I came across this article today about differences between the male and female brain. It made me think about political correctness. It seems like there are many studies about the differences between genders in terms of brain and hormonal function. And everything is smooth sailing as long as you're talking about small stuff. Studies that show women can multi-task better than men are laughed off as "see, just like in the real world, my husband can't talk to me while he's watching the game, ha ha." But then you have a Harvard President suggesting that men are in more positions in science and math because their brains might be genetically wired for math and science, and it's huge news. I heard people talking about it the other day, even, as if there was no possible way men's brains could be genetically better at math and science than women's. They didn't support that view with any further reasoning. I'm not saying our brains are any better or any worse, especially since I don't know of any evidence either way, but it seems like there are multiple standards for what people deem acceptable. Most of us wouldn't get fired from our job by stating some people are smarter than others because of genetic reasons, or even that some people are genetically superior in math or science skills than others. But as soon as you suggest these differences might also be apparent in men versus women, you'll come under fire. Why is it so politically incorrect to ask questions like that? I think it's wrong to make strong assertions about these controversial subjects, especially since so little is understood about the brain and how it develops depending on genetics and environment. I can understand critics of the Harvard Presidents argument when they say that it is a damaging and unfounded sterotype that shouldn't be publicized, but can anyone say the opposing viewpoint is 100% true?

There are other questions like this, like whether African-Americans are better athletes. Genetics affect things like skin color, height, and muscle tone, but asking if those genetic characteristics might be different according to various races makes people uncomfortable. It even makes me uncomfortable writing about it. I really don't know the answers to questions like these, but I don't think it's right that we've become so politically correct that people are hesitant to even discuss subjects like these for fear of offending someone.

Today I came across an interesting weblog. It is about the rising costs of health care, and it's called Managed Care Matters. Two interesting entries to start out on are here and here.

I spent this weekend on an all-expense paid trip to Cleveland, with a bunch of other prospective students at Case Western Medical School. The whole experience was very positive. Well...almost. When I arrived, their driveway was blocked so I had to wait in my car for about ten minutes while cars were moved out of the way. When I finally got inside, they told me my hotel room wasn't ready, and the hotel staff was rather unfriendly. It probably had to with all the kids that were trying to check in at that time. At that point I thought I was in for a long weekend. While waiting for the shuttle that would take us to our first activity, I began talking to some of the other students and learning where they were from, what they studied, etc. They took us to the large lobby of a conference center and gave us free time for two hours. There was a feast set up, with snacks and drinks, and the medical student interest groups had tables set up where we could learn about any of the groups that interested us. It was a good way to get to meet a lot of prospective and current medical students. Even the deans were there, and I had a short conversation with the dean of the entire medical school. He was very friendly and approachable. The assistant deans were also mingling, and they seemed just as enthusiastic. They loaded us back onto buses and took us on a driving tour of the area, which was actually pretty awful. Not the area, but the tour. It was dark, and the tourguides weren't prepared. That was short, though, and the buses pulled up to Jillian's, a sports bar/billiard hall/arcade and let us out. They had a section of the bar roped off for us and pool tables available. There was a large table with free food, and even free tokens to play the video games. Everyone also received two tickets for a free drink. The bar scene was a lot of fun because I met a number of people that I hadn't met already at the conference center. The night was a lot of fun.

The next day, we woke up early and had a great breakfast. The presentations came next, and to be honest I wasn't looking forward to them. I'm not really a morning person. I think they specifically invited the most-liked teachers and administrators to speak to us, because the presentations turned out to be pretty interesting. One lecture was very close to a biochemistry lecture, and the teacher delivered the information in a very understandable fashion. After sitting in on another class during my interview day, I have a good (though mostly uneducated) opinion of the teachers at Case. The professors that spoke afterwards were pretty enjoyable to listen to as well. The academic societies are a good concept because it splits the school into four smaller societies wherein you can have a lot of contact with a dean that will write your dean's letter. It is ideally supposed to provide for more contact between students of all years, since you stay in your academic society throughout your four years. Sounds like a nice idea, it was just hard to tell how well it works in practice. The students that did mention them said they were "amazing," though. Someone also discussed the changing curriculum with us, and it really doesn't seem all that revolutionary. From what I gather, the tests are more infrequent. There are more hours of small group, problem-based learning than in previous years. Something is different about anatomy lab, though I don't quite understand what (I think it's in the packet they gave me). The first six(?) weeks of medical school are spent shadowing different doctors in Cleveland to get a sense of medicine in society. And the research thesis has been reinstated. It actually sounds like a good curriculum, but I haven't come across a curriculum I thought was inadequate. I do, however, think the research thesis is a good idea. Also, they have made a big effort to put almost everything in the curriculum on line. They are big proponents of "the new classroom," and learning anywhere, which actually sounds corny when you realize they're mostly talking about accessing all your school information online. Regardless, it pleases me that the school has historically made an effort to keep its technology up to date. After the curriculum talk, they let a panel of current medical students answer questions from prospective students without any faculty or staff in the room. That was actually a little boring. Most of our questions had already been answered. Somewhere between all those talks, we ate another lavish meal. They had a bunch of researchers come in, each sitting at their own table, and let us sit with whichever faculty member we chose. They all had signs at their table about what specialty they were in, and I decided to sit down with a pediatrician. There were a bunch of other specialties I was interested in, but there was an open seat at this table. That was a nice lunch, especially considering all these people were in there on a Saturday. I didn't learn much about pediatrics, though.

