Meeting Up with old friends at USC

Every once and a while I run into a couple of friends from the past. Today was one of those special days. I had the chance to see three of my work mates from UCLA over at the campus at the University of Southern California this morning. Yes, these two institutions are rivals. It just so happens that all of us are now students at USC in the Nurse Anesthesia program.

Mia, Adrienne and Dana are 2nd year anesthesia students at USC and old friends. I was so happy to see them and all at once. Seeing them healthy and happy really made my day.

USC Anesthesia Class of 2006

The class at USC 2006 was wandering around half dazed a bit by all of the new things that have been going on for all of us. We are hanging in there though. Just outside of the book store at the Health Science campus at USC several of us were idle for a moment and got caught by a passing photo bird.

This is the second week of class and after today I think that all of us are feeling a little bit overwhelmed by the amount of work that we are up against. The studying part is really starting to pile up around the edges, especially the Physiology class. The amount of information is quite high. The professor actually apologized today because the lecture was so detailed and had so much material. What a laugh. I have never had a professor do that before. Really, the cell physiology and neuro stuff that has been presented in the past week is a lot.

The goal is to just get through it the way every thing else has been done in the past. First is to just show up and second is to read the text books that everyone else is reading and do the things that all of the other successful students have done in the past. I don’t think there is a magic formula. Its back to basics just like the Dali Lama has said, “Before enlightenment you are expected to chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment you are expected to chop wood and carry water.” Oh my God! This chopping thing is getting harder and harder beside carrying water too.

No bitching allowed as one of our Professors has said, “Failure is not an option, its just a matter of how successful you are going to be and how much of an impact you are going to make in the world that is important.”
Chris Stein, CRNA MS Pain management specialist.