Work for it!

Something has been really on my mind over the last few weeks.  It's been more something that I have observed in others around me and sometimes myself.  I think what really brought this to mind was the number of times that I heard someone say, "I wish I could do...", or "I really want...".  I know I am not the only one that has said this and surely not the only one who has heard it.  How many times have you heard someone say, "I wish I was as good a football player as my teammate."  "I wish I was as fit as my favorite movie star." I see nothing wrong with goals.  Everyone should have goals and things they want to accomplish.  The problem lies in the lack of desire to pursue the goal.  I see a tremendous lack of drive and desire to work for these goals they have and I have seen people just wallow in these wishes because they simply don't want to put in the time.

One of the problems I have seen is too many wishes.  To me, a wish implies that somehow whatever is wished for, will magically happen out of thin air.  Like the genie in the lamp.  Rub the lamp and the genie grants the wishes and *poof*, the wisher gets what they want.  It appears that today, some people don't even want to rub the lamp.  Either they believe they are too good to do it or too lazy.  Either way, they are doomed to end with disappointment.  One simply does not wish to become a doctor.  It takes thousands of hours of planning, prepping, studying, more planning, more studying, more work, sleepless nights, sleepless days, and did I say studying.  How many people have the wish of being some life saving physician, but never accomplish it because they simply don't want to put in the work?  I've said multiple times that I wish my car was better and didn't break down as much.  But out of sheer laziness, I still have a car with these problems because I won't do the work.  Isn't there an automotive fairy or genie I can wish to?

I've heard many people simply say, "can't you just give it to me?"  "I deserve it."  For some reason, people have this sense that they just deserve things without putting in the work.  I have my opinions as to why they hold this thought.  There is a sense of entitlement among people presently that causes them to expect to be given things and responsibility based on who they are or who they know or their gender or race and I believe this handicaps these people for thinking this way.  They become reliant upon others simply to give them things rather than developing a work ethic and earning what they want or need.  Contrary to the warped opinion held by some, no one is owed anything.  People aren't entitled to one damn thing in this world.  And nor should they be. 


Some have what I call the Verruca Salt complex.  If you remember her character from the Willy Wonka movie, one of the lyrics from her song was, "I don't care how.  I want it now."  Not only was this little witch of a girl spoiled rotten and had been given anything and everything she ever wanted, she never had to wait for anything.  It seems that delayed gratification is a concept foreign to almost everyone.  I think this was advanced mightily by the huge increase in the use of credit cards by the baby boomer generation as well as mine.  Credit cards allow for the immediate gratification in purchasing something as opposed to my grandparent's generation who scrimped and saved to buy a pair of shoes or new pants for school.  I am just as guilty of this.  Delaying gratification allows for a deeper appreciation of whatever it is that is gratifying.  When someone finally has that degree that they worked all those years to achieve, it means more and they will tend to do whatever it takes to protect their investment.  When one can just run right out and get the best new thing on a credit card, they get the pleasure of the new thing, no pain of "losing money" and by making the purchase so easy and painless, the appreciation is not as deep.

It is my opinion that the people in my generation are those who are most responsible for this whole problem and I say that because we are the "participation ribbon" generation.  Everyone gets a trophy.  Everyone gets a medal.  Everyone gets a ribbon.  Frankly, not everyone deserves a trophy or ribbon.  It is not a bad thing for someone on the baseball team to get the "superstar" award and someone to get the "most improved", and others to get nothing.  Why does little Billy who strikes out and still runs to third, need a trophy.  Yes, he needs coaching and encouragement.  But I believe seeing someone else get honored, gives an example of what he can ascribe to achieve.  It is not a bad thing to fail!  It is not bad to make a mistake!  It is worse that children are taught that "doing their best" is okay when sometimes it really is not.  Failure teaches just as well as pain and probably better than success.  I can attest that I have learned much more from my failures than I ever did in my successes.  I learned more from getting and ass chewing by my football coach and an ass beating from teammates for screwing up than I would have if my coach said, " you did your best, it's okay."  Failure at a task such as hitting a ball or throwing a football or shooting a puck or shooting a gun or driving a golf ball causes us to analyze what we did wrong, and not do it again.  That is if we are willing to do that.  I think its similar to touching a hot stove.  Touch it, it hurts like hell.  What am I not going to do anymore to keep from experiencing that pain again?  Not touch that damn stove again.  That's for sure.  Participation ribbons have created a weak and lazy generation who believe simply showing up is enough.  "I'm here, now give me my trophy." 

