Ch-ch-changes

At this point in the semester last summer (about 4 weeks of class) I was almost halfway through our curriculum and positively overwhelmed by the amount of information being thrown my way.

Fast forward to today -- almost 4 weeks into class and it seems like we haven't learned much of anything. Not from books or most of our lectures, anyway. Many of the concepts we learned this summer are being reinforced, but it feels like most classes are still stuck in first gear.

I can't decide which situation is worse: being overwhelmed or underwhelmed. I wish I could find a balance. I may have already said this, but I think the majority of my learning will come from my clinical experiences.

I'm learning a ton in mental health. My week in the chemical dependency unit taught me that addiction is indeed very much a disease. And this week back in the inpatient psychiatric unit has helped me practice my listening and communication skillz. It still isn't easy, and they need some work -- but I am having a much easier time initiating conversation with different patients in the unit.

I even got to contribute some insights and observations during a treatment team meeting with the psychiatrists and social workers. It felt pretty good after one of the docs told us that students were only half as important as everyone else in the room. (Zing!)

I think he was joking, though.