Phlebotomised!

Post-pre-med, day 4 has come and gone. Tuesday was administrivia for the most part, Wednesday was more of the same with some explanations of faculty structure and an intro to the surprisingly secure medical school IT facilities. Today was some stuff about international courses and then an introduction to infectious diseases and needle stick management. Still no Hepatitis C vaccine or treatment, damn. Then I got to poke someone with a needle and draw her blood, and she did the same to me. I was surprised at the intensity of the “flash” as the blood begins to pump from the vein… of course, it’s a negative pressure collecting vial. Still, I was reminded of CSI and its obsession with plotting “arterial spray”, looking for “voids”

Played soccer for a bit, then dodgeball. The playing of amateur games outside a competitive environment is some sort of UCSD tradition, even to the level that Vernor Vinge notes it his wonderful Rainbows End. Tomorrow is the “White Coat Ceremony“, which is some sort of pseudo-graduation thing for people that haven’t actually begun to study medicine. Blame Columbia!