Does anyone else remember The Rumors Were True? It’s from a semi-retired generation of med school blogs, so I’m not sure how many current students would remember reading it as pre-meds. It was the origin of the med-school pancakes metaphor, if that rings a bell.
Right now I’m sitting at my laptop with two drafts of this post, not liking either one. But since I have to catch an early flight for my try at Prometric #3 it’s getting pretty clear I either need to hit “publish” or call it quits while I still have time to lie wide-awake in bed.
But instead I’m still sitting here, and I suspect it’s because as much as I want to have written a post explaining what the last week of Step 1 has been like, the perfect description has already been written – and I have nothing to add besides a vehement “That. That’s it exactly.” after pointing.
And that’s why I’ve been sitting here kind of wondering to myself how likely you guys are to remember The Rumors Were True – because if you do, there’s no need for me to write anything at all.
But if you aren’t, my instinct – which it looks like I’m going to follow- is to just stick around for one minute longer, dig through my bookmarks, find the paragraph I’m thinking of, and point.
The Unexpected Suck of The Last Week:
… So now, reviewing is an exercise in abuse. Oh yeah, I remember not remembering that fact that I’m not going to remember in a second or two. Hope to God that isn’t on the test. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
It’s the feeling of losing. I set out to hold everything in my head, and reviewing is just hammering home that no matter how much I prepared, it was just going to keep falling out, falling out. Every reread line re-remembered is testament.
I feel like I’ve stepped into the ring, seen my opponent, and gone four out of the five rounds. He’s stronger, faster, bigger. Through the blood, I can barely make out that he’s joking with his coach; that he’s not tired. The judges are looking at the girls with the placards, sharing cigars, not worrying about the last round since no effort on my part could change the ruling that is so cemented. I look at my coach.
“Coach, this fight is over. I can’t beat this guy. I’ve already lost.”
“I know, kid. But that doesn’t matter. Rules is rules. You have to fight the last round even if that means he kills you.”
– Topher, The Rumors Were True
That. That’s it exactly.
Action Potential 
Best of luck on Step 1! =)
I wish I had your tech know-how to insert gifs etc. if I could I’d put up the scene from Airplane! where Leslie Nielsen as the esteemed Dr. Rumack tells Ted “Good luck…We’re all counting on you.” over and over.
Best wishes! You’ll do well!
Thanks for the nostalgic feelings, I still remember that pancake memory from my pre-med days.
so how was it??