For dinner, they split us up into smaller groups of eight students, and sent the groups to dinner with an alumni. My group was sent to have dinner with Dr. Ted Castele, who was on Cleveland TV for many years dispensing medical advice. He treated us to dinner at the country club, which was quite amazing. The steak was as soft as the mashed potatoes, and I had never seen so many layers in one chocolate cake. He was very enthusiastic about Case Western, guaranteeing that each and every one of us would be happy with our decision should we choose to matriculate at Case. The medical student eating with us was generally more subdued, but agreed with his guarantee. Next we went to Doc Opera. About half of the students put on this huge production with singing, dancing, and skits that all satirize the medical student life. Even the teachers take part, and the dean himself was in one skit. It was nice to see that the students still found time to pursue interests outside of studying. After the show, we headed to the Winking Lizard, a bar nearby. All the medical students also went there after the show, and it was a fun bar. It had three floors, with the bottom one being a six-lane bowling alley. I had a lot of fun there, and once again saw all the deans and other faculty out socializing with the students. Throughout the whole time, I met a lot of prospective students, and I can't think of more than one or two that I wouldn't enjoy having in class or a social setting. Everyone was very friendly. On the whole, I think my opinion of the area around the school improved slightly, and my view of the people at the school and the program itself improved immensely. At the end of the weekend, I was telling people I would almost certainly be there in the Fall, and excited to hear many similar replies.

I'm in! I began working on the first round of applications in June 2005. Nine months later, the worrying is over. I received admission to Case Western School of Medicine. What an immense load off my back. Otherwise, in 3 months I would have had to re-apply, with nothing more to show for my extra year other than more classes. I enjoyed the school when I visited, and have been invited back all-expenses paid for a weekend at the end of March. They even invited me to apply for a very generous scholarship, so I've been putting quite a bit of time into the essay for that one. Either way, I'm going to medical school. The near-certainty of it feels strange. I've been admitted for almost a week already and I'm still walking on air, imagining all the interesting things I'll be seeing in the coming years. Miami waitlisted me, but seems to be hinting that I will be admitted in April or May. Luckily, I don't have to sit around worrying anymore. Whatever happens, it's just icing on the cake. Now, time for the next stress in my life...applying for financial aid.

I leave for Cleveland tonight. These will be my last interviews for medical school this year, and hopefully I make a good impression. I'm nervous because I will have to talk about my research, and I don't know how well they will expect me to understand it. On Thursday, I will be interviewed at the Cleveland Clinic campus, which accepts around 30 students a year. Then on Friday I will be interviewed at the normal Case Western Medical School. It will be nice to be done with interviews for this year, but it will be nicer to be done with them for good.

My weekend in Miami was a good time. It's amazing how well I can remember details about places in the city. Maybe to most people, the city isn't very attractive in most areas, but something about it really attracts me. Maybe it's the familiarity. That, combined with the weather. The weather was beautiful, I don't think I saw a cloud the entire time I was there. Miami is great in the dry season. The medical school was nice. I was especially attracted to the idea of training at Jackson Memorial Hospital. All the students were very excited about being able to train there because it is so busy. It is such a big hospital that helicopters often bring patients from Haiti and the Dominican Republic to receive treatment there. That makes the patient population very diverse. On top of Jackson Memorial, a new hospital is currently being built, and a new molecular biology research building is also going up. The people were great as well. All the students seemed like people I would enjoy being classmates with. Most students at other schools were nice, but the students at Miami seemed especially happy and social. I think four random students asked me if I needed help finding the interview office. The administration folks I met were pretty laid back and very friendly, and I think the interview went pretty well. My interviewer was somewhat quiet, but he asked me questions on subjects in which I had some knowledge. Of course, I thought all my other interviews went well or very well, so I am trying not to get my hopes too high for admission. I am an out of state student, interviewing late in the admissions season. On the bright side, they are efficient and direct. They told me that I would receive an email the evening of March 1st or morning of March 2nd with their decision. I'm getting nervous just thinking about it. Only a week from today!

I need this, since I was waitlisted at Northwestern recently. Because I have not yet been interviewed and then rejected, I will assume I make the waitlist at Case Western and Miami. I wonder what the chances are of a single admission off of six waitlists. I have heard of many people gaining admission even late in the summer, but I would rather not prolong this stressful process another five to six months.

