I've often told the story of how I first knew I wanted to become a doctor. It started with a book, really. I was six years old then, and my mom was pregnant with Monchie. Mom had all these pregnancy books lying around, and being the biblophile that I am (I've loved reading ever since I could read, at the tender age of four), it was almost instinct to pick one up and start browsing through it. And I was fascinated by what I found. It was a different kind of adventure from those in my story books and fairy tales--it was a tour of the human body, specifically that of a pregnant mother's, and it was also a story of the creation of a life, from conception to birth. I was so hooked that even the very graphic pictures of vaginal delivery couldn't keep me from turning page after page. I don't remember what book that was or how many others I read, but Mom told me I read more about pregnancy than she ever did. I was six years old then.
Reading Williams Obstetrics 23rd ed now, at 22 and in medical school, I feel like I've come full circle. I actually resisted buying the book for the first two OB exams because of its price, but I gave in in the end. I've only read a few chapters but I can already say that I don't regret my decision. Not one centavo's worth. Williams is a joy to read, not at all a chore. And not only because of its glossy pages and colored photos that are new to the 23rd edition. For me, it is because it brings back the same feelings I felt at six years old--wonder at the architecture of the human body, specifically the female reproductive tract, and awe at the beauty that is human life. And not to mention, it has also expanded my medical vocabulary quite vastly, with new words like ballotement and puerperium, and of course our class's favorite, violaceous.
Reading Williams Obstetrics 23rd ed now, at 22 and in medical school, I feel like I've come full circle. I actually resisted buying the book for the first two OB exams because of its price, but I gave in in the end. I've only read a few chapters but I can already say that I don't regret my decision. Not one centavo's worth. Williams is a joy to read, not at all a chore. And not only because of its glossy pages and colored photos that are new to the 23rd edition. For me, it is because it brings back the same feelings I felt at six years old--wonder at the architecture of the human body, specifically the female reproductive tract, and awe at the beauty that is human life. And not to mention, it has also expanded my medical vocabulary quite vastly, with new words like ballotement and puerperium, and of course our class's favorite, violaceous.
I've said before that I would never consider OB-GYN as a specialty, but I'm actually rethinking that now. Because really, OB was my first love, the reason for my desire to go into medicine in the first place. Of course, this is all before I've experienced any duty or rotation in OB, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at PGH is legendary for its toxicity. But who knows? For now, I'll just keep reading.
I also think Williams is a joy to read (if only we had the luxury of time). Continue reading, Mindy, and who knows, you might be clamping the cord someday.
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