Except for a strange (but fortunately short) cake and tort (!) baking phase I went through in high school, I've never had the patience or interest in baking desserts. I've also never been a fan of cake mixes or store bought cookie dough. My parents would make Polish cakes and tarts for various holidays, but we never had store-bought "add oil and one egg" desserts when I was growing up. In college, my "experimentation phase" with raw cookie dough and brownie mixes was very short, and soon afterwards, I began to nurture a potent paranoia of trans fats. So I was startled to realize today while standing in the Safeway line with the 9th package of cookie dough I've bought in as many months, that med school seems to require baking skills.
They don't tell you this during the application process, and though I haven't really checked, I don't think I've seen it posted on any of the premed advisory websites...yet, I'm pretty convinced that the one thing I have done more in medical school than at any other time in my life is make cookies. It started during the second week of school with a MANDATORY -yes, mandatory- assignment for my doctoring class, where we were asked to bake a dish representing our family and cultural history. It seemed extremely absurd at the time - I was swamped with the dawning reality of my coursework - and found myself desparately putting together a polish cheesecake at 3 in the morning. Since then, class events, people's birthdays, and fundraisers have made these 3 am baking marathons completely completely commonplace. After trying to stay awake over my endocrinology all day, I finally slammed my computer shut at 2 am, turned to my friend, and said, "I think I'm done for the night. I have to go make cookies". My friend, without a trace of irony, frustration or disbelief, replied, "Yeah. I'm almost done, too. I've got to go buy some plates after this. Are you going to review at 9?"
So here I am - one week away from completing my first year of medical school - waiting for cookies to bake. If all goes well, I'll get 5 hours of sleep before tomorrow's 9am class, so I can have a good start on cramming for next week's exams.
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2 comments:
Yeah, I never did buy those plates. Clearly, you were more virtuous than I was. Instead I played the bring-something-you-already-have-in-your kitchen-and-pretend-it-was-what-you-were assigned-to-bring game :)
congrats on finishing your first year of med school.:-) I was reading about it when I saw the post about cakes:-) in my family nobody wants to do them (except for christmas and easter) so from time to time I do something
, and I find it relaxing. also preparing diner or lunch (traditionally 2 dishes :-). I dont do it very often cause of the lack of time (specially 2 in the morning- that is the time that I usually make models of houses for my projects :) but i enjoy it. take care.
ps. and the best is cooking on TV :-) on BBC "Giorgio and TOny" lately hehe
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