It all comes down to work.  You want something, get your ass out there and work for it.  No one owes you one damn thing in this world.  If you want it, you have to put in the time and effort to get it.  Success is not given.  It is earned and paid for with work and effort.  It requires daily payments not one time installments.  Don't be upset by the results you don't get, with the work that you didn't do!  Success is not a participation ribbon or trophy.  It is sitting down at the end of the day, beaten, tired, sweaty, emotionally drained, looking at that degree, paycheck, championship trophy, nice car, whatever it is that you got and knowing you did that.  You made that.  You earned it.

Look at you, badass.  Keep up the grind.

I Miss PA School.

I was watching the morning news while getting ready to go in for rounds early one day.  I found myself listening to a segment on some of the highest earning careers in the US presently.  I was somewhat surprised to see that the career of "Physician Assistant" was listed as one of the leading and highest earners currently in the US.  "Nice! I just so happen to be in that career!"  As I drove in to the hospital I was reminded of many of the thoughts I had leading up to PA school and all during the 27 months of pure hell.  (And for those out there studying for PANCE/PANRE, a good memory device to remember Generalized Anxiety Disorder...PA School.) I was reminded of so many memories from that time that very few people understand and even fewer still actually get to experience. We were made infinitely comfortable with the special forces axiom that, "The last easy day was yesterday."

I remember the first day. My class was the first of it's kind at the University of St. Francis in so many ways and this was demonstrated clearly no sooner than 10 minutes into the first day of hell.  Every student, all 26, showed up with a laptop computer.  Every student showed up ready to delve into medicine utilizing technology that, while commonly used, had not been used at that level at that time at USF.  The IT department didn't know what to do with us.  They had wi-fi on campus, but it hadn't been made available on a consistent basis in the building within which we were going to spend the majority of our time. They didn't have power outlets for us to use at each of our seats.  It was sight to see, people were bringing in surge protectors with 6 outlets and there were power cables everywhere.  It was like an obstacle course trying to get in and out of the room and avoiding all the wires and computers.  Eventually, the IT department was able to get us power outlets and consistent wifi.  And, to show their appreciation of our understanding...they gave us all 1GB thumbdrives.

I remember being divided into our first study groups.  We had no idea who each other were and we quickly found out if we could trust one another.  We found out very quickly that our instructor's favorite answer to any question was, "why is that?"  We learned how to get anatomy objectives done quickly and who was best "googling on yahoo".  (If you get this, you were in my group.)  We also knew they purposely put us in groups trying to create arguments or problems amongst us and we wouldn't bite.  We all just got along.

We were one of the first classes to be able to utilize a cadaver in studying gross anatomy.  Driving to IPFW for this class, we were allowed to meet an outstanding medical student who prosected our cadavers.  You see, we actually had three cadavers.  We were allowed to use an older cadaver upon which the ortho residents practiced procedures.  We also had a cadaver that was a male, but a few weeks after opening, he began to grow something that resembled mold.  It was felt best to bag this fellow up and not use him anymore.  So we were sent another cadaver.  It was supposed to be a female.  It was a male.  He had no head.  Apparently, the head had been donated to a plastics program.  Idk. Just a surreal feeling of looking at a human body with no head.

I remember our first test.  I specifically remember one not doing as well as they thought they would do.  This resulted in two classmates being accused of "meeting clandestinely to study behind their groups' back" and another person being condemned by threatening no absolution at her next confession.  WTF?  Who does that?  (Again, if you were in my group, you get this.)

I remember being told that the squeaky wheel doesn't get greased.  It gets kicked out.

I recall that the correct word for drainage from the body that has characteristics of infection and consisting of many white blood cells, sometimes yellow to green in color is purulent.  Not pus**!

Having 1,000's of learning objectives on the first week of PBL.

Mad Anthony's after every test day for pitchers of Summer Daze.

One word...REMEDIATIONS.

So many fun memories and things that I will cherish forever.  These type of things are born out of hardship and strife and bonds formed with those people who walked through it with you run deep and strong.  That is what I miss the most.  Those friendships formed created bonds that I still know and rely on.   When I drive to work at the job I trained so hard for with these fine people, I still think of them and all we went through.  I miss my PA school friends.