This holding out for a late admission might also cost me opportunities. For instance, there may be a job available to me, but it would require a commitment beyond the summer, and they are hiring now. I think that may be the case with many of the jobs that would take advantage of my college degree. Moreover, applications for Americorp also require long commitments. Maybe I will just have to wait on those job and Americorp applications until late in the summer. Of course, I don't know what I am going to do this summer. I was thinking maybe getting a typical summer job in Ann Arbor since I will have to pay rent until September in my house. There's too much uncertainty in my life right now.

The rejections have been rolling in. One day, I received two: one from Stanford and one from the University of Chicago. I can understand not getting into Stanford, but the whole UChicago situation is a little irritating. They put my application on hold, and asked me to send in my first semester grades. They probably arrived in my file around Jan. 17th at the earliest. Within two weeks, the rejection letter comes. The kicker is that I got the first 4.0 of my college career this semester. If they were waiting for my grades, what exactly were they hoping for? Ah well. Maybe they didn't even look at them, which is often the feeling I get from these rejection letters. Give me something that lets me know my $100 weren't just thrown away. Even a one line "Your GPA was too low," or "Your activities were not extraordinary." But no, I have to assume that I got a fair shot and didn't make the cut. I'm sure there are valuable life lessons to be learned here. Then Georgetown's rejection came today, for me and my roommate. I have no hope for any of the schools I haven't heard from yet (Emory, Baylor, Harvard).

There have been some bright spots. I did recently get interviews at Case Western and the University of Miami. I'm flying to Miami on Thursday! At least the warm weather will be a nice break, if nothing else. Unfortunately, I found out that the Miami campus seems to be full, and they are only interviewing for the Boca Raton campus. I wouldn't mind this at all (at this point I'll take any interview) but on the program's site, it says they only accept 32 students a year, and give preference to people with ties to the Boca Raton area. There is still hope, but these setbacks are becoming so numerous and so frustrating.

So I've begun to look for back up plans, something I would've thought highly improbable a year ago. I remember friends asking "So what medical school are you going to go to? You'll probably have your pick." It doesn't seem to be working out quite the way I or anyone else had expected. I planned for medical school for four years, and did everything someone needs to do to gain admission, and now I suddenly have to plan for something entirely different in the next month or so.

One possibility is a year of graduate school before reapplying to medical school. Unfortunately, the only one year master's programs in biology I've been able to find are "special master's programs" for medical school hopefuls who didn't make it the first time around. These are very expensive. For normal programs, I have to take the GRE and get new recommendation letters. I got one from my biology lab professor, and for another I can probably ask my lab supervisor to re-write his med school letter to fit grad school. For the third one, it looks like I have the option of asking a bio professor who wrote me a med school recommendation letter but almost certainly doesn't remember me, or asking the higher supervisor at my lab who also barely knows me.

Other possibilities I've been considering involve getting away. I've been so frustrated by this long, hair-pulling process, that part of me wants a break from school. Although grad school for a year might be a way to improve my GPA and get a start in research, I'm not sure that's what I want. So I've looked into Americorp, and they have some interesting programs across the country. They have many that are kind of like the HARC where I currently volunteer. It would be nice to see another (maybe sunny?) part of the country and be involved with helping a community. Many of the programs will help pay for housing, meals, and even give a little stipend in return for a full-time worker. As a bonus, I think this is something a medical school would look favorably upon.

Maybe, just maybe, I could get a job doing lab work like I've been doing for the past three summers, and actually get paid. It's a long shot, but being able to support myself at least partially this coming year would be very attractive. I looked at job opportunities through the UM website recently, however, and it seems that without some kind of connection like Tony (my lab supervisor), I am almost unemployable with a B.S. in cellular and molecular biology (at least in that field). Friends with econ and business degrees can graduate and make tons of money, but it seems that bio labs would rather their technicians have at least master's degrees.

Gosh I've been complaining a lot on this site recently. It's hard to keep in mind that things will eventually work themselves out and I should be alright. At times, it feels like my world is falling apart, but there are many worse situations than mine.

Next time hopefully I'll post something a little more interesting. I just finished Confessions of an Economic Hit Man so maybe I'll discuss that.

How do you educate someone who doesn't believe in your education system? I am a volunteer at the HIV and AIDS Resource Center in Ypsilanti, and I chose to work on the outreach van in order to gain contact with the community. It is a van that parks at certain party stores throughout the week and gives out free condoms, other safe sex material, and clean needles in at some sites. The idea is to reduce harm rather than trying to eliminate risk from someone's life altogether. For instance, we are concerned with reducing HIV prevalence in the community, so clean drug paraphernelia is more likely to be used than an approach advocating complete withdrawal from drugs. On top of advice and these items, the van also offers HIV and Hepatitis testing. I have only been to the site once so far, but I was pleasantly surprised about the atmosphere. Almost everyone who showed up was very friendly. Some chatted for awhile, learning a little bit about HIV and AIDS. In only a few hours, I saw four different people either tested or learn where to get medical treatment they needed. I felt a little useless because I wasn't needed there, but I was glad that the van seemed to help the community on an individual level.

