Dear Reader

Dear Reader,

Thank you for reading this blog. I truly appreciate your time and attention, and thank you to those in particular who leave thoughtful comments to what I write. I've blogged for a decade now, but this last journal chronicling medical school has been different because of you. This is the only blog I've made public, and I've heard from readers from so many walks of life, so many different countries, so many various backgrounds, many of whom only know me electronically. Well, thank you for reading this. I honestly have no idea how I come across in this forum, and it's awfully frightening to me to put myself out there.

Medical school is a long, sometimes dismaying, sometimes challenging, but generously rewarding journey. There are blogs here where I've expressed disappointment or dissatisfaction with the system, but overall it has been such a transformative experience. I am a much different person now than I was four years ago. I've not only learned so many more facts, but I've had so many more meaningful interactions, scary situations, passions and curiosities. Writing about them has certainly helped me understand myself and these last four years.

This journey comes to an end this Friday. Graduation has sprung upon us and captured me by surprise. In just five days, I will accept those rights, responsibilities, and privileges of a doctor of medicine. To be completely honest, I don't know how I feel. It is a little overwhelming right now. But I hope that in my free time, I can do some reflection and discover a little bit of those deeper and more elusive emotions.

Free time, however, is a rare treat these days. I am still planning out my blogs for this week. The truth is, I have so many more things to write about including the last "rotation" of fourth year entitled Coda, which I will probably have to explore after graduation. When I have time, I will write, but this week may be a little unpredictable in terms of journal entries.

Thinking long term, I am not yet sure what I'll do. I'll certainly keep blogging through this summer, and I'm fairly certain I'll keep some form of online journal in residency. Time will be a rate-limiting factor, and I have some ethical and legal reservations of being an MD who writes openly to the public. Hopefully in the next month, I will resolve what I want to do in the future.

As for this blog, if you find any entries offensive, inappropriate, unethical, or otherwise bothersome, do let me know. I am very, very aware that what I'm writing about can be personal, encroaches upon privacy issues, and reveals aspects of medicine that the lay person may not have known. I know I write about issues that are controversial. My intention is never to offend anyone, to remain wholly ethical, and to hold myself to a high standard of online journalism. Please let me know if you think I ever cross the line.

Thank you again for following along.

Craig