My first day of classes came to a close a few hours ago. It was quite a relief after three days of orientation last week. I would be the first admit that I am not one to go for large shows of group devotion but it wasn't too bad. The get-to-know-you events were fun and some of the sessions were informative. By the end, however, the whole thing got a little too tribal for my tastes. Most of the people in my class seem like really interesting, smart people but I can' t buy the repeated assertion that we are all so 'special'. There are lots of great smart creative caring people out there that aren't medical students. Some of them, god forbid, aren't even in healthcare. And I understand that bonding with our classmates is important so that we can help each other out during the intense workload ahead but I resent the implication that we all have to be 'pals' to do it. Often it is easier to work effectively with someone you aren't sharing drinks with every other night. All in all I think that I can adapt to the social aspect of med school. At the moment I am more than a little overwhelmed with the actual school part of medical school. But I am sure that will pass with a little time as well.