However, some of the people we met had serious misconceptions about the transfer of HIV. Many people tried to explain how it was transferred, but some of them remained skeptical of our knowledge. Not everyone is assured by doctors and scientists in the same way that many Americans are. Examples abound around them of ailments which doctors are unable to diagnose or determine the cause, so many of them formulate their own beliefs and fears about how HIV is transmitted. How can you convince someone that you can't get HIV from simply shaking someone's hand or touching the same doorknob if they don't believe the research backing this up? Maybe education programs that just spit scientific facts during high school health class should be reevaluated.

I continue to wait. And wait. After the 4 interviews in October, I thought things were progressing swimmingly. Unfortunately I was waitlisted at Michigan, Wayne State, and Pittsburgh. Deferred at Northwestern. It got quiet soon after, and I didn't hear a word from any medical school for months. I became more and more worried about whether or not I would have to find back up plans, like attending biology graduate school for a year or getting a job, then reapplying. First came the NYU rejection, which was particularly frustrating because neither I nor my other perfectly qualified roommates even got an interview. One was even a New York resident. It makes the whole process seem random, as if they didn't even look at our applications. The situation is tough because the medical school has all the power over you, but no responsibility towards you. The rejections say nothing about you personally. There is no sign that your credentials were ever reviewed, the letter basically says "You are a strong applicant. Unfortunately our medical school is extraordinary, so you were not invited for an interview." This is frustrating because when you pay $85-110 per application, some assurance that it was seriously reviewed is, I think, deserved. Next came the Cornell rejection. That wasn't such a surprise. Things were looking terrible. Recently, though, Case Western decided to give me an interview. On the application I decided to apply to two programs within the medical school and ended up getting an interview for both. Lucky for me, they are treated as separate programs, it's as if I have interviews at two different medical schools. So there is a ray of hope. The rest of the schools I am still waiting to hear from, but schools such as Harvard, Stanford, Baylor, and Emory I have dwindling hope of getting an interview with.

The semester is looking good. I'm taking STATS 350, an introductory statistics course that looks to be pretty boring. I'm also taking my first Residential College course. I like it because it's so small; only 7 people in the class, and the professor is very interesting. Apparently he was the editor of an English-language newspaper in Pakistan but after he printed an article that criticized Islam, his building was burned to the ground. He had to leave the country in fear of his life. The class is about how the international media portrays ethno-religious conflicts, so I think it will be enlightening to be taught by someone with his experience. I finished training today for another class, a sociology practicum that places me with the HIV/AIDS Resource Center (HARC) in Ypsilanti for a couple hours per week. That should be rewarding because I will be helping an underserved community. Finally, I'm taking one graduate class with the School of Public Health. It is EHS 531, about the efficacy of herbs and dietary supplements. We'll discuss peer-reviewed studies about which herbs work best, and possible problems involved with some of them. For instance, if you take ginkgo along with prescription blood thinners, your blood could become too thin. For similar reasons, many of these herbs should be stopped before surgery, or at least discussed with a doctor. Also (if I remember correctly), St. John's Wort can interfere with the drugs given to transplant patients to avoid organ rejection. I can't remember if this happened with the doctor I shadowed, but I think it isn't all that common for a doctor to discuss herbs and dietary supplements with their patients although they should.

The site is (obviously) back up. The last couple months I had some problems with where I would host the site, and it looks like those have finally been solved. Look for updates. It also seems that an image of Dubai I linked to on a travel site is attracting traffic from google images. If you're looking for it, go down to the Dubai post (July 17th) and click on "amazing-looking." Don't know how google links to my site, I don't even host the image.

I called a medical school today that I had submitted an application to three months ago. I asked the kind woman on the other end of the line if it was normal to not hear from the school after 3 months. I'm not looking for open arms here, I'm just looking for some word on my status. She says, yes it's normal, but in a tone as if she didn't quite understand my question. She agrees, however, to check on my file. After a little while, she says "The committee has reviewed your file, and....(pause)...we'll email you if you get an interview." So I ask if basically, I just have to keep waiting. She says yes, but again in a tone that seems very tentative, and gives me even less certainty that we're on the same page. So I ask one more time, if I'll get an email even if I don't get an interview, just as a courtesy of letting me stop worrying about that school. Her reply is that interviews go until February, and to keep checking my email.

It's frustrating, because apparently the committee has looked at my file. It's difficult to see why there would be a delay in the decision of whether or not to interview me. It's not like they're offering one of very few spots. If I'm on the edge, I doubt giving me an interview or not giving me an interview would affect the school very much. It would just be nice to hear from them either way. Maybe it's a bad sign that I haven't gotten an interview, but I'm not sure of anything at this point. So I'll continue to check my email each morning, afternoon, and evening hoping for something.

