Erin's Bio

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Luckily, before I started medical school, I moved from Virginia to Tennessee and did research for ETSU's Family Medicine Department for a couple of months. It had been a while since I'd been in school and getting myself used to studying and working again was a good thing. Still, nothing can truly prepare you for what you're throwing yourself into. I remember the first day of orientation, walking across campus, feeling lucky that I knew of a couple of people, praying that my knees wouldn't buckle underneath me. Standing up and introducing myself to 60 people that I'd spend the next four years wasn't easy, but everyone did seem truly nice at that point and the week went smoothly. Then classes started...Gross Anatomy, Neuro, Biostats, enough to make your head spin. I went home, sat down, and cried after the first day. I cried after my first Gross exam, before I found out that I had done well. OK, I cried about once a week in the beginning (usually after Practicing Medicine, which was an awful PBL class made worthwhile only by the presence of Dr. Hougland) then moved on to the point where it only hit me about once a month. It was a huge adjustment for me and for my husband, who felt neglected, and for my family, who I had left behind in Virginia. Then of course there were the stereotypical classmates who showed their true colors after a few short weeks; the pompous know-it-all who underneath it all was (and is) insecure, weak, and immature; the young, fresh out of undergrad party crowd who were all too busy drinking to study and who then unleashed their jealousy on those who did; those that you saw about once a month, usually when tests were given, and then disappeared again. However, most everyone that I met were honest, hard-working people who wanted nothing more than to do well, learn all that they could, and work hard to become great doctors. I met my "sisters" during the first year, five people who I care about and respect with all my heart. We stick by one another, look out for each other, and rely on one another to get us through. Without them, Allen, and my family, I don't know how I would have made it through the first year. But I did, and after a frighteningly brief summer of research, it was time for second year to begin.

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*Some names have been changed.