery, Alabama to take his test, and even on the original day he was scheduled.

I knew it was bad when I got three emails and 2 text messages and a voicemail from Wes simultaneously with the message, "Call me. Urgent. Test related." I called him back when I got out of my meeting only to hear half-formed sentences mumbled across the line and something about "do you have the ticket info for our Denver trip? I think I might need to take my test there because they closed our testing center. I can't talk. I need to call them. right now." click. And he was gone.

About 20 minutes later, I heard a much more relieved voice across the line, telling me that he was one of the lucky ones--oh, and would I mind taking the day off work to drive him to Montgomery so he could study on the car ride over? :)