With the news going around about the secret CIA prisons around the world, I thought it would be interesting to share some of the stuff we are going over in my U.S. military interventions class. Maybe it's common knowledge, but I certainly didn't know that in 1954, the CIA orchestrated an overthrow of a Guatemalan president. The book Shattered Hope by Piero Gleijeses is where I'm getting most of my information. President Jacobo Arbenz was arguably the head of one of the more promising administrations ever. However, his downfall was that he had some communist characteristics. In order to acheive agrarian reform, he took unused land away from big companies (compensating them with cash) and gave it to peasant farmers. On top of that, numerous small loans were given out to the farmers and a literacy campaign was started so that the peasants could farm on their own. By Gleijeses account, the reform was a success, with the exception that it concerned the U.S. Redistributing land sounded a little too much like communism. Since Arbenz refused to admit he was either an anti-communist or a communist, the U.S. decided Arbenz had to go. There is the side story of United Fruit, who had thousands of acres appropriated from them and was very angry about it (the Secretary of State at the time Dulles, was a former lawyer for United Fruit Company). Many believe that United Fruit's interests also fostered the development of overthrow plans, but that's not so clear. Arbenz, although seen as having communist tendencies, was tolerated by the non-communist army. Arbenz coddled them to keep the officers' favor, but in the end, his communist tendencies probably didn't adversely affect them.

At any rate, the CIA decides they can't have a communist country in their backyard. They start a propaganda campaign about the liberation of Guatemala from this communist tyrant even though the general population there was happy. They also choose a man named Castillo Armas to become the next president. He is an exiled Guatemalan colonel and is chosen to be compliant with any of the United States' wishes. Once the Guatemalan government finds proof that the U.S. is plotting against them, they publicize it. The U.S. government vehemently denies any involvement, and the American press just laughs it off. Guatemala appeals to the U.N. to investigate, but the U.S. strong-arms various countries and the U.N. votes not to hear the case. Meanwhile, the army is convinced that the U.S. is coming after them. The CIA continues to put together a rag-tag army under Armas, training in Nicaragua. When they finally invade, Armas' forces are so pathetic that it would have been an easy victory for the Guatemalan national army except that the propaganda campaign had been very successful. In fact, during the first week of the invasion the CIA had grown very worried that their coup de etat would fail. What they didn't realize was that Castillo Armas had won before he ever set foot in Guatemala. The army, certain that if they defeated Armas a U.S. military invasion would occur, decided it would be wiser to turn against their president and demand him to step down. And so ended Arbenz's short regime, and Guatemala was placed under the control of an unstable government leading to poverty and civil war for many years.

The issue of what the government does without the American public's knowledge obviously has a current relevance. Some recently declassified CIA documents reveal some of the interesting tactics of the CIA. "White paper [issued by the Guatemalan government] has effectively exposed certain aspects of PBSUCESS (the code name for the Castillo Armas overthrow plan)...if possible fabricate big human interest story, like flying saucers, birth sextuplets in remote area to take play away." -telegram to CIA headquarters Jan 30 1954

Rumors, combining fact and fiction, which ought to be circulated (among the Guatemalans), may include the following... the Communists will introduce labor conscription. A decree is already being printed. All boys and girls 16 years old will be called for one year of labor duty in special camps, mainly for political indoctrination and to break the influence of family and church on the young people...Arbenz has already left the country. His announcements from the National Palace are actually made by a double, provided by Soviet intelligence... An educational reform is being prepared. There will be no longer any religious instruction at state expense, but on the contrary lessons in atheism. Soviet style. -dispatch to all PBSUCCESS stations, June 13 1954

Let's go over the things some of my interviewers have told me:
I really hope to see you here in the fall.

You are a very strong candidate.

You have very nice recommendation letters. (x2)

I personally know two of your recommendation letter writers, and I really hold them in high regard.

I liked your essays.

I don't know why I would've gotten my hopes up or anything. It's discouraging, but I'm still optimistic about other schools.

Again, it's been quite a while. But things are looking up. I left my job at Mr. Greeks because the workload with school was getting to be too much. Not only school, but med school apps/interviews have taken up a lot of my time. I had four interviews in October. The first was at Wayne State.

Being the first interview, Wayne State was more impressive than I thought it would be. It was pretty exciting to see the hospital facilities in downtown Detroit, even though the scenery itself wasn't so great. It seemed like a laid-back school, but that might have been my impression only of the interviewer. I didn't meet any of the administration or faculty. In this respect, the tour was a bit lacking. It's hard to get a feel for the school just by looking at the buildings. Even my interviewer did not teach at the med school. She was very pleasant, though, and made my interview a relaxed experience. It was a lot more like a conversation than an interview. I think it went really well, with her saying at the end "I hope to see you in the Fall." But I ended up being wait-listed. My hope is that they wait-listed me because they didn't think I'd attend WSU even if I got in. The way I see it, the most likely thing that would've kept me from getting in was my GPA, which should have been fine since they gave me an interview knowing what my GPA was. Oh well...the whole process is a little confusing.

