Stethoscope Ceremony

Today was the Family Day and Stethoscope Ceremony for the 2007 entering class at the UW medical school. It was really nice to meet every one's families and get my very first stethoscope. (My family couldn't make it because of the early morning time and the long drive down to Seattle. I jokingly adopted one of the faculty members who I met at orientation as a mom for the day. She was really sweet and funny and after the ceremony she came up and gave me a big hug and said, "Congratulations my adopted daughter for the day!"). The stethoscopes were paid for by the UWSOM Alumni Association. The expectation is that after we graduate and start working as physicians we will donate to the Alumni Association so they can buy stethoscopes and stuff like that for future classes. I felt a little bit bad because I will probably be working in Africa making next to nothing and won't be able to donate. Oh well, the stethoscope is nice though.

The only natural thing to do after getting your very own stethoscope on the fourth day of medical school is to pretend to be all doctorish and take a bunch of pictures with it. I have included some for your make-fun-of-student-doctor enjoyment:

Here is my stethoscope in its nice little box.

Here I am with my stethoscope around my neck. Do I look like someone you would be willing to trust with your health and medical decisions? Wait, don't answer that. (I wouldn't trust me with my health and medical decisions!)

Hmmm, do I actually have a heartbeat?