#revalidone

Those of you who know me just know how much I fear the Oral Revalida. It’s the most final of all final examinations, the highest and most difficult case discussion of them all. You have to be prepared for absolutely anything, for the tribunal can ask you absolutely anything under the sun. There’s so much material to cover, you feel like you’ll never be ready.

I was not ready - even up until the last twelve hours until mine. I was screaming and crying and just not myself. What I feared most, more than anyone else, was that I’d get a mental block, or worse, a panic attack. It already happened to me once, during a Dermatology case presentation. I feared it would happen again, when it already counts the most.

It did not happen.

I passed.

It’s over.

Sometimes it’s still not sinking in, but with this, I’m mostly done with med school.

The whole experience was humbling. I was glad to learn that I was not as stupid as I thought, that somehow, something from my four years of medical school stuck in my memory. There were still parts I could not discuss properly, though. Questions I could not answer. But that was okay. That’s the whole point of the experience.

You see, the thing about passing the Revalida is that the journey isn’t yet over, nor will it ever be. Medical school is only four years, but the medical profession is a lifetime of learning and commitment. The Revalida, I realized, was but a rite of passage, and passing it was the gateway to the outside world. It only gets harder, more challenging from here.

And so the rest of my life begins here. It’s both a bit scary and a bit exciting, but I know I’ll be all right. I’ve become stronger, I guess. A bit wiser, too, hopefully.

Until then, I’ll bask in the happiness of today, and sign off,