Soon after Wayne, I went on an interview at Northwestern. Given the choice, I'd much rather spend four years in a city as nice as Chicago than Detroit. The student I stayed with lived about half a block from the medical school, which was in the heart of downtown, just across from Navy Pier. I went up to his corner apartment and marveled at the enormous buildings rising around me. Later that night, we went up to the roof, and the view was amazing. Sparkling against the sky, buildings surrounded his roof, with the Hancock building and Sears tower in view. In the moment, I thought to myself that no matter how bad the school was, living there couldn't be too shabby. The next morning was the tour and interviews. The interview went alright, but was a little more stressful than WSU's. It was a panel interview, with three doctors interviewing three candidates in the same room. I didn't like it as much because you couldn't have a simple conversation with the interviewers. Instead of a situation in which you are also allowed to interview the school (to some extent) to see how it fits you, this situation was pretty much just us answering questions. And there were some tough ones. I felt as if I were being tested to see how I would react under stress. So although the experience wasn't so bad, I don't have a good idea about how well the interview went. As I know now, after the Wayne State decision, even knowing the interview went well doesn't mean everything. The tour was pretty amazing. We walked back and forth across the bustling Chicago streets to reach a ridiculously nice hospital, newly renovated medical school buildings, and a new women's hospital going up. The facilities and location were definitely a strong point of Northwestern. Then when I got to meet people like the assistant dean of admissions and one of the deans of medical education, I realized that the administration promotes a friendly, non-competitive atmosphere. They made a point of not trying to sell the school to me, but reminding me that I am interviewing them as well. Although I didn't get that feeling from the actual interview, I did get that feeling from the rest of the administration that I met. Everyone was especially nice, and though that might not make a difference once I get to medical school, it does make a difference about what I think of it now.

The University of Pittsburgh was next, that same weekend. I had a nice road trip with my dad, but the downside was I have almost no idea what student living arrangements are like. No worries, as I'll have chances to visit again if I get in. Pittsburgh was also a very friendly school, even more so than Northwestern. They really emphasized the human aspect of medicine, and the atmosphere seemed to fit me well. The administration I met was very friendly, as well as the medical students and interviewer. One aspect of the school that amazed me was the simulation facility. They have high-tech human simulators that look like CPR dolls, but have the ability to closely simulate a ton of situations, for example cardiac arrest. If a doll "died" after going into cardiac arrest, you could reset it and practice again until you get it right. Sounds like valuable practice to me. The city itself was pretty neat because it was like a small downtown area complete with tall apartment buildings, a large medical complex, and a commercial district, but it was set away from the larger downtown Pittsburgh area. It was a medium-sized city within a larger one. I have heard bad things about Pittsburgh, but it didn't seem so bad at all, especially with the bio-technology orientation of the city. It seems like a great area to raise a family, but I doubt that will strongly factor into my decision on where to go. Well. Hoping I have a decision to make. Northwestern and Pittsburgh say they'll get back to me around late November, unless I'm deferred. Or wait-listed. I'm at their mercy.

My last scheduled interview (and fourth one in October) was at the University of Michigan. The interview group was huge. About fifty people were interviewed that day. The administration was nice, but I didn't get the same friendly feel I did from NU or Pitt. My interviews also had a little bit more of a formal tone than my previous one-on-one interviews. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Luckily, the last interviewer of the day happened to know two of my recommendation letter writers personally. I suppose that's one advantage of applying to school where you already are: connections. The tour was pretty boring, only because I had spent time in most of those areas shown already. Not to take anything away from UM though; the medical center is amazing. Walking away, I had a better feeling from the school than I had in the morning, when they continued to talk about rankings rather than fit. Maybe this was because the students who gave the tour were very nice, or maybe I was just excited once again of the possibilities of going to this particular medical school on this particular day. Anyhow, I should know soon, probably by November 3rd at 5 PM. Unless they wait-list me. Or defer me. ARGH.

It's been quite a while since I've updated. The last days of summer were spent scrambling to send off medical school applications, working, and socializing. Classes started pretty well. I am taking a history class about U.S. military interventions in Latin America and other parts of the world. There's a lot of reading, but I'm optimistic because the class is in seminar format (one day a week, for three hours), and we will hopefully learn about the movie-type CIA secret operations to take down dictatorships. If I don't learn who killed Kennedy, I'm dropping the course. I am also taking an endocrinology lab that should prove to be very interesting. More on this later, but we got to perform surgery on rats this week. Another interesting class I'm taking is the history of American Popular Music. Apparently, my teacher Bruce Conforth was the first curator for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Pretty neat, I say. But so far, the class has been just a little too dry. Hopefully when we move on to rock and roll, things will get better. My last class was supposed to be endocrinology mechanisms and toxicology, a graduate class taken in the school of public health. I showed up, and the professor was very nice, and there was only one other student in the class. The professor seemed excited about the prospect of only having two students, and I was excited that I'd get a lot of personal attention from a professor. It's a far cry from my 200 person Pop music lecture. Unfortunately, the other girl decided to drop the class, and my professor decided to do the same. I got an email yesterday explaining that the class was cancelled. So now I'm enrolled in a class about health science research on same-sex relationships. I think it could be a very educating class. It's small so there's a lot of discussion. I am, however, the only male in the entire class. I would be lying if I said that wasn't at all intimidating. Anyhow, seems like it should be a good semester if I can balance all the reading and writing with work.

