in media res

"And nearer fast and nearer

Doth the red whirlwind come..."

~Horatius

Lord Macaulay's words fit strangely well with the coming of a new term, my first at medical school in Ireland.

Okay, let's reel back the pomposity a wee bit. After the roaring success of the blog of my Ghanaian adventures (lettersfromghana.blogspot.com), I decided to give it another whirl here in Limerick. This blog seems like a great idea right now, but I can make no guarantees on its regularity or even its chances of survival. This week has been somewhat breezy with just a few orientations (though they are 8 hours long) and a kajillion forms to fill out and have stamped, however, as Lord Mackers alluded to, I can feel the med school storm abrewin' and come Monday we'll see if there is time enough to breath, never mind blog.

Thus far, Limerick has been awesome. After a disoriented first night, I met a wonderful crowd of fellow "first year" medical students sheltering from the rain the next morning. We have scarcely separated since. We have already had two jam nights (guitar jam not strawberry jam) with electric guitars, mandolins and much drunken singing; a "Flight of the Conchords" viewing sesh, and big communal dinners together. I must admit that I'm a little surprised by how excited I am to be spending the next four intense years with these people. I didn't know that med school harbored such gems.

Our lengthy orientation the other day provided my first opportunity to see the entire University of Limerick's Graduate Entry Medical School class of 2013. With something like 50 Irish and 40 Canadians it seems we are slowly taking over. The four year program is divided into two years of (largely) classroom work: lectures and problem based learning groups (the PBL system, the flagship of Limerick's innovative approach, is described with rabid vigour) and two years of (smally) classroom work: more time spent in "the field." We were also reminded that we would soon be introduced to the the two patients (an expectant mother, and a person with a chronic illness) who we will be following (medically as opposed to stalkerly) for the next few years.

It is all very exciting and with my new med student buddies beside me and my umbrella in hand I am eager to face the flurry of studies ahead.