Outside of class, things have been going alright. The wolverines lost to Notre Dame, which stung a little bit, but the rest of the season should still be a blast. I start my 3-on-3 basketball IM games tonight, which are usually a lot of fun. I got an interview from Wayne State, today as well, so it's been a pretty good day. To top it off, Jess pointed me towards this news story today about a possible chupacabra finding. Click on images.

I got an invitation for an interview at Northwestern Medical School today. I'm excited because after all the worrying, I have some hope that this whole process will work out fine. After hearing all the horror stories about kids with great grades, test scores, extracurricular activities, and personalities not getting into medical school, it's good to know that at least I'm on the right track. Knock on wood...this is the only interview request I've gotten, but it's also the first application I sent in. At any rate, going to school in the heart of downtown Chicago could be a great experience. Harvard and U Pitt still haven't even sent me secondaries. And I thought I read somewhere that they send them out to everyone. Has anyone gotten secondaries from either of those schools? Maybe I'll just have to call.

This weekend, by pure coincidence, I ended up watching two movies about quadriplegics. The first, The Sea Inside, was the story of a man completely paralyzed from the neck down. He wishes for someone to help him commit suicide, as he has been in that state for over twenty years. One memorable line is "Life is a privilege, not an obligation." The other movie I saw this weekend was Murderball. It's a documentary about quadriplegics who play wheelchair rugby. The difference is that these quadriplegics aren't completely paralyzed in all four limbs. Most have enough control of their hands and arms to throw and catch a ball about the size of a volleyball. Rather than pity themselves, these men have dedicated themselves to a sport. They train hard for the Paralympics, and there's even a strong rivalry between the U.S. and Canadian teams. I was originally going to right about how the characters view their situation so differently. In The Sea Inside, the main character wants to kill himself. In Murderball, one of the main characters has gone on a talk show saying the accident that left him paralyzed was the single greatest thing that has ever happened to him. But their situations are completely different. One can't move anything but his head. The other is able to play a competitive sport full of rivalries, comradery, and fun. Maybe a message in both movies is to withhold judgement, and give respect. A grown, competent, man may have the full capabilities and rights to bring about his own death. And there's no need to pity these quad-rugby players because they obviously don't need or want it. What they do seem to want is respect for their accomplishments. Both movies are very good.

Euthanasia is obviously complicated. Is suicide (and some forms of euthanasia) illegal because it hurts those around the "victim," or because the law is grounded in some kind of religious belief? Of course, it seems kind of silly to have a law that can't be enforced. After all, I imagine the last concern on someone's mind who may commit suicide is the possibility of jail time. Is the law just there as a formality so that society is more comfortable in not condoning something that goes against deep religious beliefs? Maybe an overly simple thought: If you are allowed to go to war as an adult, in a sense you are given the permission to decide if something is worth dying for. By prohibiting suicide, is the government then saying that same adult does not have the right to decide if something is worth living for? Even if you don't agree with the accuracy of the first premise, the second part is still a valid question.

The more I learn about my job, the more I thank Ali Z. for helping me get it. Today was my second full shift at the coney island. So far, it's been a walk in the park. I almost feel bad for the owners that I've been hired. However, it seems that the job market isn't so good, so I'm feeling very lucky to have a job right now. Today was a bit slower than normal, but I did much of the same thing today as I did yesterday during my first full shift. Basically, I sit in the back of the restaurant and wait until people are done with their meals and want to pay. I take care of that. And I am learning to take care of the carry-out orders (maybe two per shift). Other than that I sit around, chat with co-workers, and eat my large free meals, drinking free soda pop. Oh, and get paid. At the end of the night I, the person with the least experience, will just make sure everyone else has done the hard work of cleaning up. Then I lock up and go home before 10 PM. Not bad at all.

The reason I haven't been posting much is because, other than the new job, almost nothing worth noting has happened to me in the last week or so. I'll try to think harder. Maybe I need to buy a new book.

It appears I am now a working man. Research at the pulmonary immunology lab has slowed down abruptly because the experiments should all be done. Now my supervisor will write up the manuscript and send it in for publication. Anyhow, I can't just be sitting around Ann Arbor; now I have time to try and help pay the rent. I applied to a few places, but only two showed any interest. I might be working 10 hours a week posting fliers for Kaplan Test Prep (we'll see on the 25th). More certainly, I'll be working at a coney island. I applied for waitstaff, but given my complete lack of experience in waiting tables and my stunning looks, I was hired to host (apparently, it's because the interviewer thought I "looked responsible"). This isn't bad. $8 an hour, no tips, but it should be a pretty easy job. I think my only obligations are to seat people, close the restaurant at night, and make sure things run smoothly. And bring in the ladies. Hah. I'm looking forward to the job, as I'm optimistic about new experiences, and I've never had a job. I think it'll be good for me to experience a little more responsibility or pressure than a volunteer job before I set off for med school. Training starts after this fiasco called an Art Fair is over.

The break is welcome though, I've been working on secondary med school applications. I think I'm ready to send off Northwestern and close to sending off Baylor. It's going to be a bit of work, writing all those essays. And it's going to be a lot of money, paying about $90 to submit each secondary, and paying for flights out to interviews. Another reason I've got to start working...

Dubai, an emirate in apparently the richest country in the world per capita, the United Arab Emirates, has been coming up in conversation and the news lately. On the northeastern part of the Arabian peninsula, it is on the Persian Gulf coast. The oil money that's being pumped into the area is tremendous. Some of the more stunning projects are a collection of 300 man-made islands for sale that look like the globe when viewed from above, the only seven-star hotel in the world, an underwater hotel, islands in the shape of palm trees, the largest mall in the world, and numerous amazing-looking buildings, including the world's tallest. The crown prince also apparently owns the world's largest yacht. This place seems to be exploding. Maybe the next celebrity vacation spot? Take a look.

The other night, we were sitting outside a local bar, the Brown Jug, enjoying some drinks, when something interesting happened. The bar serves patrons that sit on the patio, with a public sidewalk running between the patio and the bar. A table of girls was next to ours, and an older black man (possibly drunk, certainly obnoxious) stopped on the sidewalk in order to start a conversation with them. The girls were polite, though a bit nervous, and he ended up walking around the fencing separating the patio from the sidewalk, and squeezing into an extra chair at their table. By now, the discomfort on the girls' faces was obvious while the intruder was thoroughly enjoying himself. A few of his friends walked by and they greeted each other quickly. The friends disappeared inside the bar. Finally, one of the bartenders came outside.

Sir, do you know these girls?

No, I'm just talking to them.

Sir, if you weren't invited to their table, and you don't know them, we have to ask you to leave.

At this point, the man started getting belligerent and refused to leave. Disrupting the entire patio, he started cursing at the bouncer and bartenders as they coolly and politely asked him to leave. Finally, the police were called and he walked off, loudly swearing and threatening consequences when he returned. About this time, the two black friends of his are escorted out of the bar. They hadn't done anything and were obviously mad at being kicked out of the bar because of their friend's actions so they started an argument with the police and the bouncer near us. From what I heard, the bouncer told the police that the guy who'd already left had told him that the two friends were with him. The two friends protested, saying they barely knew the guy. The police continued to ask the two men to leave. Finally, the two men went over to the girls' table and, to prove a point, asked the girls if they had bothered the girls at all. Of course, the girls said "No." At this point, I believe the police were not insisting that the two men leave anymore. I think they had been convinced the two friends weren't causing any trouble, but the damage had already been done. Mad because they thought they had been singled out due to the color of their skin, they left angrily. Racism? Or was it just a bar exercising its right to ask anyone to leave, in the interest of safety in a typically volatile environment (how many senseless bar fights have you seen)?

The way they do it at Wrigley Field should be the only way to do it. No other baseball game experience I've had even comes close to the one I had at Wrigley field this last Saturday afternoon. Danny (my roommate who lives in Evanston) and I hopped on the red line and headed South from Evanston at about 1:00. About 20 minutes later, we stepped out onto the platform with a number of other Cubs fans and descended the staircase onto Addison St. It was about 75 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. So far so good. We took a quick stroll around the outside of the park, and I took in the sights. Thousands of people were everywhere, most in a blue cubs hat or some other Cubbies gear. All the girls were tanned, blonde, and wore sunglasses. Everyone looks better on a day like that. We snatched up some of the few remaining tickets to watch them play the Washington Nationals, and began looking for some food. Surrounding the park in all directions are a multitude of outdoor bars, consistently packed 2 hours before gametime with excited people. Where there aren't bars, there are vendors hawking Cubs t-shirts, and apartment buildings with people on the rooftops, getting a view of the field from across the street. We decided to eat at a random diner next to the stadium: "Salt and pepper Diner." It was fabulous. I had a greasy angus steak burger with onions and cheese on toasted rye bread and a bud light. Even the beer tastes better on a day like that. Satisfied, we left and headed towards the stadium. As we entered the bustling stadium, I had a perfect view from home plate looking into the outfield. An old-time park, the seats feel much closer to the field than most of the parks today, and there's something to be said for the humbling feeling of history that the park has. Makes me wish the old Tiger Stadium was still where the Tigers played. Being so close to the sunlit field, the greens seemed greener and the red clay I swear was the exact same shade as when I used to play in Little League. The ivy along the outfield, I've seen on TV, but I wasn't prepared for this: the beautiful green wall with a few bleachers above it, and across the street apartments looking down with spectators on the rooftops. As the Cubs took the field, a roar rose from the sellout crowd. The cubs do it right. It's not like they're one of the best teams in baseball either. With an atmosphere like that, I wonder if any major league team would have attendance problems. Anyhow, it was a wonderful afternoon. The game? Oh. The game wasn't important. Cubs lost. But what a day at the park.